*This was article was written by Mark Page and was published on November 17 2025, by Surrey Now and a number of other local news outlets across BC.*

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Sharif Mohammed Bamji walked into a Clayton Heights TD Bank in 2022 to open an account using his Heiltsuk First Nation Indian status card, and ended up not only being refused service, but having the police called to his house. Bamji said he felt the teller was accusing him of fraud because she profiled him as “no good.” “She thought that she probably had me in a situation where she was able to call the police and have me charged with something,” he said.

On Sunday (Nov. 16), TD Bank officially apologized, sending executives to Bella Bella to participate in a “washing ceremony.” This traditional Heiltsuk method of restorative justice acknowledges harm, allowing the parties to move forward positively and recognize the community-wide impact of discrimination. “It means a lot,” Bamji told Black Press Media in a call the day before the ceremony. “It means a new beginning.”

As these types of situations continue to be reported by Indigenous people, the Heiltsuk Nation has begun defending its citizens, taking this and several other high-profile cases to the Canadian Human Rights Commission or the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. This includes the case of Maxwell Johnson and his 12-year-old granddaughter, who were handcuffed outside a Vancouver Bank of Montreal branch in 2019. Executives later participated in a washing ceremony, but arresting officers did not attend, and the Nation says this has prevented healing and closure. Another case involves Richard and Dawn Wilson, who were searched while shopping at a Coquitlam Canadian Tire in 2020. That case is not yet settled.

“It’s definitely something that is frustrating, and I wish it didn’t happen as often as it did,” Bamji said. “If it’s happening to me, then it’s happening to a lot of people.”

The TD executives agreed to participate with Bamji to resolve a Canadian Human Rights Commission complaint.

“We recognize that unconscious bias can lead to discrimination and wholeheartedly apologize to Mr. Bhamji for his experience,” said Mick Ramos, TD’s senior manager of corporate and public affairs in Vancouver, in an emailed statement. “We also extend this apology to Mr. Bhamji’s family, the Heiltsuk Nation and its community members.”

Ramos added that the company has since taken steps to learn from this and ensure it does not happen again. Part of the settlement includes an agreement by the bank to improve training and processes related to the use of Certificates of Indian Status cards.

The terms of the settlement also include general compensation to Bamji, a donation to Urban Heiltsuk Support Team in Vancouver, and funding to cover the expense of the washing ceremony. The settlement amounts were not publicly released. “We commend TD Bank for settling this complaint and taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett said in a written statement.

“We also commend them for respecting Heiltsuk law and culture and showing leadership and accountability by participating in a washing ceremony.”

Read more at: https://surreynowleader.com/2025/11/17/washing-ceremony-cleanses-bad-surrey-td-bank-encounter-for-heiltsuk-man/