Last week, tragic news broke of the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. On behalf of the Nanaimo Chamber membership, we express our deepest condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc peoples and all Indigenous peoples who continue to endure the devastating impact and trauma of Canadian colonial actions and policies.  To the Indigenous families who have lost a loved one to these residential schools and all of the survivors, you have a strong ally in the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce and we stand with you.

 

Our business community works on the unceded lands of the Snuneymuxw, Snaw-naw-as and Stz’uminus First Nations. We are grateful for their stewardship of the lands on which we work, live and play. The Nanaimo business community is committed to a future of equality, inclusion and justice for all. We work with the local Indigenous community to understand Truth & Reconciliation and implement those calls to action as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in local economic development. We also contributed to development of a resolution endorsing Bill 41 – Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act that passed unanimously at the BC Chamber Annual Policy Conference last weekend.

 

The Nanaimo Chamber is at the beginning of a long journey to build trust and achieve true reconciliation, we invite you to witness this.

 

First Nations and Indigenous-specific support:

KUU-US Crisis Line can be reached toll-free: 1-800-588-8717 or online at kuu-uscrisisline.com.

National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

Hope for Wellness Hotline: 1-855-242-3310