New Indigenous Justice Centres will empower First Nations, says Squamish Nation’s Wilson Williams

 By Mina Kerr-Lazenby  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Five new centres offering First Nations communities culturally safe, Indigenous-led legal support will soon open in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Surrey and Kelowna. The new centres will join the four existing Indigenous Justice Centres in Chilliwack, Prince Rupert, Prince George and Merritt, alongside a virtual centre that serves the entire province. In an announcement held at the new Vancouver Justice Centre Thursday morning, S?wx?wu7mesh ?xwumixw (Squamish Nation) elected council member Sxwixwtn (Wilson Williams) acknowledged the effects the colonial justice system had on Indigenous communities, adding how the new centres offer “promise” and “hope” for the future. “We stand here as a witness to a heartfelt story, a journey, an integration story, a challenge our indigenous people faced when faced with the justice system of…

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