Grand chief snubs invitation to royals’ reconciliation ceremony
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip declined an invitation to take part in a reconciliation ceremony with Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, at a reception at Government House Monday.
“The question was: In the face of what is happening on the ground, is it appropriate to take part in a grandiose ceremony that serves to create the illusion everything is well in First Nations communities?” said Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
He consulted with fellow chiefs last week at what he described as a series of intense general assembly meetings. “The answer was no.”
Phillip said indigenous communities in Canada face crushing poverty as an everyday reality, “the missing and murdered women, the astounding number of children in [government] care, the rate of child apprehension and sub-standard housing. Every year First Nations people perish in house fires,” he said. “There is a heart-breaking tragic dimension here.”
Phillip said he was asked to be part of the Black Rod ceremony. The black rod is a ceremonial staff made in 2012 for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. It is housed in the B.C. parliament buildings and used on formal occasions for the monarchy. The rod has First Nations engravings and three rings for the monarchy and two levels of government.
Phillip was to hand a symbolic fourth ring of aboriginal reconciliation to Prince William and invite him to affix it on the black rod. Heritage Canada said First Nations have requested the fourth ring since the rod was created.
“These events are tightly scripted. There is no speaking,” Phillip said. “Had I been accorded the opportunity to speak to and express a different view things might be different. But that wouldn’t serve the illusion of peace and harmony.”
The chiefs brought up several issues that are deteriorating relations with provincial and federal governments.
Robert Chamberlin, chief of the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation north of Port Hardy, noted Premier Christy Clark’s “fast-track” of the Site C hydroelectric dam in the Peace River without aboriginal consultation and the federal government’s interference with Nuu-chah-nulth fishing rights on Vancouver Island.
Last week, hereditary chiefs in the area said Trudeau was no longer welcome. This came not long after he spent a holiday in Tofino with his family and took part in a Tla-o-qui-aht parade, wearing war paint and riding in a canoe.
Phillip said he was particularly disappointed in Trudeau’s government for defying two legal orders from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to improve the welfare of children on reserves.
“They must move beyond lip service and take action,” Phillip said.
Monday’s Government House reception, hosted by Premier Christy Clark and Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, included about 300 VIP guests, including former lieutenant governor Steven Point, also a former First Nations chief.
Guests came face-to-face with a symbol of reconciliation — the Witness Blanket, made up of hundreds of artifacts and photos from residential schools across the country.
Artist Carey Newman told the Times Colonist at the installation last week that he hoped to speak to the royal couple about the dark chapter in Canada’s colonial history and what reconciliation means.
Newman said he hoped international media took interest in indigenous issues — which has happened. Newman’s father, a residential school survivor, was interviewed by the BBC about his experiences. Phillip said he had a call from the Guardian newspaper in England about why he was declining to meet the royal couple.
Phillip said he supports Newman’s Witness Blanket being part of Monday’s reception and respects other First Nations leaders who took part.
The duke and duchess were in Bella Bella and Heiltsuk territory Monday.
Bad weather cancelled the royal couple’s seaplane tour of the Great Bear Rainforest, but the rest of their tour continued as scheduled.
BELLA BELLA — Prince William and Kate’s tour of British Columbia was knocked off course on Monday as the royal couple braved bad weather to add a unique area of rainforest coastline to a conservation effort started by the Queen.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Great Bear Rainforest on the province’s central coast on a day when their itinerary was blown apart by high winds, choppy water and pouring rain in an area of the province known for downpours. A float plane tour of the forest and boat tour of the Bella Bella Harbour were cancelled.
In marking the addition of the rainforest to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, Prince William lauded efforts to protect the area as an example of what connects Commonwealth countries.
“This is a substantial dedication, which will highlight a more collaborative approach to sustainable forest conservation,” he said.
“The establishment of the canopy is a loud and unambiguous statement that the citizens of all Commonwealth countries believe that nature is fundamental to the health of our societies. When we protect our rivers, oceans, atmospheres or, like today, our forests, we are telling our children that their future prosperity cannot be disconnected from the health of the natural world.”
The initiative was launched in 2015 to create a network of forest conservation programs involving all 53 countries in the Commonwealth. As part of the network, regions can share ideas and innovations about forest conservation and receive global attention for their efforts.
Early this year, the province and the Coastal First Nations including the Heiltsuk announced they would increase protection of the area, conserving 85 per cent of the forested areas from industrial logging.
The rain eased up after the dedication ceremony and William and Kate took a stroll along a boardwalk through part of the rainforest. The royal couple were presented with hand-carved wooden paddles. “I strongly encourage you to dip this in the water before you leave,” said Ian Reid. “It will bring you back.”
B.C. Premier Christy Clark announced that a $1-million trust will be created to celebrate the royal visit and promote the unique landscape. The fund will help raise awareness about the Great Bear Rainforest and support ongoing research.
Clark said the protected area of 6.4-million hectares is about the size of Ireland and it took about a decade to reach an agreement on its management.
“It was a long, hard negotiation but we all recognize we have a unique responsibility to preserve this jewel for the world,” she said.
Heiltsuk First Nation Chief Marilyn Slett said William and Kate’s focus on youth during their tour of B.C. ties in with the goal of protecting the rainforest.
“While the canopy designation recognizes the work we did around land-use planning, the interconnection between our lands and our waters cannot be understated,” she said. “The Heiltsuk do this work because our children’s ... futures depend on it.”
The royal couple returned to Victoria for an evening reception at Government House.