BELLA BELLA, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Heiltsuk Tribal Council Chief Marilyn Slett emphasizes that no one in her community is free from the subtle yet pervasive experiences of racial profiling faced by Indigenous individuals in Canada. She recounts incidents involving her parents being refused service at a restaurant during non-busy hours and her own experience grocery shopping, where she felt followed by a store employee. Slett notes that such events occur routinely within the Indigenous community and are becoming normalized.
A recent report by human rights experts Lorne Foster and Lesley Jacobs highlights consumer racial profiling as a critical yet overlooked human rights issue in Canada. The study, commissioned by the Heiltsuk Nation as part of a B.C. Human Rights complaint against a Canadian Tire outlet in Coquitlam, B.C., calls for extensive research on the issue. The report underscores that consumer racial profiling is a deeply embedded social phenomenon often dismissed or misinterpreted as routine behavior.
Foster explains that experiences like being monitored closely or singled out create a cumulative effect over time, likening it to “a thousand small cuts.” These everyday occurrences can escalate, eventually driving individuals to publicly share their stories. He stresses that the impact of this profiling extends beyond the individual to affect entire communities, perpetuating generations of trauma and emotional, mental, and physical health issues among Indigenous peoples.
The specific allegations against Canadian Tire involve a complaint brought forth by Dawn Wilson and her father Richard Wilson, who claim they were racially profiled while shopping. In 2020, while seeking new tires, a store guard allegedly requested to search Richard's backpack, even though other customers with similar bags were not subjected to the same treatment. Dawson also reported receiving a dismissive and racist remark from a store mechanic when she raised the issue. Though Canadian Tire has stated it takes allegations of racism seriously and is cooperating with ongoing tribunal processes, the outcome remains pending, with a hearing scheduled for October.
According to Jacobs, the problem of consumer racial profiling lacks the public scrutiny that issues like police profiling receive. He points out the everyday nature of this profiling for Indigenous peoples leads to it being overlooked, unlike more pronounced issues like violent encounters with law enforcement, which garner significant media attention.
Foster and Jacobs, who have studied race-based data collection in policing contexts, advocate for a similar approach towards understanding consumer racial profiling. They propose that major businesses should collaborate with researchers to gather data on the frequency and nature of these incidents. Jacobs highlighted the potential for leading financial institutions to partner on research that would enable identification of risks associated with Indigenous consumer profiling, similar to initiatives within policing that have led to wider systemic change.
Slett expressed the Heiltsuk Nation’s support for all recommendations from the report, which advocate for enhanced education, training, and acknowledgment of restorative justice's significance, including healing ceremonies. She emphasizes the necessity of addressing discrimination openly, stressing that discussions on these issues must take place to foster understanding and promote positive change.
This discourse shines a light on the broader impacts of racial profiling on Indigenous communities and underscores the necessity for systemic changes to address these ingrained issues. The need for urgent research and collaborative efforts aimed at mitigating consumer racial profiling is clearer than ever, in hopes of working towards a more equitable society for all.
