Gilaka'la allies! We are almost at 500 supporters!
When CBC asked me what the point of this was, I said collaboration. Now.
There is no Reconciliation in the shadows or born out of ignorance. If there is to be Reconciliation, first there must be Truth.
- Jody Wilson-Raybould
As you can see in the letter above from 12 Hereditary Chiefs, city hall's intention is to slow the pace of reconciliation. Slooooooow the pace of reconciliation. This not only baffles me, it makes me enraged. As a mother. As a woman. As an Indigenous woman. And as a human who has struggled with belonging and identity my entire life.
I can't stress enough how important it is to share this petition with others - far and wide. While Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Squamish, Revelstoke, Prince George, and Powell River, have all made efforts towards reconciliation and place name changes, where does that leave North Vancouver Island? There is a larger systemic issue at place here and I personally feel it has been ignored for far too long.
While the Indian Act of 1876 controlled and changed our laws as Indigenous peoples to elect Chiefs, our Hereditary Chiefs still know their purpose - UNITY. In this letter, our Hereditary Chiefs state, about both elected Chiefs Ronnie Chickite & Chris Roberts, that they "come from a hereditary line, and we support them strongly in this matter as this is our traditional territory."
If you'd like to hear my statement on CBC, along with words from Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts, please head here.
If you would like to hear Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts on All Points West, please head here.
Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ - pronounced Lee-gweeth-dahw
Discovery Passage - Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage (pronounced Lee-gweeth-dahw)
Quinsam River - Kʷənsəm (pronounced Quinsam)
Tyee Spit - ʔuxstalis (pronounced Oox-sta-lease)
I want our Indigenous (including Metis, Inuit, and First Nations), as well as our non-Indigenous families, to work together. We must be brave to do this.
Gilakas'la for your continued allyship!
Jamie Bryant