This story discusses residential schools and racism. Support information is included at the bottom.
On Sunday morning, about 30 masked men gathered on Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc land near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
They wore white face coverings, black clothing and caps. Some carried flags.
Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc says individuals associated with Second Sons Canada, a group it describes as linked to white supremacist and white nationalist ideology, were "seen and documented" in the community.
It happened three days before Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
A few hours later, masked individuals appearing to belong to the same group were photographed on the Pacific Way overpass in Kamloops, holding a banner that read "Got bones?"
It appeared to reference the former school. In May 2021, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc announced that preliminary ground-penetrating radar work had identified 215 potential burial sites on the grounds.
Security asked them to leave
Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir said the nation received reports of the men on the reserve Sunday morning.
Band security asked them to leave. Kamloops RCMP arrived to back up security, and the Mounties have since kept the nation updated.
"The presence of individuals associated with white supremacist and white nationalist activity in our community is deeply concerning," the nation said.
It says it's working with police and assessing whether additional security measures are needed.
"We will not be intimidated"
Casimir said the community's plans for Sept. 30 go ahead.
"White supremacy will not instill fear in generations of survivors and intergenerational survivors who have already carried fear for far too long," she said.
The community won't be deterred from "gathering, reflecting, or honoring our survivors and the children who returned home," she said.
Political leaders condemned it
B.C. Premier David Eby called it "disgraceful, disgusting behaviour."
"What happened in Tkʼemlúps today was disgraceful, and it happened just days before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation," Eby wrote. "This is not who we are as British Columbians. We stand with Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc."
Interim B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said the gathering "was hateful and meant to intimidate. It has no place in British Columbia." He called for a full RCMP investigation.
Second Sons Canada did not respond to requests for comment from several news outlets.
Why this place, and this week, matter
For more than a century, Indigenous children in Canada were taken from their families and sent to residential schools.
More than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children attended them. The federal government and churches ran the system to assimilate Indigenous children. Students were cut off from their families, languages and cultures. Thousands were physically and sexually abused. Many never came home.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada concluded the system amounted to cultural genocide and issued 94 Calls to Action.
The Kamloops Indian Residential School operated from 1890 to 1978, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and was one of the largest schools in the system.
The 2021 announcement from Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc drew international attention and was followed by searches at former residential school sites across Canada.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation became a federal statutory holiday that same year, in response to the commission's Calls to Action. It's also known as Orange Shirt Day, after Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at a residential school in B.C. in 1973.
It honours survivors, their families and communities, and the children who never returned home.
Casimir said Sept. 30 approaching may have prompted the group's appearance.
Who the Second Sons are
Second Sons Canada is a men-only group tied to the Diagolon network. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network names Jeremy MacKenzie, a military veteran from Nova Scotia who served in Afghanistan, and Alex Vriend as its leaders.
It calls itself a nationalist men's club. The Anti-Hate Network describes it as part of the international "Active Club" movement, which pairs white nationalist politics with fitness, mixed martial arts and military-style training.
Its leaders have called for mass deportations "at gunpoint" of non-white people from Canada, according to a CBC News investigation.
Its public appearances follow a pattern: masked men in matching clothing, standing in formation, holding banners. According to The Canadian Press, the group has held demonstrations in Ottawa, Regina, Dartmouth, Orillia, London and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The group gathered near Calgary this summer
This isn't only a B.C. story.
In early July, Second Sons held its second annual national gathering at Square Butte Hall, a volunteer-run community hall near Millarville, about 70 kilometres southwest of Calgary. CBC's visual investigations team identified the location from videos the group posted online.
More than 60 members took part in military-style exercises, including army crawls and marching drills. The hall had been booked without residents knowing who was using it.
In June, the group also posted photos it claimed showed demonstrations in Edmonton and Calgary. Those photos haven't been independently verified.
Overpass banners have shown up in Alberta too. In Calgary, a nationalist group dropped a "remigration" banner over Deerfoot Trail.
Alberta also has its own residential school history. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation lists 26 Alberta institutions recognized under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
What happens next
Kamloops RCMP had not released a public statement as of Sunday night. Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc says it will keep members informed if there are further safety concerns.
Support is available
The national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.
The Hope for Wellness Helpline offers counselling and crisis support to Indigenous people across Canada, 24/7, at 1-855-242-3310.
Sources
Message from the Office of the Chief, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc, September 27, 2026
Media release, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc, May 31, 2021
Premier David Eby, social media post, September 27, 2026
Kamloops Residential School, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Region: Alberta, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, final report, 2015
White Nationalism in Canada: Organized, Emboldened, and Growing, Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Comments from Kúkpi7 Casimir and B.C. political leaders as reported by Global News, CBC News and CFJC Today. Overpass banner as reported by Castanet. Past demonstrations as reported by The Canadian Press. Millarville gathering as reported by CBC News.
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