B.C. politicians and leaders are denouncing a gathering of white nationalists on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve, just east of Kamloops.
Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir told CBC News on Sunday the nation had received reports that morning of a gathering of about 20 to 30 men, wearing white face masks and black caps, standing together around the reserve while hoisting flags over their shoulders.
In a news release, Casimir said “individuals associated with Second Sons Canada, a group linked to white supremacist and white nationalist ideology, have been seen and documented within our community.
“White supremacy will not instill fear in generations of survivors and intergenerational survivors who have already carried fear for far too long.”
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CBC News has verified that video circulating on social media of the gathering is authentic and depicts members of the group Second Sons Canada on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve.
Casimir said the reserve’s security told the men they were not permitted to gather and asked them to leave. However, they did not leave until RCMP were called and arrived at the scene.
Kamloops RCMP’s officer in charge, Supt. Jeff Pelley, said in a news release Monday that front-line officers from the Tk’emlúps RCMP detachment received a report of the group near Chief Eli Larue Way around 7:25 a.m. PT.
Pelley said officers immediately engaged with the group, which then left the location and “continued throughout various parts of the city.”
“The posting of a banner bearing the words ‘got bones,’ combined with the use of masks to conceal their identities while making such public statements is a cowardly attempt to avoid accountability for actions and messages that are clearly intended to intimidate, provoke fear and division,” Pelley said in the release.
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He said the RCMP takes the matter seriously and will “continue to engage the group” as part of its investigation.
He asked anyone with information, photos or video, or anyone with knowledge of future gatherings, to contact the RCMP.
Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke out against the gathering in a social media post on Monday afternoon.
“The cowardly act that took place at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc yesterday, is abhorrent,” he wrote on Facebook.
“It has no place in this country. My thoughts are with everyone who are shaken and hurt by this disgusting display of hate.”
Carney said the gathering is a reminder of the shared responsibility to confront the devastating legacy of the residential school system.
“Courageous Survivors shared the truth, so that all Canadians could take up the work of reconciliation.”
Speaking at the Vancouver International Airport Sunday afternoon, NDP Leader David Eby said there has been a rise “in this kind of white nationalist behaviour” in B.C., adding that more needs to be done “to fight it.”
“This is just disgraceful, disgusting behaviour. It’s very clear that these people were trying to intimidate, make people feel fearful,” he said, adding that the masked men would face severe retribution if their identities were known.
Lorne Doerkson, interim leader of the B.C. Conservative Party, condemned the gathering in a post to social media.
“The white nationalist gathering on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc land this morning was hateful and meant to intimidate. It has no place in British Columbia,” he said.
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CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko, in a post on social media, called the gathering “abhorrent.”
“Hate and discrimination of any kind are unwelcome in British Columbia and on behalf of all members of Centre BC, I condemn this behaviour and stand in solidarity with the Tkʼemlúps First Nation,” she said.
Casimir said the nation’s planned events for Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30 will go ahead.
“We will not be intimidated,” she said.
“This is not going to deter us from gathering, reflecting or honouring our survivors and the children who returned home.”
But the incident, Casimir said, is an example of a broader problem.
“Everyone should always be concerned because there’s so much racism and discrimination out there.”
On Monday morning, Casimir told CBC News’s Daybreak Kamloops that community safety is the nation’s top priority.
She recommended members stay alert and connected, and report any suspicious incidents.
“We’re going to continue moving forward and continuing the work of Truth and Reconciliation. And … if anything, it just reminds us why this work remains so important.”
CBC News reached out to Second Sons Canada but did not hear back before publication.
A national 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services for survivors and those affected.Â
Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.
