National Indigenous Rights Education Day

Date(s): Thursday, March 17
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: : Chilliwack campus at Canada Education Park

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS RIGHTS EDUCATION DAY

N.I.R.E.D 2016

Please join us March 17 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Gathering Space, Chilliwack campus at Canada Education Park (room 1457) for N.I.R.E.D 2016

This year’s focus: THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IN CARE
Opening by Dr. Gwen Point, UFV Chancellor
Guest Speaker: Grand Chief Stewart Phillip

With Community Responders:

Siyá:m June Quipp – Stó:lō Matriarch

Siyá:m Samantha Langdon – Executive Director Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services

Siyá:m Joanne Hugh – Stó:lō Tribal Council

Siyá:m Maureen Chapman – Chief’s rep for Stó:lō Nation Chiefs Council

STC Rep (TBC) – Chief’s rep for Stó:lō Tribal Council

Event Focus

Educational forum to bring awareness to the rights of Indigenous children in care with a focus on: (1) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Call to Action #11 We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care

(2) Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) January 26 2016 the CHRT found that the Canadian government is racially discriminating against 163,000 First Nations children and their families by providing flawed and inequitable child welfare services and not implementing Jordan’s Principle (jordansprinciple.ca) to ensure equitable access to government services available to other children. The Tribunal concluded that the federal government’s arbitrary funding formula fails to consider “the actual service needs of First Nations children and families” and creates “incentives to remove children from their homes and communities.”

For more information, contact wenona.victor@ufv.ca