Latest News

END POLICE STREET CHECKS!

Motion to End Street Checks Going to Vancouver City Council

If you are in Vancouver, there is a motion regarding street checks going to City Council on Tuesday July 7^th. The motion is B2 Ending Street Checks in Vancouver.

News Release
July 2, 2020

Supreme Court of Canada’s Dismissal of Leave to Appeal Coldwater Decision Fails to Uphold Indigenous Title and Rights

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – July 2, 2020)

Today the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and Coldwater Band’s application for leave to appeal the February 4, 2020 Federal Court of Appeal decision Coldwater First Nation v. Canada (Coldwater decision). The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is deeply disappointed by the court’s decision to deny Indigenous Title and Rights, effectively continuing to greenlight the expansion to the Trans Mountain pipeline (TMX). The ongoing construction of TMX is a violation of Indigenous Title and Rights and poses considerable risk to the environment and climate. The expansion will also increase the number of man camps that directly threaten the safety and security of Indigenous women and girls. On June 13^th, a section of the Trans Mountain pipeline spilled an estimated 150,000 liters of light crude oil near the Sumas pump station, the fourth such spill to occur on the Sumas First Nation’s land in the past 15 years.

NEWS RELEASE
June 25, 2020

FNLC CALLS FOR END TO OPEN-NET PEN SALMON FARMING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

(Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) —

The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is calling for an end to all open-net pen salmon farming in the province. Reports published by fish farm owners Mowi, Cermaq and Grieg, indicated 33% of salmon farms across all regions exceeded government-mandated sea lice limits. In a recent independent study, 94% of sampled juvenile wild salmon migrating through the Discovery Islands were infected with the parasite, which is lethal to the fish.

Press Release
June 25, 2020

Rights Groups Release OPCC Letter Calling into Question Street Checks Review

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – June 25, 2020) BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), and Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) are releasing a letter from the BC Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner in response to UBCIC and BCCLA’s complaint regarding “street checks”.

Statement
June 23, 2020

UBCIC Remembers Carole Dawson

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – June 23, 2020) It is with heavy hearts that the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) marks the loss of lifelong colleague and friend, Carole Dawson, who passed away on June 21, 2020 after contracting COVID-19. UBCIC mourns the loss of a unique and immensely kind-hearted leader whose lifelong fight for Indigenous Title and Rights, combined with her selflessness and care for others, inspires us to be and do better – to conduct ourselves with the same bravery, resilience, and conviction Carole possessed.

Re: Sheltering in Victoria City Parks

Dear Mayor Helps and City Council,

am writing on behalf of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (“BCCLA”), the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (“UBCIC”) and Pivot Legal Society to follow up on our letters we sent last month, and to make recommendations in advance of your upcoming vote about whether to reinstate the enforcement of all portions of the Parks bylaw.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY 

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Release of Letter from BC Police Complaint Commissioner 

WHAT:          Representatives from Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS), the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) will hold a press conference to publicly release a letter from Clayton Pecknold, Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. The letter from the Commissioner is regarding the BCCLA and UBCIC’s formal complaint about the Vancouver Police Department’s practice of street checks. The representatives will comment on the implications of the letter with respect to systemic racism in the Vancouver Police Department and the ongoing discriminatory practice of street checks. 

Press Statement
June 21, 2020

UBCIC Calls on Canada to Turn Rhetoric into Action on National Indigenous Peoples Day

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – June 21, 2020) The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) acknowledges National Indigenous Peoples’ Day and applauds the continued leadership and fortitude of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. Despite continued opposition, Indigenous peoples stand at the forefront of defending our lands, territories, and environment for future generations. Today, UBCIC celebrates what has been gained, grieves those who have been lost, and affirms once more our commitment to the common fight for the recognition of Indigenous rights and respect for our cultures and societies.