Heiltsuk and Maxwell Johnson welcome new report which recognizes urgent need for an Apology Ceremony before work to reform police practices and fight systemic racism can begin.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (March 6, 2024) – BC’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, released an interim report today on progress under the historic settlement that was agreed to between Maxwell Johnson and the Vancouver Police Board (VPB) after Mr. Johnson and his granddaughter were detained and handcuffed by Vancouver Police constables on a busy downtown street after they visited a Bank of Montreal in December 2019.

The Commissioner is a third-party reviewer of the VPB’s progress under the agreement, which includes:

1) Terms for a collaborative effort between the VPB, Heiltsuk Tribal Council, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs to reform policing policies to ensure policing practices are anti-racist and non-discriminatory, so that what happened to Mr. Johnson and his granddaughter doesn’t happen to anyone else.

2) A requirement that the VPB “exercise best efforts” to ensure the constables attend an Apology Ceremony.

A summary of the original settlement terms is available here.

Heiltsuk is not aware of any “best efforts” made by the VPB, and the constables didn’t show up to a planned Apology Ceremony in October 2022. Since then, the relationship between the VPB, Mr. Johnson, and Heiltsuk Nation has broken down. As the report recognizes, this has stalled the critical anti-racist policing reform work under the agreement.

“I strongly urge the parties to refocus their efforts on building a respectful relationship by facilitating an Apology Ceremony that is agreeable to both parties and in accordance with Heiltsuk law so that the important work of Part C [reform talks] can proceed… This Agreement represented an important step forward in the relationship between Indigenous peoples and police in this province, with a precedential impact that could stretch far beyond the parties involved” (page 15 of the Commissioner’s report, available here).

Heiltsuk Nation and Mr. Johnson welcome the Commissioner’s report and hope it prompts the VPB to work with the Heiltsuk to ensure the constables finally attend an Apology Ceremony, so that the collaborative policing reform work under the agreement can proceed.

“Our nation has been trying for more than a year to get the constables to come to an Apology Ceremony and apologize to Max and his granddaughter in a culturally appropriate way, under Heiltsuk law,” said Marilyn Slett, elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation. “The Commissioner’s report affirms that ‘an apology ceremony in accordance with Heiltsuk law is necessary’ before we can move forward with the other critical anti-racism reform work entailed in the agreement.”

To arrange interviews:

Marilyn Slett
Chief Councillor
Heiltsuk Nation
250-957-7721

Ruben Tillman
Legal Counsel
604-908-0415