‘People stay silent’: Treaty 8 executive director reacts to vandalism

By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A stark reminder of division between the non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities was prevalent in Fort St. John over Family Day weekend. The Treaty 8 Association’s offices in the downtown core were vandalized with swastikas, a Nazi symbol, and profanity on Sunday, February 16th. In the ensuing days, reaction to the images has been swift. City Mayor Lilia Hansen stated Fort St. John has “no place for hate,” and provincial minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle said such displays “take us backwards” in the movement toward reconciliation. In addition, the RCMP is investigating the act as a hate crime. However, for the Indigenous community, it’s another reminder of the deep racism even in 2025 still existing…

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