SUILC Leadership in Surrey: Alina Pete uses art to educate the public.
February 7, 2022 — The Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) is excited to present their Annual Indigenous Leadership Award to Alina Pete, an inspiring nehiyaw (Cree) artist and writer living in Surrey. The Annual Indigenous Leadership Award recognizes individuals or groups that contribute to the richness of the urban Indigenous community in Surrey. SUILC is a collective voice for the more than 16,000...
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A Statement from SUILC Co-Chairs: Evidence of 93 Potential Grave Sites at Williams Lake
January 27, 2022 — On Tuesday, January 25, 2022 the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN), in British Columbia, Canada, held a press conference on the traumatic history of the St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School. This institution, where generations of their children were forcibly confined and abused operated from 1891 – 1981, as part of the colonial project that is now Canada. The WLFN...
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Skookum Surrey Guide Groups in 2021
January 6, 2022 — Skookum Guide Groups have continued to gather and take part in community events throughout 2021. The relationships we formed in 2020 were strengthened throughout 2021. Our community found new skookum ways to spend time together: we beaded in a few neighbourhood parks, walked some of Surrey’s beautiful trails, and visited some local farms. “So excited haven't beaded since I was...
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SKOOKUM: From Social Innovation Lab to a Skookum Surrey Community
December 10, 2021 — In June of last summer, our skookum community gathered at the Skookum Lab Sunset Celebration. It was a celebration and reflection of our three-year social innovation journey. With COVID restrictions in place, the celebration moved to Zoom. The Sunset Celebration included songs, gifts, and planning for our future as a community. We also took some time to reflect and respect...
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Skookum Surrey Seeking Events Coordinator
September 8, 2021 — Job Description Skookum Surrey Events Coordinator Job Summary: Skookum Surrey is seeking an Events Coordinator to plan and deliver community-based gatherings for urban Indigenous people living in Surrey. The objective of these gatherings is to engage with the 16,000 urban Indigenous people living in Surrey and deepen connections in the city. This is a contract position for $1,000 per...
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A Call to Action: Surrey Needs More Indigenous Housing
July 12, 2021 — Surrey, BC Surrey is home to the largest urban Indigenous population in BC, however, the City has far fewer Indigenous housing options compared to other large cities. The lack of affordable housing is one of the key reasons that 37% of Indigenous children in Surrey live in poverty. Indigenous families face significant housing and related challenges: unaffordability, low availability...
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A Place of Belonging for the Urban Indigenous Community in Surrey -- New Report Provides the Blueprint
May 15, 2021 — Today the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) released their vision for an Indigenous Cultural Centre in Surrey. Surrey is home to the largest urban Indigenous population in the province, but does not have any cultural facilities for the community to access. The proposed cultural centre will go a long way to improving cultural connections and relationships between Indigenous residents...
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Two Skookum Lab evaluation reports show the power of Indigenous social innovation to create systems change in Surrey
March 26, 2021 — Today, Skookum Lab made public two evaluation reports that show the power of Indigenous social innovation. Each report documents a Skookum Lab prototype designed to disrupt the systems that create and sustain Indigenous child poverty in Surrey. The first prototype, Guide Groups, are nodes of community support comprised of 62 Indigenous Elders, youth, caregivers, and community support workers. Guide Groups...
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A Call For Expression of Interest
January 29, 2021 — The Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee is seeking expressions of interest from an individual or team to produce a short video series documenting Indigenous experiences with housing in Surrey B.C. The video series will be used by SUILC as it advocates for more urban Indigenous housing options in Surrey. SUILC will organize the specific individuals/stories to be profiled in the...
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SUILC STATEMENT OF RECOGNITION
January 19, 2021 — SUILC STATEMENT OF RECOGNITION Territorial acknowledgements have been in the news last week. Here is the Statement of Recognition that the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee has developed: Our work takes place on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish, including the Semiahmoo First Nation, the Kwantlen First Nation, the Katzie First Nation, the Kwikwetlem First Nation, the Qayqayt...
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Louis Riel Day Message from SUILC Co-Chair
November 16, 2020 — Greetings Everyone, On the behalf of the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) I would like to wish you a happy Louis Riel Day. I would like to begin by acknowledging that our work takes place on the traditional territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Qayqayt and Tsawwassen First Nations. It was on this day 135 years ago that...
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Surrey Indigenous Award recognizes Métis leadership that strengthens community and cultural connections
October 7, 2020 — The Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) was excited to present their Annual Urban Indigenous Leadership Award to an inspiring Métis leader this year! SUILC annually recognizes individuals or groups with long-standing leadership and exceptional dedication to the urban Indigenous community in Surrey. SUILC is the collective voice of the urban Indigenous population in Surrey and advocates on all their behalf. ...
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Orange Shirt Day Drum Circle Honours Indigenous Children & Their Communities
October 5, 2020 — Indigenous Elders and community members, as well as the SUILC’s Skookum Lab Team, gathered at Kekinow Native Housing in Surrey for a special Orange Shirt Day Drum Circle this year. Orange Shirt Day emerged out of Phyllis Webstad’s account of her residential school experience in British Columbia. As a child, Phyllis was at first excited to go to school. She went shopping with...
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New Métis Community Engagement Coordinator to Connect with Métis Families in Surrey
July 28, 2020 — The SUILC is pleased to announce that Keenan McCarthy, has been hired for the new SUILC position of Métis Community Engagement Coordinator! Keenan McCarthy is the past President of the Nova Métis Heritage Association: a Surrey based organization. He has been actively participating in Métis organizations across Metro Vancouver. In 2019, he was recognized by the Métis Nation of BC (MNBC) as a role...
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Indigenous Art Contest to uplift and better understand urban Indigenous housing experiences in Surrey
June 29, 2020 — If you live in Surrey and identify as Métis, First Nations, and/or Inuit, the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) would like to hear from you! The SUILC is excited to be launching the #skookumhome Art Contest! This summer long contest is open to all Indigenous-Surrey residents and from all ages and generations. We have some incredible prizes such as...
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Report says Action is Needed Against Everyday and Systemic Anti-Indigenous Racism in Surrey
February 20, 2020 — Click here to read the report! In February 2020, in the first event of its kind, Surrey residents gathered to discuss the Indigenous experience of racism in Surrey, and how to address it. The Skookum Lab’s report, Seeing Racism Through an Indigenous Social Innovation Lens: Learning and Reflections from Skookum Lab Anti-Racism Symposium 2020, summarizes the experiences of those involved,...
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Awards Recognize Urban Indigenous Advocates in Surrey
May 30, 2019 — Two recipients have been recognized for their “long-standing leadership and exceptional dedication to the urban Indigenous and Métis community in Surrey,” according to the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee. The Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) recognizes two individuals or groups each year for the Urban Indigenous Leadership Award, which was held at Bear Creek Park with a community celebration....
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Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee Skookum Lab
May 1, 2019 — The Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee invites you to participate in the Skookum Lab, an initiative that is building solutions to the high rates of Indigenous child and youth poverty in Surrey. Part of the process for building community-based solutions is through the development of Guide Groups consisting of elders, youth, care givers, and community workers. Guide Groups will meet...
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SFU Partners to Support Region's Urban Indigenous Peoples
January 10, 2019 — Simon Fraser University and the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) have entered into a partnership to promote and support the academic, research and community engagement needs and interests of the region’s growing urban Indigenous peoples. The Collaborative Relationship Agreement builds on SFU’s commitment to urban First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Surrey, and the SUILC’s goal of adv...