Gilakas'la family and friends for your support! 

A few days ago I sent out an email to Chiefs, administration, city council and media outlets. Within hours I received an interview request from CBC!!!!

My email included this personal reflection: 

I am a 3rd year social work student at UVIC with over 40 years of life experience. I have had an alcohol dependency, I have suffered from issues with mental illness, and I have lived with suicide ideation my entire life. None of it made sense until I explored my personal history via my education. Now, as I complete my field placement, I am researching how language and culture prevents youth suicides in Indigenous communities, and I am researching how trauma and addiction are consequences of colonization. Now, with my life experience and with my education, I am able to see why my integration into my grandmother's traditional territory has provided me with tremendous healing through language and culture. 
 
While Campbell River city council might think that our language and traditional place names are not of "popular opinion", I would like you to consider whether the "popular opinion" of harms done to Indigenous peoples in the past would be of popular opinion today? I think not. 
 
I believe this topic must be considered in more depth and an approach to fulfil all parties must be considered. 
 
Once you know better, you do better. You can do better City of Campbell River. 
________

While I'll be sure to provide you with an update on that interview, I first wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for signing this petition, but I can't continue to do it without you. Please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this petition with anyone and everyone you know via Facebook, Instagram, text, and email.

Like I said in my CBC interview, my hope is that the City of Campbell River recognized that there is a problem in the city of our traditional territory. The damage of city council comments like "not in the popular opinion" of the greater community is damaging and further perpetuates racism and discrimination. 

"If you don't name a problem, you can't see a problem, and if you don't see a problem, you can't solve a problem". - Kimberlé Crenshaw

We have a problem, and I want our Indigenous (including Metis, Inuit, and First Nations), as well as our non-Indigenous families, to work together to accomplish this. We must be brave to do this.

Gilakas'la for your continued allyship!

Jamie Bryant (@maxinrelaxin_cv on Instagram)

Cover image from Campbell River Art Gallery