Prince Harry gave his love in a special way on Valentine’s Day as he made a memorable visit to the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) before the Invictus Games came to an end last week.
Members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation welcomed the Duke of Sussex into the Child and Family Development Centre in North Vancouver on Friday, Feb. 14, where he spent time with children and families from the Nation.
“I think everyone was pretty honoured to have him come visit, especially the kids,” said Tsleil-Waututh Nation elected Chief Jen Thomas, adding that the children did a song and dance for Prince Harry. “He’s very human, he really cares about the little ones.”
Chief and council also held a traditional blanketing ceremony to honour Prince Harry and thank him for having an open mind and heart, Thomas said.
“Being blanketed is the highest honour, symbolizing protection, respect and recognition of one’s journey,” read a statement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about the visit. “It is a powerful and sacred gesture that symbolizes the warmth and embrace of the community, offering a deep sense of belonging and solidarity.”
The blanket is a replica of her own chief robes, Thomas said.
“We just wanted to cover and thank him for all the work he’s done for the Invictus Games and for the four [host] nations,” Thomas said.
Prince Harry was also gifted a bracelet with blue and red beads that are centuries old.
Nearly 50 Tsleil-Waututh Nation members were there during the hour-long visit, including some elders and youth ambassadors who worked in the Invictus Games.
Thomas said the Nation has been in contact with Prince Harry for the last four years in anticipation of the Invictus Games. From what she has seen and heard, the Duke cares about the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and its members.
“He really wanted to know what was going on with our youth – what their struggles are, what they would like to see,” Thomas said.
It’s hard for Thomas not to get emotional when looking back on how the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and other Nations were included in the Invictus Games. From the Nation being involved in helping plan the Games to participating in medal ceremonies, Thomas said she was thrilled to see their culture take centre stage on a global event.
“I almost cried because it meant so much to the four leaders, to our Nations, to be part of it,” Thomas said, reflecting on the medal ceremony. “We got to show our culture, our traditions.”
The nation did a blanketing ceremony with every participant from all the 23 countries that took part in the Games, and Thomas said a lot of participants cried during that special moment with them.
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation had a huge involvement in the Games, including collaborations on the visual identity of the event.
Last week the 2025 Invictus Games brought more than 500 competitors from 23 nations to Canada to participate.
This year marks the second time the Games were hosted in Canada, with Toronto holding the spot in 2017. But the 2025 Games mark the first time including winter adaptive sports such as alpine skiing, biathlon, Nordic skiing, skeleton, snowboard and wheelchair curling.
“The whole experience with him for the last four years and this day is his open mind and his open heart to really listen and understand who we are as Indigenous people,” Thomas said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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