The rejection is in solidarity with new councilor Darwyn Lynn, a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation

Newly elected officials in a Canadian city have refused to swear allegiance to King Charles, resulting in a complete shutdown of council operations.

Dawson City, located in the Yukon Territory, elected Stephen Johnson as its next mayor last month, along with a new council whose members have so 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 that’s required of us under the municipal law,” Johnson told the BBC. — It’s a bit of a sticky situation.

The rejection is in protest of Britain’s history with Canada’s indigenous people, Johnson said. He and other new councilors did this in solidarity with new councilor Darwyn Lynn, a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation.

Dawson City is now located on Tr’ondëk’s land, a hunting and fishing camp. Its people were displaced due to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.

Johnson claims that the refusal is “made without respect for His Majesty King Charles.”

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

Last month, in Australia, Aboriginal Australian legislator Lidia Thorpe called out to King Charles after his speech to the Australian Parliament in Canberra. The rare outbreak drew attention to the still-existing tensions over British authority in the country.

“This is not your country. This is not your country,” Thorpe shouted. “You are not my king, you are not our king.”

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In Canada, some view the King’s Oath as a formality, while others insist it is outdated.

In 2022, Quebec removed the requirement to take the oath before serving in government. A similar bill was introduced in the national parliament, but was defeated by a 197-113 vote.

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Dawson City’s newly elected officials have until Dec. 9 to take the oath of office. After that date — which marks 40 days after the election — the new councilors’ winnings will be considered void, according to Yukon law.