A Monday night ceremony that's part of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's B.C. tour will be missing an important face.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, has declined an invitation to participate in a Black Rod Ceremony with Prince William in Victoria, citing the provincial and federal governments’ handling of aboriginal issues.
The issue was debated for three days at the UBCIC’s assembly, and a majority of chiefs voted against Phillip’s participation.
“In good conscience, I cannot participate in the Black Rod Ceremony. The suffering in our communities is too great,” Phillip said in a statement. “I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused with our decision. We do not mean any disrespect. It is a matter of principle.”
First Nations are waiting for the Trudeau government to keep its election promises, and for the Clark government to appropriately act on the historic Tsilhqot’in Supreme Court land title decision, Phillip added.
The UBCIC said the ceremony symbolizes reconciliation, but both levels of government have failed to demonstrate reconciliation through their actions.
“There is no true recognition of Indigenous Title, Rights and the honouring of Treaty Rights when it comes to Site C, Enbridge, Kinder Morgan or Lelu Islands. Just processes weighted down with the governments’ belief that our Title and Rights do not exist until we win in court or negotiate a treaty,” Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, secretary-treasurer of the union, said in a statement.
The ceremony, which is being held at Government House, involves a ceremonial staff known as the Black Rod, which is used on formal occasions at the B.C. Leglisature involving the monarch or Lieutenant Governor.
Phillip’s role would have been to hand a Ring of Reconciliation to Prince William and invite him to affix it to the Black Rod.
