Mayor Krog and First Nation Chiefs Call for Peace

JOINT NEWS RELEASE - Distributed July 15, 2021 11:45 AM

The recent discoveries of unmarked graves associated with Residential School Systems has shaken many people to their core and has brought tremendous pain and suffering to survivors who are constantly forced to re-live their experiences at these horrific residential schools. Justice must be promoted and achieved in a significant way to allow Indigenous families to heal and we call on Canada to implement all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

While there have been peaceful vigils and healing ceremonies all across Canada that serve as a public display of support for Indigenous Peoples, some demonstrations have been followed by acts of public vandalism and arson, all of which are completely inconsistent with the ideals of Canadians who want to see reconciliation, peace, and acceptance in our communities. The road to reconciliation is a challenging one. Reflecting on individual and societal values and morals that have contributed to the acts of violence in residential schools is crucial to understanding the inequities and injustices experienced by Indigenous Peoples, then and now. We must all do the individual and societal work to make these changes.

As leaders of our respective governments, we are united in asking everyone to have respect for one another and not to engage in acts of vandalism or violence. These are the kinds of values and behaviours that contributed to the residential school policies and procedures. We also ask that the use of divisive rhetoric and language stop. We encourage you to use non-violent and peaceful means to convey your disappointment and disagreement with Canada on the treatment of Indigenous Peoples. Let us all reason together, educate one another, acknowledging that we welcome diversity to mend divisions and not create them.

Many of us are working diligently and quietly to achieve reconciliation, justice and equality, and to bring peace to our communities and to ensure a prosperous future for all of our citizens regardless of race and ethnicity.

We want all the people who call Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw, Snaw-Naw-As and Vancouver Island home, to feel safe, welcomed, loved, treated with equality and be allowed to thrive. All of this can be accomplished by remembering the basic foundations of being good neighbours and human beings and that is to have mutual respect and truly acknowledge the importance of every citizen and their emotions.

Leonard Krog, Mayor of the City of Nanaimo

Mike Wyse, Chief of Snuneymuxw First Nation

Gordon Edwards, Chief of Snaw-Naw-As First Nation

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