Hundreds join chorus for Indigenous boys whose singing was silenced
The encounter was jarring, turning a moment of joy into a moment of fear.
On Monday, 15-year-old Kingston Daniels was singing one of his favourite Indigenous songs in Brentwood Village Square in Central Saanich. He asked his best friend, 14-year-old Síeƚten Elliott, to record a video.
A few seconds after the camera started rolling, a stranger approached the Indigenous boys with a question: “Are you just trying to f**king annoy people or what?”
The man told Daniels to stop and walked away.
“I did feel kind of anxious and scared when it happened,” Elliott said. “That’s not how I’m feeling now.”
Elliott’s feelings changed after the video was shared on Facebook and watched more than 150,000 times.
On Tuesday evening, hundreds of people showed their support for the boys by gathering in the village square, with drums in their hands and songs in their hearts.
“It just makes my heart feel so good. I’m so happy,” Daniels told CTV News.
Kingston’s grandmother watched on as he and dozens of other kids danced and sang along to the pounding of the drums, which could be heard from blocks away.
“I was so disappointed in that person who said, ‘You’re annoying; don’t do that,” Xwaywaat, also known as Deanna Daniels said. “We all have to fight together to fight racism because this needs to stop.”
She said she went to day school and her mother went to residential school — a painful past that fuels Kingston’s love of singing.
“I feel like I should be able to sing for those who can’t,” said the teenager, who has ties to many First Nations in B.C.
“So many of my people have been suppressed. They’ve been hurt and they’ve been told not to speak their language and not to sing and that just doesn’t feel right for me.”
Elliott, who is from W̱SÁNEĆ, plans to keep singing for the rest of his life.
“I’m not going to stop,” he said. “I love my culture.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre supports Israel 'proactively striking' Iranian nuclear sites to defend itself
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Iran following last week's ballistic missile attack, saying that right includes 'proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations to defund the terrorist regime.'
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm. Florida orders evacuations
Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane Monday as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.
'Selfish billionaire': Chip Wilson's mansion vandalized after political sign erected outside
Days after a political sign was erected outside Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
'Feel free to get naked,' witness testifies Toronto councillor told her during 'networking' weekend
Toronto Coun. Michael Thompson 'forced himself on' a woman who awoke to find him standing over her after she fell asleep drunk, the Crown alleged Monday, as the five-day sexual assault trial of the six-term politician began in Bracebridge, Ont.
Is Disney World still open as Hurricane Milton strengthens to a Category 5?
Despite Hurricane Milton evolving into a Category 5 storm, Walt Disney World Resort remains open to the public and will operate as normal. However, the park announced Monday a few closures in an abundance of caution.
Disgraced former Winnipeg football coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault
A disgraced Winnipeg high school football coach convicted of sexual assault and luring will spend 20 years behind bars.
Two people injured in apparent road rage incident, shooting in Toronto
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
Sammy Basso, longest living survivor of rare rapid-aging disease progeria, dies at 28
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
Prayers, protests and police as Canada marks anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
With prayers, protests, and a heavy police presence, Canada has marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered an ongoing war.