Semiahmoo First Nations Chief Harley Chappell (Xwopokton) says he sees serving on the board of the Surrey Police Service as a chance to help policing in the community move forward 鈥� and to avoid making similar mistakes to those made in the past.
In a statement to fellow members at the board鈥檚 June 22 online meeting, Chappell discussed his feelings in light of the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in May.
鈥淚t verified a lot of the stories our elders told us that we hoped weren鈥檛 true,鈥� he said.
Chappell said it is important to understand what caused the atrocities of the residential school system 鈥� in which, from the late 1800s to the 1960s, Indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and subjected to efforts to assimilate them that were frequently brutal, and sometimes fatal.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 do anything to change the past, but we can learn from it and grow from it,鈥� he said.
Part of that understanding, he said, is recognizing the 鈥渇ederal policing role and responsibilities鈥� in enforcing that system.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here,鈥� he told the board.
鈥淚鈥檓 here to build a more respectful, more understanding, trauma-influenced (police force).鈥�
Chappell said he understands that the process will inevitably involve a learning curve for board members.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to be perfect 鈥� we鈥檙e going to make mistakes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 OK. Hopefully we can do the healing and understanding and compassion as we move forward.鈥�
Making SPS more responsive to the community it serves will also help with the broader process of reconciliation, Chappell said.
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鈥淚 hope that brings some real growth to us, as Canadian citizens, as neighbours, as friends.鈥�
Chappell added that he considers it 鈥渁n honour鈥� to be on the police board.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really forging new goals to building a better life for our children,鈥� he said.
Chappell noted his comments came the day after National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada.
鈥淚t was hard to celebrate 鈥� it was a sombre time for First Nations,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very single First Nations person is one to three generations away from the impact of residential schools.鈥�
Chappell added that his own personal experience of the effects of the residential school system came through his grandfather, who was forced to attend the Kamloops school as a child.
鈥淗e never spoke of it,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut he brought a lot of the dysfunction back, into our family.鈥�
The City of Surrey, which is located on the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo and Katzie First Nations, is home to around 13,500 Indigenous people, who make up roughly 2.6 per cent of the city鈥檚 total population, Joanne Mills, executive director of the Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association, told the SPS board during a meeting last October.
鈥淪urrey has the fastest growing Indigenous population in B.C. and will surpass Vancouver by 2021 if growth trends continue. The majority of people identify as First Nations people, 56 per cent, followed by Metis at 40 per cent and Inuit, four per cent,鈥� Mills said, noting that about half of Surrey鈥檚 Indigenous population is under age 27.
鈥� files from Tom Zytaruk
alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
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