Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC
We would like to extend welcome from the United Native Nations to our community leaders regarding the forum on the Vancouver Indigenous Peoples Accord. This Forum is in concert with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association, and the United Native Nations. The Forum will be held at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre on Monday October 23rd, from 10am- 1pm.
Please find attached a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed on the 27th of September, 2006. The goals of the MOU are: the development of a Vancouver Indigenous Peoples Political Accord; NEW RELATIONSHIP initiative must be negotiated on behalf of urban indigenous Peoples residing in Vancouver and the GVRD; issue of appropriate and sustainable representation of the political interests/issues of urban Indigenous Peoples is an absolute necessity; acknowledge that there is a significant absence of sustainable urban Indigenous policy at all three levels of Government in Canada; current levels of funding for urban Indigenous programs and services has not kept pace with the significant growth in urban Indigenous population and that this reality is preventing urban Indigenous Peoples and communities from attaining the quality of life that a majority of other Canadians currently enjoy; invite other urban Indigenous program and service delivery agencies to be signatories to this MOU as a method of building consensus toward a goal of realizing the application of Treaty and Indigenous Rights within an urban setting; and respect the agendas and roles of other Indigenous Representative Organizations and their mandates; they also agree that the urban Indigenous community of Vancouver has a right to self-determination as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and recognized in Misquadis et Al. This position is reinforced by the demonstration that was orchestrated at the Kelowna First Ministers Meeting with Indigenous Leaders to voice concern vis a vis the absence of any meaningful participation by urban Indigenous Peoples in those processes.
Our urban Aboriginal political organization has the mandate to work toward the betterment of all Aboriginal people living off reserve in BC; the development of this Aboriginal Political Accord will help us all to meet our mandates.
Your advance confirmation is appreciated; we would be pleased to a commitment from our community to participate in this historic process.
For further information in relation to or support, please feel free to contact the United Native Nations via telephone (604) 688-1821, by fax (604) 688-1823 and/or email unn@unns.bc.ca
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