The realization of Strategy 4 of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy marks a transformative shift in how justice is understood, practiced, and experienced across our communities. This week, we celebrate the opening of 6 new Indigenous Justice Centres in Burns Lake, Hazelton, Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Port Hardy, and Kamloops, now all standing ready to serve a great purpose.
These centres are not only spaces for legal assistance. They will be the place where Indigenous Peoples across the province will find support in some of the most vulnerable moments of their life and it will be done with integrity, self-determination and respect for each individual that make up the hosting Nations of this province. With every step forward, we reclaim the responsibility to uphold our people’s rights and to restore balance within our communities. The work we are doing here is revolutionary, transforming the colonial justice system into one that nurtures healing, kinship, and sovereignty.
As Boyd Peters, BCFNJC Council, so beautifully articulated, “When our people are well, our communities are safe.” This is not just a statement; it is central to the work being done at these centres. It is an assertion of what justice should look like, holistic, restorative, and deeply connected to the laws of each Nation, and ways of knowing.
The Indigenous Justice Centres are places where culture meets care, where community-led solutions replace cycles of punishment, and where our Indigenous laws are no longer overlooked or criminalized. We have already seen the impact of this model, with legal teams and cultural workers supporting individuals in ways that go beyond mere legal resolution. Our clients are not cases; they are our kin, our relatives, and each step taken is a step toward taking back our freedom from a justice system that was never designed for us.
The journey is far from over, but today, we pause to honour the legacy we are building together: a network of 15 Indigenous Justice Centres across the province that honours our laws, protect our people, and reclaim space for our truths.
Let this be a reminder that justice, true justice, can only exist when it is built on the foundations of our Indigenous laws, our own distinct cultures, and our collective strengthening.
