Family members of a man charged with second-degree murder in what police say was a targeted hit and run death on Haida Gwaii are being shunned in First Nations communities throughout B.C.
Though police and the Council of the Haida Nation have encouraged the protests to cease, those taking part say they want to send a message about violence in their communities.
The victim in the case is 32-year-old Luke Pearson, born and raised in Skidegate, a Haida Gwaii village of about 700 people.
RCMP say he was hit and killed on April 22 on Front Street, in what appeared to be a targeted attack with a vehicle.
In a statement posted by Pearson’s family, he is described as a “proud uncle, loyal friend, a devoted and caring son, brother, and cousin, and loving partner,” a marine mechanic and avid outdoorsman born and raised in Skidegate.
“He proudly and humbly lived a peaceful and honest life,” the post says. “His life was stolen by evil people in a senseless act with no reason, and our hearts are forever broken.”
Two days after the death, RCMP said they had arrested 32-year-old Skidegate resident Tyson Young, who was charged with second-degree murder. Young’s next court appearance is May 28.
Now, individuals associated with Young, some of whom have been identified as his family members, have met with protesters along the highway as much as 800 kilometres away after leaving Skidegate and heading east to Prince George and beyond.
In Facebook videos, individuals can be seen lined up in multiple communities along Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Prince George with signs reading “#Justice4Luke.” Other videos show individuals following the vehicles, sometimes for hours at a time, as they drive along the highway.
A widely shared social media post encourages businesses not to provide them with services along the way.
And at least two homes have also been demolished in Skidegate, which were apparently occupied by Young and his family, with a video showing members of the community lining up to witness the destruction, praying and taking part by throwing rocks through windows.
Skidegate Band Council has declined to comment until after Pearson’s funeral, but B.C. Assembly of First Nations Chief Terry Teegee says the decision to destroy the homes and ask the family to leave was made by leadership in an attempt to deal with ongoing issues in the community associated with drug dealing.
He said the incident has hit a nerve because of the number of small Indigenous communities struggling with drug deaths and few resources.
“I think it’s indicative of the frustration that many administrations, chiefs and councils, governing bodies have with the situation with toxic drugs and what it’s doing to our First Nations communities,” he said.
Provincial numbers show First Nations are more than six times more likely to die from a toxic drug overdose than other people in the province, and several have declared a state of emergency, calling for help from other levels of government.
“This is a crisis,” he said.
Hit-and-run death sets off B.C.-wide demonstrations against drug deaths and violence
Among those to take part in the demonstrations were Caroline Hall of the Witset First Nation and Smogelgem (Warner Naziel), a hereditary chief of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, who spoke to CBC News from their home in Witset, about 300 kilometres northwest of Prince George.
They said they became aware of the incident through friends and family on Haida Gwaii and were told Pearson’s death was a result of drug dealers in the community and that the individuals on the road had been banished as a result.
“They [drug dealers] harmed a lot of people over the years, so that people had enough,” Smogelgem said.
“And all the communities, up and down the highway, can relate to that. We know how it feels to bury our young people. And it’s happening far too often, and this movement just really caught the hearts of so many of our communities because we don’t want to be burying our people anymore.”
He said the demonstrations and decision to shun those associated with Young is part of a practice that dates back to pre-colonial times, when members who broke rules would be exiled and could not be helped by neighbouring communities.
“They’re not allowed to give them food, not allowed to take care of them or house them. They’re expected to pass through the territory and continue on,” he said. “We’re upholding our old laws.”
He said it felt necessary to return to these customs because the current system of laws and government has failed to stop the crisis.
“The channels that we are expecting to do something about this aren’t,” he said. “The system is not interested in taking care of us, so we have to take care of ourselves.”
Ellis Ross, MP-elect for the region that includes Haida Gwaii and former chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, posted to Facebook that he believes a sea-change could be underway as a result of the demonstrations.
“We might be on the edge of something historic because it is First Nations and Haida people who have started this, saying enough is enough,” he said in a video.
Ross, however, also said police should be allowed to continue their investigation and RCMP have asked for the protests and targeting of the individuals to stop, saying some of the behaviour is “bordering on criminal harassment.”
“To be clear, there is one person who is alleged to have committed a crime, and their family should not be persecuted for those allegations,” said Sgt. Kris Clark with B.C. RCMP.
“There’s a process in place that needs to move forward, and that court process will continue.”
‘I have never seen it before in my lifetime’ MP-elect says of family banished after targeted death
The Council of the Haida Nation has also put out a statement thanking neighbouring communities for their support and reminding people to “walk softly while the emotions are still raw.”
“Right now, what we need is to focus on healing and love,” the statement reads. “Get off social media. Go outside and enjoy nature and its healing power. Jump in the ocean. Wash off the bad energy.”
The Nation says it is supportive of the RCMP’s efforts to investigate Pearson’s death.
