Speaking on the sidewalk in Vancouver, where he and his 12-year-old granddaughter were handcuffed more than two years ago, Maxwell Johnson announced that a financial agreement had been reached in their human rights complaint against the Bank of Montreal.
On December 20, 2019, two members of the Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bella, British Columbia, tried to open a bank account at the BMO branch on Burrard Street when employees called 911 to report alleged fraud after reviewing documents. for the couple’s identity, including their government-issued Indian status cards.
Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers present put Johnson and his granddaughter in handcuffs.
“It’s been a long two years of litigation with the BMO and I’m really happy to come to a conclusion. It’s been a very difficult two years, not only for me but also for my granddaughter and son,” Johnson said Thursday.
The agreement includes an undisclosed cash payment to Johnson and his granddaughter. Other terms include:
- Apology ceremony in Bella Bella.
- A work of art created by Johnson, an artist, gifted and displayed at the BMO Burrard Street branch with copies also shown at the BMO branches in Victoria, Campbell River, Nanaimo and Prince Rupert, where Heiltsuk members bank.
- Territorially recognized signs installed in the above branches and possibly expanded in Canada.
- The BMO is updating internal policies and procedures on how status cards are processed.
In a statement, BMO said it was pleased to have reached an agreement.
“This was an important step for the BMO towards reconciliation, and we hope that the Johnson family will achieve the decision and completion they deserve.
Johnson said the laundry ceremony helped him and his community reach a place of forgiveness with the bank.
“Part of our culture is to forgive,” he said, “to show that we are working together to reach an agreement.”
Chief Count of the Heilzuk Nation. Marilyn Slet said they were hoping for a similar resolution with the VPD.
“Max invited the police to an apology ceremony in our community,” she said. “They haven’t answered yet.”
WATCH Surveillance footage of Johnson and his granddaughter in handcuffs:
VPD handcuffs Heiltsuk man and 12-year-old granddaughter outside bank
Maxwell Johnson and his 12-year-old granddaughter were handcuffed by Vancouver police officers on a busy street in front of a BMO branch in Vancouver after the couple tried to open their first bank account using government-approved Indian status cards. 2:42
The VPD apologized for handcuffing Johnson and his granddaughter. The two officers involved were removed after a disciplinary decision said they had committed misconduct, exposing the man and girl to “unnecessary trauma and fear” and “a serious sense of injustice to the police”.
Phone transcripts from December 20, 2019 reveal that a BMO branch manager called 911 because he believed Johnson and his granddaughter were presenting fake ID cards.
The manager also said he was concerned about the large amount of money Johnson had in his account – funds he and all other members of Heiltsuk received as a result of an Aboriginal rights agreement.
Johnson closed his BMO bank accounts on Thursday. He said he hoped the incident would lead to a change in corporations and governments and a better understanding of indigenous peoples.
“I don’t think we have to prove who we are by carrying a status card,” he said.
“Our people have been on shore for 14,000 years – longer than the pyramids were built. I just want people to be educated.”
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