Campaign side story keeps Skeena-Bulkley Valley in the National News cycle

A report on a birthday gift
that Conservative candidate
Claire Rattée purchased for
her boyfriend has her
in the political spotlight this week

Conservative candidate Claire Rattée has garnered a bit more national attention towards her bid to claim the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding in the next election, but this time, unlike a National Post item of a few weeks ago, the latest entry to the national media is a bit more controversial.

An unusual birthday gift for her boyfriend has put the Conservative candidate Claire Rattée into the national spotlight, with APTN News exploring the topic on Wednesday and providing for some different feedback for the Northwest resident than was found in June.

The gifting of a human skull for her boyfriend made for the narrative of the APTN story, which focused on the growing practice of such purchases through retail and online stores and how it is of significant concern for Indigenous communities.

The Television station came across the story after a tip from a viewer led them to the Facebook post of Oliver Brown from February, where he highlighted the gift.

As part of their story, Ms. Rattée noted for APTN how the skull was important as a reference for art for the tattoo business that she and her boyfriend operate in Kitimat, and how the artifact came with documentation that states it is of European origin.

Among those contacted by APTN News for a view on the birthday gift were Tracy Downey the executive director of Prince Rupert Aboriginal Service Society who among her comments, expressed concerns on the heritage of the skull in question and how it fits in with goals of reconciliation.

Rhoda Witherly, the chair of the Liberal riding association in Skeena-Bulkley Valley noted for APTN that it was an odd thing to possess and how it seems to show a certain insensitivity.

As APTN outlines in their report, the buying and selling of human remains has some pretty vague guidelines in Canada and many online options exist for the purchase of such types of items, if that fits one's bill for the right gift.

The full report from APTN can be found here.

While she was fairly quick to share word of the National Post story of June through her social media feed, the simmering controversy over the birthday gift has yet to be addressed through the same social media outreach.

For more items of note related to the campaign in Skeena-Bulkley Valley see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.