Council members in a Canadian town have chosen not to pledge allegiance to King Charles. Mayor-elect Stephen Johnson and newly elected council members from Dawson City, located in the Yukon Territory, have refused to take the King’s Oath, according to a recent BBC report. This decision has caused a delay in their official duties, as they were sworn in earlier this month but have not yet taken the required oath.
Johnson explained that their refusal is in solidarity with an Indigenous council member who voiced concerns about the Crown’s historical treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The refusal has led to a “stalled” process, as Yukon law mandates that newly elected officials must take the oath within 40 days, or their election results will be nullified.
Mayor-elect Stephen Johnson joins council members in rejecting allegiance to King Charles
Darwyn Lynn, an Indigenous council member from the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, has expressed hesitations about taking the oath because Dawson City is situated on land historically used by the Tr’ondëk people, who were displaced during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.
Mayor-elect Johnson clarified in an interview that the council is unable to carry out any legal duties until the oath is taken. “It’s a bit of a sticky situation,” he acknowledged, adding that their refusal isn’t meant as disrespect toward King Charles or a public statement against the monarchy. Instead, it’s an expression of solidarity and acknowledgment of historical injustices.
In a separate but related instance, Indigenous Australian lawmaker Lidia Thorpe confronted King Charles during his visit to Australia in October. Thorpe shouted, “This is not your land. You are not our king,” while expressing outrage over the legacy of colonialism.
Despite being removed by security, she later stated that she would act the same way if given another chance to face the king. Thorpe reaffirmed her commitment to resisting colonization and supporting First Peoples as the true sovereigns of the land.
