VICTORIA The B.C. government continues to condemn racism directed toward a Vancouver Island First Nation that is grappling with a cluster of COVID-19 cases. B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin issued a joint statement with BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau and parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives Rachna Singh on Monday, urging British Columbians to stand up to racism directed towards Indigenous peoples amid the pandemic. We stand together with Indigenous peoples across the province to denounce and condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist behaviour and discrimination directed at Indigenous peoples, said the trio.
VICTORIA Leadership with Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island say they are not ruling out the possibility of taking serious complaints of racist and discriminatory behaviour to police. We will not hesitate to bring it to those relevant authorities to address, said Cowichan Tribes general manager Derek Thompson. Either locally with RCMP, or any other level of provincial or federal bureaucracy, we will not hesitate, he said. The serious consideration comes after the Duncan-area community decided to take the transparent step of releasing ultra-regional COVID-19 data. Currently, the Nation has 73 cases of COVID-19 and nine recoveries. While many lauded the Nation for its openness, others reacted with hate-based speech online and other forms of discrimination.
VICTORIA If a surge in COVID-19 cases wasn t bad enough, a Vancouver Island First Nation says discrimination is spreading too. According to Cowichan Tribes leadership, a spike in racism aimed at its members has come along with a new transparent approach to COVID-19. Cowichan Tribes, which is located in the Duncan area, is the largest First Nation band in B.C. Recently, B.C. s First Nations Health Authority has begun releasing specific COVID-19 data. This includes information on a widening community cluster amongst Cowichan Tribes membership. There are currently 70 cases amongst the population as of Monday. Band leadership say members have faced an onslaught of discrimination since the community cluster was announced.