November 28th

Press Release

With the upcoming First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal affairs in Kelowna only days away, the United Native Nations, the Vancouver Aboriginal Council, the Aboriginal Mothers Centre, and the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society are viewing the governments promise to announce a significant infusion of new dollars into a new Aboriginal Housing Framework with extreme skepticism and trepidation.

The First Minister's meeting plans to focus in on ending Aboriginal poverty in ten years by addressing a broad range of housing issues from homelessness to home ownership.

Given the mix of First Nation, Metis , Inuit and non-reserve political representation particularly in the urban and rural component, differences over perceived scarce resources could threaten the entire Framework.

"We’re being shut out of the process. Our points of view, opinions and aspirations may have been purposely ignored in an attempt to highjack the agenda and shift the focus to areas of importance to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Métis National Council (MNC) and their provincial counterparts. Government has been urged to look at other national Aboriginal frameworks to examine difficulties in the early development stages. There are lessons that we can learn from these experiences" stated Lillian George, President of the United Native Nations.

"The reality is that, increasingly, non-reserve Aboriginal families are not defining themselves along strict identity lines but as Aboriginal peoples with a mix of traditional and contemporary cultures. This is a reality that our political organizations must accept and is evidenced by the significant strides made by non-reserve Aboriginal service institutions over the past 25 years. Best examples are the success of Friendship Centres, community health centres and early child development centres, and Aboriginal housing providers, among others. These Aboriginal institutions are relatively free of internal and external jurisdictional wrangling. This "Aboriginal approach" is based on three overriding concepts that I believe are harmonious with Canadian values: First, services must be community based, and self determining; Second, services must adhere to a status blind approach, respecting Aboriginal ancestry; Third, programs must follow an allocation model based on need" stated Blair Harvey, Executive Director, of the Vancouver Aboriginal Council.

Overall, it is anticipated that the proposed governance and management structures of the Aboriginal Housing Framework may be complex...and the urban and rural component have an extremely high risk of over politicization. As well, the infrastructure necessary to deliver homelessness resources that are currently being provided by urban Aboriginal service providers may be yanked from their authority and placed in the hand of the AFN and MNC. These political groups do not possess current infrastructures to quickly disseminate greatly needed resources this winter.

More importantly, urban Aboriginal homelessness service providers already exist and may have been ignored altogether in the new Aboriginal Housing Framework. These service providers have been established over the last five years through programs now offered to mainstream service providers through the federal department of HRSDC. Such resources and capacity that has already been established will have been squandered only to appease political organizations whom currently have no mandate to serve Aboriginal homeless people.

"Many of the Aboriginal women and children we now serve in the downtown eastside of Vancouver may be without shelter, food, and greatly needed services this winter only because the federal government has ignored the wishes of urban Aboriginal service providers in urban centers across the country. The needs of those impoverished women and children may have been completely ignored only to satisfy the whims of political organizations whom themselves know very little about Aboriginal homelessness in the downtown eastside. Not one of these political bodies has ever visited our program. What do they know about the plight of Aboriginal women here in the downtown eastside? We are better suited to deliver our own resources through a process that we design than to listen to the aspirations of these political organizations who themselves know nothing about us. We need a seamless transition of resources not a process that will take tens years to establish" said Penny Irons, Executive Director of the Aboriginal Mothers Centre in Vancouver.

"There are other alternatives to this process, at least for Aboriginal homeless people. We recommend an approach that includes more compatible structures that are now in place, with a record of success, who are committed to advancing the Aboriginal homelessness agenda in the urban and rural communities’ stated Patrick Stewart, Chair of the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee of Vancouver.

Since 2002, the number of homeless in Vancouver has doubled. Of that number, 34% of homeless people in Vancouver are Aboriginal. "Where are our political organizations when it comes to our forgotten homeless people" stated Christine Parnell, President of the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society.

We are inviting you to a one-day protest at the First Ministers’ Conference in Kelowna, on November 24, 2005.

For further information, please contact:UNN@unns.bc.ca or 604-688-1821

If so, download these registration forms to become a member or an ally to the PSAC Aboriginal, Inuit and Metis Network.

• NAIM member registration form
• NAIM ally registration form

The forms are also available to be filled out on-line at the national website

YELLOWKNIFE - The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has erected a huge tepee at the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) Trade Show located at the Sir John Franklin High School, as part of an exhibit during the 26th AFN general assembly being held from July 5 to 7, 2005.

The tepee may be the largest ever erected in the N.W.T. or the North. The poles for the tepee weigh a total of 6,000 pounds, were cut in southern Alberta and shipped to Yellowknife for the event. Dene artist Archie Beaulieu is painting the tepee’s canvas, which will be completed at the Dene General Assembly in Rae in August 2005.

The official estimate is that the AFN event will attract over 8,000 delegates, observers, participants and visitors to Yellowknife.

"The PSAC, Union of Northern Workers and the Dene Nation entered into a joint research project in November 2004 regarding Dene Workers’ Rights," says Jean-François Des Lauriers, Regional Executive Vice-President - North. "The PSAC is a proud supporter of First Nations’ peoples, and the tepee is symbolic of our commitment as a union to building a stronger working relationship with Aboriginal leaders and communities regionally and nationally."

The event will also mark the unofficial launch of the PSAC’s National Aboriginal Inuit and Métis (NAIM) Network. PSAC National President Nycole Turmel will be attending the event. Click for more information about the NAIM.

"The creation of NAIM Network is a major step forward in PSAC’s long history of solidarity with its Aboriginal members in advancing their rights in the workplace and society," says Turmel. "The NAIM Network aims to provide a unified voice for the diverse community of PSAC’s Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis members, so that together, they can increase their involvement at all levels in our Union, empower each other, and advance their rights within and beyond our Union."

Sisters and Brothers:

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Québec Native Women Inc. (QNW) are planning to hold a rally at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa on June 28, 2005, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m..

This action is meant to mark the 20 years since amendments were made to the Indian Act (Bill C-31 – 1985) which has had serious implications for Aboriginal women and children.  In particular, the loss of status at an alarming rate because one parent is non-status.

According to NWAC and QNW, many women (and their children) are being denied access to their communities as a result of who they married before 1985.

As you know, included in the mandate of the PSAC National Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis Network (NAIM) is the need to advance Aboriginal rights within and beyond the union. 

Moreover, the recommendations of the Network include educating as well as mobilizing our members, union and the broader society around the rights of Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

In solidarity with our Aboriginal Sisters and Brothers, the PSAC is encouraging its members to participate in the NWAC and QNW action where they can.

Furthermore, we are urging our members to sign the attached petition ( below) and mail it to the following address to ensure it reaches them before June 27th, 2005 as there will be a petition presentation at the Rally:

Québec Native Women
Business Complexe River Road, P.O. Box 1989
Kahnawake (Québec), J0L 1B0

For petitions completed after June 27th, please mail to the PSAC Programs Section, 233 Gilmour Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0P1.

In Solidarity, Nycole Turmel, National President & Jean-François Des Lauriers, REVP – North

petition_and_guide_eng.pdf

"Case studies of anti-imperialist struggle: Towards a just & lasting peace"

Wed., May 25, 6:30PM. ILPS forum on State Terror: the history of the American Indian Movement and the wrongful conviction of John Graham. Presentation by International Indigenous Youth Conference Secretariat. At Kalayaan Centre, 451 Powell St., Vancouver.

Mon., June 27, 6:30PM. ILPS forum on indigenous peoples' right to self-determination and resistance to colonization, case studies of mining in Turtle Island (BC) & Philippines. Speakers: Cordillera People's Alliance, BCCHRP, International Indigenous Youth Conference Secretariat.

More information at 604-215-1103. All are welcome!

October 7th

Update: here are some photos http://argiope.dhs.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=reconciliation

Dear friends:

A historic 600 person banquet is set to take place between First People, Chinese Canadians, and many others on October 23 in Vancouver's Chinatown. It is historic in the sense that a similar one at this scale had not been known for last ¾ century. With endorsements coming in steady, a kick-off press conference attended by major media, and many positive responses from the First Nation and Chinese communities, the banquet promises to be a significant event for BC. 

The banquet evolved out of the knowledge of the devastations caused by last year's forest fires and flood to some aboriginal communities. In the case of the Mount Currie Reserve, the flood resulted in widespread damage to buildings, crops and life stocks. Although much of the replacement costs of drywall and insulation were paid for from relief, the losses to crops, chickens and cows were not. For the Lake Secwepemc community near Kamloops, last year's fire destroyed their irrigation pipes and pump system used for growing vegetables for their community. Their members now have to water the plants by hand in the sweltering heat, limiting their capacity to produce food. Together with one burned down house, that community has a need of $30,213 for reconstruction materials alone. 

To meet some of the needs, CFR is organizing this awareness raising and fund raising banquet at 6pm on October 23 at Floata Seafood Restaurant (180 Keefer, Vancouver). This unprecedented banquet will also mark the historic reunion of the two cultures, as well as a celebration of years of journey for some with the First People. Through the sharing of food, songs, stories and visions, the evening will help participants to rediscover a common past and to forge a new future. It is also hope that through this communal act to restore a discontinued relationship, a symbol of hope will be seen by the rest of Canada. So far the banquet has gained the endorsement and support of nineteen organizations. It is envisaged that a longer list will be made public as we approach the banquet: 

• Aboriginal Mothers Center Society
• BC Elders Communication Center Society
• Canadian Chinese Business Development Association
• Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver
• Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society
• Chinese Christians In Action
• Chinese Free Mason of Vancouver
• City In Focus
• First Nations Summit
• Grandview Calvary Baptist Church
• Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens Association
• Lower Mainland Aboriginal Veteran Association
• Council of the Muslim Community of Canada
• National Aboriginal Veteran Association
• St. Chiara Community
• Social Concern Committee of Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship
• Union of BC Indian Chiefs
• United Native Nations
• Vancouver Hong Kong Forum Society

Although our immediate goal is to assist First People impacted by last year's fire and flood, we hope our past journey and longer term goal of reconciliation with the indigenous people will pave the way for a new relationship of peace and justice for this land. In the hopes that you can share and thus quicken the arrival of that day, I would like you to consider some or all of the following:

1. To reserve a block of tickets for sale to friends/members (each table seats 10, with tickets at $35 each by calling 604-539-8444). 

2. To let others know about the event

3. To seek elders who can tell stories re past relationship between indigenous people and Chinese in BC's earlier days (email me please)

4. To make a free-will contribution to help the victims (no tax deductible receipt is possible under current government policies) and/or

5. Donating art/craft/service towards a silent auction that evening

Please note any cheques should be made payable to CCIA or Chinese Christians In Action. Also note all net proceeds from the banquet (after accounted for by Bing C Wong & Associates) will go towards the above victims. On behalf of those affected by fire and flood and for those looking for reconciliation, please accept our sincere thanks for your generous assistance in this historical development.

Yours truly,

Bill Chu, founder, Canadians For Reconciliation

CANADIANS FOR RECONCILIATION is a peaceful non-partisan grassroots movement committed to developing a new relationship with aboriginal people, one that signifies a deep apology for past injustice, a willingness to honor truth now and a resolve to embrace each other in the new millennium.

Download the poster below.

Banquet_Poster2.pdf