New Members of Canadian Town Council Refuse to Take Oath for King Charles, Completely Halting Operations

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The refusal is in solidarity with new council member Darwyn Lynn, a member of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation

Newly elected officials in a Canadian town have refused to swear allegiance to King Charles, which has resulted in a complete halt of the council's operations.

Dawson City, located in Yukon Territory, elected Stephen Johnson as its next mayor last month, alongside a new council whose members have thus far refused to take the King's oath.

Until they do, the council cannot function.

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"We can't do anything legally required of us under the Municipal Act," Johnson said to the BBC. "It's a bit of a sticky situation."

The refusal is in protest of Britain's history with indigenous people in Canada, Johnson said. He and other new council members made this move in solidarity with new council member Darwyn Lynn, a member of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation.

Dawson City now stands on the land of Tr'ondëk, a hunting and fishing camp. Its people were displaced due to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.

Johnson contends that the refusal is "done with no disrespect to His Majesty King Charles."

Other areas in Canada and around the world have shown resistance to Britain's long history of colonialism and violence towards indigenous groups.

Last month, in Australia, aboriginal Australian lawmaker Lidia Thorpe shouted at King Charles after his speech to the Australian parliament in Canberra. The rare outburst called attention to the still-present tensions surrounding British authority in the country.

"This is not your land. This is not your land," Thorpe yelled. "You are not my King, you are not our King."

Related: King Charles Told by Indigenous Leader He Is 'Welcome' in Australia After Facing Shouts of 'You Are Not Our King'

In Canada, some view the King's oath as a formality, whereas others insist it's outdated.

In 2022, Quebec removed the requirement of stating the oath before serving in government. A similar bill was proposed in the national parliament, but was defeated in a 197-113 vote.

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The newly elected officials of Dawson City have until Dec. 9 to take the oath. After that date — which marks 40 days after the election — the new council members' wins will be considered null, according to Yukon law.