On June 30, 2021, BCCLA Executive Director Harsha Walia retweeted a Twitter news article from Vice News about the burning of Catholic churches in Canada following the discovery of gravesides at former Canadian Indian residential schools, adding the statement, "Burn it all down". In response, Tsimshian entrepreneur and Indigenous relations consultant Chris Sankey called on her to resign while British Columbia's Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth described her post as "disgusting and reprehensible." Former BCCLA president Craig Jones described Walia's statement as "a new height of stupidity" and called for the withdrawal of financial support from the BCCLA. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) expressed support for Walia (without mentioning the controversial tweet), describing her as a "highly respected and valued ally."
