Prince William to add representation of First Nations to B.C.’s Black Rod

Share

One of the most significant events on the busy schedule for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to Canada will take place in a private sitting room with the province's top aboriginal leaders – a reconciliation ceremony that will be saturated with symbolism.

Prince William is set to add a carved silver ring to the Black Rod of British Columbia's legislature, completing a project that is meant to tell the story of the province in wood, jade and metal.

The Black Rod is a ceremonial staff used to announce the arrival of the Queen's representative in the legislature. It was created in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and contains materials and images that symbolize B.C.'s diversity and its relationship with the Crown.

The addition of the new emblem is meant to ensure that the province's indigenous people are represented at the heart of that story. The ring is inscribed with eagle feathers, a canoe and an aboriginal phrase that translates to "of one mind," to represent unity between the province's first peoples and those who came after.

"It is a bit of a milestone," said Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit, who will speak at the ceremony at Government House in Victoria on Sept. 26.

Members of the Royal Family are always well-received by the indigenous people of B.C., he noted, given the special relationship between the Crown and First Nations, one that spans generations.

Whether it all means anything in the real world will depend on the actions of those in the room.

"It can't just be symbolism, as important as it is. We need to see concrete action conducted by the Crown and the government to really aspire to higher levels of reconciliation," Mr. John said.

First Nations must be prepared to come to the table with positive contributions as well, he added. "We can't sit around and complain. … We need to work collaboratively."

B.C. Premier Christy Clark will attend the event, along with the the First Nations Leadership Council, which includes Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

The Prime Minister's office has not confirmed if Justin Trudeau will be there, but the event would offer an opportunity for him to address the grievances of the country's First Nations, which have festered since Confederation almost 150 years ago. And, if he attends, it will be his first meeting with the top aboriginal leaders of B.C. Mr. Trudeau has said Canada needs a "total renewal of the relationship" with its indigenous peoples and that he intends to move toward "a nation-to-nation relationship based on recognition, rights, respect, co-operation and partnership."

British Columbia is an important part of that relationship, because of the huge burden of unsettled land claims, as well as the challenges of resource decisions facing the federal government on the Site C dam, oil pipelines and liquefied natural gas, all of which are inextricably tied up in aboriginal rights and title.

Mr. John said indigenous people have a great anticipation for change today, given Mr. Trudeau's commitments. "The tone at the Prime Minister's level is the right tone, but this has to be carried out with every provincial ministry, every federal department. We need to see constructive damage to the status quo."

That is the state of relations that Prince William, second in line to the throne, can influence if he wishes to make an imprint during his Canadian royal tour.

Nathan Tidridge, an Ontario high school history teacher who wrote a series of books explaining the role of the Crown in Canada, sees a great opportunity with this intimate gathering at the home of the Queen's representative in B.C., Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon.

"The Crown has an amazing power to bring influencers together," Mr. Tidridge observed. There is a role for the Royal Family in reconciliation here, because it is the Queen who fulfills the treaty relationships with First Nations in Canada.

Whatever words are spoken or unspoken, the event with the Black Rod should not be dismissed as just another moment of pomp during the week-long royal tour, he added. "I think we as a society really undervalue symbolism – when it's all said and done, those ceremonies ground us in our society," he said. "Generations from now, that event will be used to explain what reconciliation means in Canada."

But the lasting impact of the carefully scripted ceremony, which has taken a year to put together, will depend on whether the participants walk out of the room prepared to make a journey together.