B.C.'s First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) announced its full support for Laura Holland, whose son was killed in Campbell River, and other Indigenous families around the province in their demands for a nationwide state of emergency.
Holland, a Wet'suswet'en woman, was part of a contingent of nine First Nations families who had a family member killed by law enforcement agencies who gathered at Parliament Hill on Oct. 22. Holland's son, Jared Lowndes, was shot and killed by Campbell River RCMP on July 8, 2021.
RELATED: Mother of slain Indigenous Campbell Riverite demands federal inquiry
The Lowndes shooting was investigated by B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office (IIO). The IIO recommended charges against three officers involved, but on April 23, 2024 the B.C. Prosecution Service concluded there was not enough evidence.
"All too often, we are forced to fight alone and care for the family members left behind. The public has lost sight of the bigger picture: there is no justice for our people when they are killed by police," said Laura Holland at Parliament Hill on Oct. 22, demanding an immediate response from Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc and RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme. "I am looking to the federal government, an institution that remains indifferent and unkind to my people, to publicly reckon with the statistics and stories of Indigenous communities who have been denied justice
In an Oct. 30 press release, the FNLC echoed Holland's statement, joining the call for a state of emergency, "as police-involved killings and violence against First Nations continues to occur across this country, while law enforcement officers are seemingly never held accountable for their actions."
The FNLC demanded the B.C. Attorney General reconsider the B.C. Prosecution Service's ruling on the deaths of Lowndes and that of another B.C. man, Dale Culver.
RELATED: No charges in RCMP killing of Jared Lowndes shocks First Nation leaders
Culver, a member of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en First Nations, was killed in Prince George's RCMP custody in 2017. Five RCMP officers were charged in connection to his death, but only Const. Arthur Dalman was found guilty of obstruction of justice. Sgt. Jon Cruz was acquitted. Charges against the other three, which included manslaughter and ordering a witness to delete a video of the incident, were stayed by Crown prosecutors.
Culver was arrested on July 18, 2017, when police suspected him of "casing vehicles." Culver was pepper sprayed and died 30 minutes later after having trouble breathing.
The Attorney General rejected FNLC's demands on Oct. 21, 2024, which the FNLC says left them outraged.
"We stand united in our grief and demand justice following the recent tragic deaths of nine Indigenous individuals at the hands of police,” says Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations. "These incidents highlight systemic violence in our communities and signal an ongoing state of emergency that requires immediate government action and accountability.
"We support Indigenous-led solutions that centre the voices of families and leaders in the inquiry process. We seek transparency and justice to address the daily realities of police brutality. We urge federal and provincial governments to commit to meaningful change, recognize the lives lost, and implement culturally competent policing practices that protect First Nations’ rights and dignity. It is time to confront ingrained violence and foster healing and justice in our communities."
Hugh Baker, a political executive of the First Nations Summit, went further.
“Despite continuous calls for justice and policing reform, the continued use of lethal force by Canadian police forces against Indigenous peoples remains a deadly epidemic in Canada. Our citizens continue to be the victims of unnecessary police violence leading to serious injury or death as a result of police violence and shootings.
"There have been countless inquiries, studies and reports on the issue. The lack of action by governments to implement proposed solutions will only lead to more of our citizens being injured or dying at the hands of police. The time for action, including the fulsome implementation of the National and BC First Nations Justice Strategies, is now. Our communities can’t wait on the sidelines while our citizens continue to die at the hands of police across this country.”
Between Aug. 29 and Sep. 18, nine Indigenous people were killed by police. Tracking In Justice, a living data set tracking Canadian police-involved deaths and deaths in custody has recorded 129 police-involved deaths of Indigenous people since 2000, with 66 involving the RCMP.
