But the Heiltsuk Nation issued a statement on Sunday saying the ceremony may not take place if the two officers they arrested do not attend.
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BELLA BELLA — Members of the Vancouver Police Department are expected to participate in an apology ceremony today in an expression of regret for arresting and handcuffing an indigenous man and his granddaughter as they tried to open a bank account.
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The apology is part of a settlement agreement stemming from a human rights complaint against the Vancouver Police Board filed by Maxwell Johnson of the Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bella, on British Columbia’s central coast.
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A Bank of Montreal employee called police under the mistaken assumption that Johnson and his 12-year-old granddaughter’s Indian status cards were fake, leading to public arrest in December 2019.
The agreement included an undisclosed financial award to Johnson, $100,000 to fund the nation’s restorative justice department and the development of a plan to improve police training on anti-Indigenous racism and “cultural humility.”
However, the Heiltsuk Nation issued a statement on Sunday saying the two arresting officers may not attend and the traditional ceremony cannot take place unless those who caused the harm are present.
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He says the absence of officers Canon Wong and Mitchel Tong would be another painful chapter in Johnson’s long journey to address the discrimination he and his granddaughter faced.
Johnson’s granddaughter, Tori-Anne, said at a news conference last month that she hoped the story of his arrest would encourage more people to stand up against injustice and discrimination.
The nation says the ceremony is a prerequisite for true reconciliation and is meant to be an uplifting experience for all.
“The apology ceremony is also to convey a message of rebuilding the relationship between the police and First Nations, following a traumatic incident,” says the nation.
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BC First Nations family settles with BMO after wrongful arrest
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Critical review of the arrest by VPD of an indigenous man and his granddaughter in the opening of a bank account
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