Latest news with #Tsilhqot'inNation
Canada Standard
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Tilhqot'in Nation signs historic Coordination Agreement with Canada and British Columbia towards First Nations-led child and family services
May 9, 2025 - Williams Lake, British Columbia - Tsilhqot'in Nation, Indigenous Services Canada and the government of British Columbia "Tilhqot'in Nidlin" - "We are Tilhqot'in" The Tilhqot'in Nation has always asserted its inherent right to self-government, including jurisdiction, over its children and families - a right affirmed with the signing of a historic Coordination Agreement between the Tsilhqot'in Nation, Canada and the Province of British Columbia using the framework provided by An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families. Together, the Nitsilin-Qi (Council of Chiefs) for the Tilhqot'in Nation, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and the Honourable Jodie Wickens, B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development signed a Coordination Agreement; a key milestone on the path of transforming the lives of the Tsilhqot'in people and the relationship with the Crown. The agreement establishes responsibilities and processes for providing the coordination services to Tsilhqot'in children and young adults. It outlines a way forward that honours past, present, and future generations of the Tilhqot'in Nation for whom raising healthy and thriving children is a fundamental right and core to their identity, responsibilities, and law as Tilhqot'in people. This year, Canada will provide $35.2 million toward, amongst other things, the delivery of prevention, governance, dispute resolution, community navigator and post majority support services in the initial phase of Tsilhqot'in jurisdiction. The Province of British Columbia will provide $766,222 to support Tsilhqot'in jurisdiction. Through this transition there will be strong collaboration with Denisiqi Services Society, and the province, to continue to deliver protection services under provincial law to all Tsilhqot'in on and off reserve as the Tsilhqot'in Nation builds capacity to exercise full jurisdiction under the Tsilhqot'in law. On April 1, 2025, the Tilhqot'in Nation enacted their children and families law - Tsilhqot'in Esqax Sutsel Jeniyax (Tsilhqot'in children growing up in a good way) as the foundation for exercising its inherent jurisdiction and to establish a new model of care for Tilhqot'in children, youth and families grounded in Tilhqot'in teachings and values. For the Tilhqot'in People, the Coordination Agreement is formal recognition of their right to protect and care for their children based on traditional teachings and values.
National Observer
25-04-2025
- Health
- National Observer
BC First Nation at UN demands government help in battling toxic drug crisis
Members of the Tsilhqot'in Nation were at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Thursday calling for the British Columbia and Canadian governments to help expand support services in the battle against the toxic drug crisis. Chief Francis Laceese said the crisis is a "continuation" of threats Indigenous Peoples have faced in the form of residential schools and the smallpox epidemic that devastated Indigenous communities in BC in the early 1860s. "We weren't supposed to be here anymore. The drug crisis is a continuation of this threat to our survival," Laceese said of Canada's residential schools, which separated more than 150,000 Indigenous children from their families. "I think the government has to intervene, especially the Canadian government and British Columbia, to help us with this crisis," he said. There had been a meeting recently with BC officials to discuss the crisis and impending closure of a four-bed detox centre in Williams Lake, he noted. Thursday's news conference, which the U.N. says was sponsored by Canada's permanent mission to the world body, came one year after the Tsilhqot'in National Government declared a local state of emergency following a spike in deaths from toxic drug poisoning in its six member nations in central BC. "I think the statistics will show how many people have passed just in our community or at the nation level, BC level," said Laceese, the chief of Tl'esqox First Nation and vice chief of the Tsilhqot'in National Government. Asked about harm-reduction measures such as overdose prevention sites and BC's program that provides prescription alternatives to toxic illicit drugs, the executive director of the Tsilhqot'in National Government said access is a challenge because of the remote nature of many communities. 'We don't have a lot of those,' Jenny Philbrick said of harm-reduction services. 'We're looking for total wraparound services moving forward for our people.' The First Nations Health Authority released data this month showing 427 members of First Nations in BC died of a toxic drug overdose last year. It marked a 6.8 per cent decrease from 2023, but the death rate was still an average of 6.7 times higher than other residents of the province. The health authority's chief medical officer, Dr. Nel Wieman, said that represents "the largest gap" between First Nations members and others since BC declared a public health emergency over toxic drugs in 2016. The Tsilhqot'in Nation said last April when it declared the local state of emergency that toxic drugs, combined with the historical and ongoing harms of colonialism, were contributing to higher rates of overdose deaths among Indigenous Peoples. The statement called on "all ministries and agencies to work together to end this loss of lives" and pointed to a lack of treatment facilities. Chief Roger William with the Tsilhqot'in National Government told Thursday's press conference that they need help to address the crisis "in our own way," in part through culturally centred programming "On-the land treatment processes. Supportive recovery through equine therapy. Funding to support our culture and language," he said. He said Tsilhqot'in members often face racism and discrimination in health-care settings, such as hospital emergency rooms, and they need provincial and federal help to improve access to treatment and recovery services. William said expanding supportive housing is also a key part of the fight against the toxic drug crisis. The basic needs of Tsilhqot'in members must be met in order to stop their "people from falling into using drugs," he said. He said there had been some progress working with government. "We're saying that it's not enough" to address the crisis, he said. William noted his nation is not the only First Nation in BC grappling with the crisis, and others have also declared states of local emergency. "(We) want to find space for all First Nations to come together and talk about solutions," he said. Sierra William, a member of the Xeni Gwet'in community where Roger William serves as chief, also took part in Thursday's press conference. She said smallpox, residential schools and the Sixties Scoop — during which children were taken from their homes and adopted by predominantly non-Indigenous families — had all led to trauma in Indigenous communities. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission outlined a decade ago what must happen to improve the well-being of Indigenous Peoples, she said. "If the calls to action were to be realized, some of our people wouldn't have a reason to turn to drugs," she said. William said for her, self care doesn't mean taking a bubble bath. "Self care for us is doing things to connect us to our culture, to our ways of life. The exact things (that) were taken away from us through colonization." The Truth and Reconciliation Commission had called for sustainable funding for existing and new healing centres to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential schools, William noted. The commission, which was tasked with researching Canada's residential school system, found the institutions were rife with abuse. The commission estimated 6,000 children died in the schools, the last of which closed in 1996, though experts have said the actual death toll could be much higher. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
Toronto Star
24-04-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
B.C. First Nation at UN calling for government help in battling toxic drug crisis
NEW YORK - Members of the Tsilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia are at the United Nations headquarters in New York City calling for the provincial and Canadian governments to fund recovery beds and other supports in the battle against the toxic drug crisis. Chief Roger William with the Tsilhqot'in National Government says they're asking for help to address the crisis in their own way, through culturally centred programming, improving access to treatment and recovery services, and expanding supportive housing.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. First Nation at UN calling for government help in battling toxic drug crisis
NEW YORK – Members of the Tsilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia are at the United Nations headquarters in New York City calling for the provincial and Canadian governments to fund recovery beds and other supports in the battle against the toxic drug crisis. Chief Roger William with the Tsilhqot'in National Government says they're asking for help to address the crisis in their own way, through culturally centred programming, improving access to treatment and recovery services, and expanding supportive housing. William says the basic needs of their members must be met in order to stop their 'people from falling into using drugs.' The news conference comes one year after the Tsilhqot'in Nation declared a local state of emergency after a spike in deaths from toxic drug poisoning in its six member nations in central B.C. Chief Francis Laceese says the crisis is a 'continuation' of threats to his people's survival in the form of residential schools and the smallpox epidemic that devastated Indigenous communities in B.C. in the early 1860s. The Tsilhqot'in National Government said last April when it declared the emergency that toxic drugs, combined with the historical and ongoing harms of colonialism, were contributing to higher rates of overdose deaths among Indigenous Peoples. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. The statement called on 'all ministries and agencies to work together to end this loss of lives' and pointed to a lack of treatment facilities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
