Latest News

News Release

February 24, 2025

UBCIC Rejects MLA Dallas Brodie’s Purported ‘Truth-Seeking’ as Racist Residential School Denialism; Calls for Apology to Survivors

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – February 24, 2025) The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is appalled by recent comments made by elected Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie on X (formerly Twitter), which allege that the number of confirmed child burials at former Kamloops Indian Residential School is zero. UBCIC calls on her to apologize for promoting abhorrent rhetoric which minimizes the harms of Residential Schools and for misleading and emboldening the public against Indigenous people.

News Release
February 13, 2025

UBCIC Remembers and Honours Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla, Hereditary Chief Bill Wilson

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – February 13, 2025) The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is mourning the loss of Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla, Hereditary Chief Bill Wilson, a towering figure in the fight for Indigenous rights in Canada. UBCIC extends our deepest condolences to his wife Bev Sellars, his daughters Kory Wilson and Jody Wilson-Raybould, and all his family, friends, and those who knew and respected him. Yesterday, the UBCIC Chiefs Council honoured Chief Bill Wilson and his contributions to our organization and the nation as a whole, with Chief Wilson’s family present.

News Release 
February 6, 2025

FNLC Denounces President Trump’s Since-Postponed Imposition of Tariffs; Demands any Response Respect First Nations’ Title and Rights

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) denounces the Trump administration’s since-postponed imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada and demands that any response by the governments of British Columbia and Canada respect and uphold the inherent and constitutionally protected title and rights and jurisdictions of First Nations.

News Release
January 22, 2025

UBCIC Reaffirms Opposition to Fossil Fuel Pipelines and Clarifies Position on Natural Resource Development

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – January 22, 2025) The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) has a long history of resolutions from the Chiefs Council opposing large scale destructive resource projects including Enbridge Northern Gateway and the proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline- this mandate has not changed, and the answer is still no.

News Release    

January 20, 2025

Standing With Gitxaala and Ehattesaht Nations in Upholding the Process of Legislative Reconciliation under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) stand together with Gitxaala Nation and Ehattesaht First Nation as the hearing of the Nations’ appeals in relation to the Province’s Mineral Tenure Act regime begins in the BC Court of Appeal today.

News Release 

January 17, 2025

FNLC Extremely Disappointed with Mineral Claim Consultation Framework, Calls for Redoubling of Efforts to Align the Mineral Tenure Act with the UN Declaration

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is extremely disappointed with the government of B.C.’s recently introduced Mineral Claim Consultation Framework (MCCF) and will hold the government of B.C. to its legislative obligations and public commitments to align the Mineral Tenure Act (MTA) with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration).

News Release

December 6, 2024

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women: UBCIC Calls on NDP Government to Declare Gender-Based Violence Epidemic

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – December 6, 2024) Today is the 35^th anniversary of the tragic 1989 murders of 14 young women students at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal who were targeted and killed because of their gender.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women by remembering victims of gender-based violence (GBV) from across the country and joins calls for the recently formed B.C. NDP government to declare GBV an epidemic. According to the Canadian Feminicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, GBV-related deaths in B.C. have shown no signs of slowing over recent years.

2024-12-03

Te Pāti Māori

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

Rawiri Waititi

Open Letter: UBCIC in Solidarity with the Māori People

Dear Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and the Māori Party:

On behalf of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), we extend our unwavering solidarity and support for the Māori people and their Hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill and advocating for the protection, self-determination and sovereignty and the sanctity of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.