May 10, 2019

Ms. Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Via Email: ccpr@ohchr.org

Open Letter: UBCIC Condemns the Reprehensible Persecution of Margot Pérez and All Forms of Violence and Intimidation Against Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador

Dear Ms. Michelle Bachelet Jeria:

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) stands in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of El Salvador who share with the First Nations of Canada a history of invasion, colonization, and cultural genocide. It is in this solidarity and the commitment to justice that UBCIC writes to you regarding the shameful persecution of Margot Pérez – a persecution that has resulted in the brutal murder of her brother-in-law and the continued reign of coercion and threats against Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador.

Open Letter to Minister Carolyn Bennett
Canada’s Inaction on Late Specific Claims Assessments

May 2, 2019

Dear Minister Bennett,

We write today to present a follow-up report prepared by the BC Specific Claims Working Group (BCSCWG) on your government’s inaction on late specific claims assessments. In November 2018, the BCSCWG brought to your attention your department’s failure to meet its legislated timelines to assess specific claims and communicate effectively with Indigenous Nations. We urged you to take immediate, transparent action on the report’s recommendations and you have not done so. We reiterate our call to address the backlog of claims by implementing the recommendations put forward by the BCSCWG in both reports.

News Release
May 1, 2019

UBCIC & Wet’suwet’en to the UN:
Our Rights Cannot Be Compromised

(Lenape Territory/NYC, NY – May 1, 2019) Indigenous peoples gathered from around the globe at the United Nations headquarters in New York City for the 18th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to discuss issues pertaining to the recognition of their internationally recognized human rights, particularly their rights to languages, traditional knowledge and self-determination.

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Eighteenth Session
Friday, April 26, 2019
Agenda Item 10: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Speaker: Haana Edenshaw

Joint Statement of Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Endorsed by Amnesty International; Assembly of First Nations; Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et Labrador; BC Assembly of First Nations; Council of the Haida Nation; Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers); First Nations Summit; Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) / Cree Nation Government; Indigenous World Association; KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives; Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot, Canada Research Chair of Global Indigenous Rights and Politics; Dr. Wilton Littlechild; Allied Tribes of Lax Kw'alaams; Friends of Wild Salmon; Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition; Tŝilhqot'in National Government; Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.

Kul jaad aangaa, kilslaay aanga, Xaada laa isis,

Haana hinnu dii kyaang. Tsiits gitanee sduu dii isgagaan. Xaayda gwaay sduu dii isgagan. Dalang 'waadluwaan ahl kil 'laagang.

Respected women, respected men, good people, My name is Haana Edenshaw, from the Tsiits gitanee clan from Haida Gwaii. I thank all of you for listening.

April 25, 2019

First Nations Leadership
Via email only

Open Letter: Investment in the TMX Poses Significant Financial Risks for First Nations

Dear First Nations Leadership:

It has been widely reported that a number of First Nations leaders are involved in talks with the federal government to invest in the Trans Mountain pipeline (TMX). The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) are concerned that the government may not be providing a full and accurate account of the financial future of the project. Before you make the decision to invest or not, here are some crucial and significant points that you should know.

COMMUNIQUE TO UBCIC CHIEFS COUNCIL

To:                          BC First Nation Communities, Leaders and Organizations                               
From:                    BC Specific Claims Working Group
Date:                     April 10, 2019
Re:                         Urgently needed judicial appointments and adequate funding for First Nations at the Specific Claims Tribunal              

The Specific Claims Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body created by legislation in 2008 with the aim of promoting reconciliation between First Nations and the Crown by adjudicating First Nations’ specific claims in a fair, impartial and timely manner. UBCIC is calling upon Canada to immediately and effectively address and remove the current barriers to the Tribunal’s mandate that have left the specific claims process in a state of operational crisis.

News Release
April 23, 2019

Coalition on MMIWG2S Stands With  Wilson-Raybould & Philpott

(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C. – April 23, 2019) The Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People in BC is deeply outraged and angered at the expulsion of former Justice Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould and former Treasury Board President Jane Philpott from the federal Liberal caucus and that they were dropped as election candidates for the party. The Coalition stands with both of these strong women and we remain staunch in our support and solidarity.

Wiping the Tears Healing the Pain

FACT!  In some provinces, First Nations women aged 50 and above represent the highest proportion of all opioid-related fatalities

FACT!  In the last two-years, opioid overdose and emergency admission rates have tripled in the age groups of 15 to 44 years-old.
 
Please understand, this is not just another conference to discuss problems. The First Nation Opioid Healing Conference offers two days of SOLUTIONS and ACTIONABLE WORKSHOPS designed to make the difference in your community. See the schedule here