Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

By 2050, aboriginals will comprise half of Sask. population

Aboriginals will comprise 50 per cent of Saskatchewan people by 2050, and they will “catch up” to the rest of the population in education and earning potential this century, a University of Saskatchewan professor says.

In a paper, as yet unpublished, exploring the future of the province’s aboriginal people, economics Prof. Eric Howe says early 20th century Eastern European immigrants overcame discrimination, poverty and a lack of education, and aboriginals will too.

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The BCGEU Aboriginal Council is supporting this important initiative by distributing “Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women” buttons, and gathering donations to support the walk.

Highway 16 from Prince Rupert to Prince George has been dubbed the “highway of tears” because of the heartbreak associated with the many cases of young women who have vanished or whose bodies have been found along the road. Most of the women have been Aboriginal.

The walk begins in Prince Rupert on Saturday, March 11, with the first steps taken by Florence Naziel, and other supporters. Florence is a 56-yearold grandmother from the Frog Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Her cousin’s daughter went missing along Highway 16. Florence is challenging herself to walk 20–30 kilometers a day and she invites anyone who wants to support her in her mission to honor the families of the missing or murdered women.

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Centre for Native Policy and Research (CNPR)

JOB POSTING: Researcher

• Closing date: Friday, February 24, 2006, 4:00 PM - EXTENDED TO MARCH 3, 2006
• Position start date: March 13, 2006
• Duration: Full-time permanent subject to funding.
• Salary Range: $45,000 - $57,200 plus benefits package after 6 month probationary period.

ABOUT CNPR

The Centre is a non-partisan, social justice, progressive Aboriginal think tank. Our focus is on the social, economic, and environmental policy and research concerns of Aboriginal people in British Columbia and Canada. Although over fifty percent of all Aboriginal people now live in urban areas, there is a lack of research and policy analysis on issues important to the growing urban Aboriginal population. The Centre tackles this gap by providing collaborative solutions between existing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups, bringing people together beyond politics to promote progressive research, policy alternatives, and hope.

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You are invited to celebrate the 11th annual Dances with Dragons, which was started ten years ago by students from Mount Currie (see background below). This is not a performance but a genuine celebration of another year of journey with the First People and one more step towards reconciliation. To that end, please share the following invitation with your friends: |inline

News Release: Concerns Regarding the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards Held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver (Unceded Coast Salish Territories) On Friday, January 27, 2006

Attn: National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation

We the undersigned are deeply concerned with the high concentration of unethical corporations that sponsor the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (NAAA). In particular, we disapprove of the NAAA sponsors that have a track record of destroying Indigenous people’s lives and land; namely the Encana Corporation, Shell Canada, and Weyerhauser. We haveresearched these corporations and found blatant and undeniable human rights violations in the territories that they operate in. In addition, many of these corporations have refused to recognize Aboriginal Rights and Title in Canada.

Although many of NAAA’s corporate sponsors claim to “balance out” their environmental and human rights injustices by giving funds or support to Indigenous groups, we see that the harm they produce far outweighs any aesthetic repairs they claim to make. We are also concerned with the NAAA’s failure to involve the grassroots Native community in the organization of the awards and we criticize this exclusive conduct throughout the years. With the observations that we outline below, we trust that you will listen to our concerns and make the necessary changes we request. |inline

Your are currently browsing the archives for items filed under the Human Rights category and it’s subsections - Racially Visible and Aboriginal issues, People With Disabilities, and Pride. You can find more information about the PSAC BC Human Rights Committee under the Get Involved! link on the main Human Rights Committee page. Older news and posts relating to Human Rights are archived in our old webspace.

reposted April 2006

Here are some pictures of PSAC’s “55 foot” Tepee that was erected at the 26th Assembly of First Nations AGM and Trade Show in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories from July 4-7, 2005. We are happy to report that the giant Tepee received national press and media coverage, and is being touted as the largest ever erected in the North. Federal NDP leader Jack Layton was in attendance.

The painting on the canvas is a gift to the PSAC from internationally acclaimed Dene artist Archie Beaulieu and the Tepee is the property of PSAC’s National Aboriginal Inuit and Métis (NAIM) Network. Archie Beaulieu will complete the painting at the Dene National Assembly in August 2005.

Here are some photos of the event.

PSAC’s participation at the event was a collaborative effort between the Dene Nation, NAIM, PSAC North, PSAC Ontario, PSAC BC, PSAC Yellowknife Regional Office, Union of Northern Workers (UNW) and the Organizing Program. This special project is a great success story and the Tepee is symbolic of PSAC’s commitment to building a stronger partnership and working relationship with Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis members, leaders, communities and staff.

During the course of the week, over 3000 people visited the Tepee, including Chiefs from the various communities across Canada. The Tepee was also used as a cultural centre for the Native Women’s Association of the NWT and for local Aboriginal artists. At the site of the Tepee erection, Dene medicine man Bob Wasicuna blessed the ground and lit the sacred fire which was kept burning until the completion of the Assembly. This structure, which has been honoured in traditional ceremonies, is a priceless treasure of the PSAC NAIM network and our members.