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Human Rights Complainants Give New VPD Street Check Audit a Failing Grade in Annotated Response; Call on Vancouver Police Board to Ban Street Checks

February 18, 2021, (Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C – A coalition of organizations is giving the Vancouver Police Department’s first annual audit of street checks a failing grade. The VPD audit is being presented to the Vancouver Police Board on Thursday February 18, 2021 at 1 pm.

News Release
February 10, 2020

RCMP’s Alarming Response to Abduction Rumors Exacerbates MMIWG Crisis

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – February 10, 2020) Following reports of attempted abductions of women in the Tri-Cities area, Coquitlam RCMP issued a statement on February 6, 2020 that urged people to stop spreading “unproven rumors.” In their response, the RCMP failed to address the fear, mistrust, and colonial forces that compel women to depend on social media mobilization instead of the police for their safety, and ultimately dismissed the deeply rooted fear and trauma that plagues Indigenous women as a result of the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis.

Old growth forests in B.C. remain on the chopping block

Despite a campaign promise to stop logging at-risk old growth forests, giant trees continue to fall on Premier Horgan’s watch

səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Territories (Vancouver, BC) —  Three months after the Horgan government was elected on a promise to implement recommendations for protecting old growth forests, these disappearing giants continue to be logged and might soon be gone forever.

First Nations and Provincial Health Officer Sign COVID-19 Information Sharing Agreements

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA (February 9, 2021) – A coalition of First Nations and BC’s Provincial Health Officer have negotiated and are signing information sharing agreements that provide more detailed information about COVID-19 case numbers in nearby communities, and will enable the nations to make more informed decisions on safety measures, and provide risk guidance to their members.

Self-determination & Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Understanding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

February 1, 2021

“Indigenous peoples must be part of decision making when our rights and well-being are at stake. Working with us to determine what that looks like is the smart thing to do. It will lead to fewer acrimonious decisions, fewer court battles, more timely decisions, and better outcomes for us all.”

–Chief Wilton Littlechild, addressing United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2018

Critical report shows current BC logging practices increase climate disaster risks for BC communities  

Forest conservation, forestry reforms, and Indigenous expertise and knowledge are urgently needed to mitigate climate disaster risks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       

February 1, 2021

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (VANCOUVER, BC) — A new independent report commissioned by Sierra Club BC looks at the relationship between forest management and severe climate impacts expected across B.C. It shows that governments can mitigate climate related disasters like flooding, droughts, fires and heatwaves by swiftly reforming B.C.’s forestry practices, applying Indigenous knowledge to forest-related decisions, and protecting and restoring intact forests, before the climate crisis worsens.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Coalition of Organizations Call for End to  Vancouver Police Department Trespass Prevention Program

January 28, 2021, (Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C – A coalition of Indigenous, women, Downtown Eastside, and legal organizations are voicing their opposition to the Vancouver Police Department’s Trespass Prevention Program, which authorizes police officers to remove people without a call for 911 service if they have allegedly violated the provincial Trespass Act.

STATEMENT
January 25, 2021

FNLC calls on Provincial Government to take necessary actions to address systemic racism within the Royal BC Museum

(Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) — The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is disturbed by several recent media reports outlining ongoing systemic racism and toxic working conditions within the Royal BC Museum (RBCM), a crown corporation established under the Museum Act (2003).