B.C. Indigenous leaders meet with RCMP over alleged hit and run in Mission

Indigenous leaders met with RCMP in Chilliwack Wednesday morning to discuss a case involving a truck hitting marchers taking part in a memorial walk to honour residential school survivors.

The march happened Saturday in Mission and police in that city have said four people were hit, two of whom suffered minor injuries, and a truck belonging to a 77-year-old man has been seized for examination.

In a now-deleted weekend news release, Mounties characterized the incident as that of an “impatient driver.”

Garett Dan with the Crazy Indians Brotherhood says the chief of the Cheam First Nation chiefs of several First Nations in the Fraser Valley called the meeting because of concerns that some witness statements have yet to be taken, and no charges have been laid against the driver.

Dan also claims a man told marchers to “get over” residential schools, adding that denies the trauma and abuse suffered by survivors and their families. Dan says it’s like “telling a vet to get over the war.”

Related stories:

• ‘Swept-aside and downplayed’: Mission march organizer says alleged hit and run part of bigger issue

• Truck hits group in Mission, B.C. at residential school awareness march

Andrew Martin, also with the Crazy Indians Brotherhood, was not impressed with the results of the meeting.

“I walked away kind of a little feeling let down as well as a little bit of understanding about where they’re coming from,” he told CityNews. “I don’t want to undo some of the bridges that were built during the meeting … but there was a whole lot of political-type circle talk.”

He says police did not share much information with them, though that is understandable, given it’s an active investigation.

“The majority of the meetings centered around the differences in how the Indigenous community is treated,” Martin said.

He believes if the person who drove through a crowd was Indigenous, they would have been arrested on the spot.

“We would have spent the weekend in jail until we saw a judge on Monday, and then the judge would decide beyond that. Whereas this gentleman hit us, left, and got to go home. Our concerns around that were made very clear. It was very hard for a bunch of our members to remain calm during the meeting.”

Video of the large group making their way from Heritage Park to the site of the former St. Mary’s Residential School was posted online, as well as video capturing moments after the incident.

Here’s Facebook Live video of the incident in Mission – which shows the lie in the RCMP’s statement. Because the hit wasn’t when the lane was blocked, it was when people were being let through, and as we were marching on to reserve land at the residential school. pic.twitter.com/ySsyNsg28l

— Robert Jago (@rjjago) June 5, 2022

Witnesses have told CityNews only one officer responded to the scene.

On Monday, Mission RCMP said the driver had come forward and spoken with officers. No charges have been laid.

“This movement is one that is going to continue to grow. It is going to be one that the more pushback we get, the louder we’re going to get. What we’re trying to do is break down barriers.  And until racism is gone, or at least you know, as much as humanly possible. That’s not going to happen,” Martin told CityNews.

With files from Denise Wong