Description

Vancouver City Council takes further steps in commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation, with Council approving to move forward on 41 actions outlined by the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Vancouver Park Board approved 28 actions.

From left to right is the work of Jody Broomfield of Squamish Nation, Jordan Gallie of Tsleil-Waututh and Chrystal Sparrow of Musqueam, which now hangs at Vancouver City Hall.
From left to right is the work of Jody Broomfield of Squamish Nation, Jordan Gallie of Tsleil-Waututh and Chrystal Sparrow of Musqueam, which now hangs at city hall. Photos Dan Toulgoet, Vancouver Courier

Potential Significance

The City of Vancouver has adopted the long-term goals of strengthening local First Nations and urban aboriginal relations, promoting aboriginal peoples arts, culture, awareness, and understanding and incorporating the perspectives of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, and the urban aboriginal community in development and deliver of City services.

Background

City Council agreed to provide funding for two aboriginal healing and wellness centres, provide cultural competency training for senior City managers and more than 350 staff, create a new Manager of Aboriginal Relations in the City Manager’s office, integrates the theme of reconciliation into the City’s celebration of Canada 150, and collaborates with a federal agency Reconciliation Canada on developing indicators to measure progress on reconciliation.

The 41 actions fall within three key themes at the City: healthy communities and wellness, achieving indigenous and human rights recognition and advancing awareness, and knowledge and capacity.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation identifies 28 actions in support of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (pdf). In doing so, they agree to take a 360-degree approach to programming, including in the areas of culture, health, public dialogue, physical activity, and sport. Other Vancouver Park Board actions include:

  • Review donation of monuments, memorials and public art processes and policies to ensure integration of Indigenous history, heritage values and memory practice
  • Review partner and business contracts, relationships and procurement policies for alignment with Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action; and,
  • Review event permitting and sports hosting opportunities to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected and that, if appropriate to the scale of the event, that local Indigenous communities are engaged.

Previous Actions

  • June 25, 2014:City Council declares that Vancouver is on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wauluth First Nations.

Sources