Thursday was First Nations Day in Canada. A couple of interesting and kind of important things happened. On Vancouver Island it was the beginning of the Indigenous People Festival. It opened with the Premier of British Columbia, John Horgan arriving at Victoria Harbor in a canoe. When you arrive, the protocol is to state your intention and ask permission to come ashore. Premier Horgan did follow that protocol.
The second impressive thing was Prime Minister Trudeau greeting the First Nations elders in Prince Rupert. They were marking an agreement between the Federal Government and Indigenous communities giving them a partnership in protecting and supervising Canada’s north and central Pacific coast.
Both of these happenings are related to a concept called “reconciliation” a goal of all. That word was talked about a lot last year when I was here and it still is a focus. I am impressed by the respect both of these actions show for “The First Nation” people of Canada.
