Who We Are
SUILC is a coalition of organizations that have come together to advocate for the more than 13,000 Indigenous people living in Surrey.
Our membership includes all of the Indigenous organizations operating in Surrey, such as Métis Family Services, Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association and Kekinow Native Housing Society. Other non-Indigenous organizations that have a significant connection to the Indigenous population, such as as Fraser Health, Surrey Libraries and the Surrey School District are also committee members.
All of the land-based First Nation governments with a historic and current connection to what is now the City of Surrey have a standing invitation to participate in all meetings of SUILC. We are a diverse group. We believe it is one of our strengths.
How We Formed
We formed in 2015 as a project committee to develop an urban Indigenous social innovation strategy for Surrey. In 2017 we released the All Our Relations: An Urban Indigenous Social Innovation Strategy. Adopted by consensus in the spring of 2017, the All Our Relations report is our road map for creating the city we want to live in. The strategy coalesced SUILC and set us on the path to making Surrey a great place for Indigenous people.
Our Mandate
The All Our Relations report set out our collective vision and mission. It also describes our five strategic objectives. They are to:
- Create and strengthen partnerships that will benefit urban Indigenous people in Surrey.
- Expand the urban Indigenous leadership capacity in Surrey.
- Improve and grow programs and services for urban Indigenous people in Surrey.
- Increase education and understanding about the urban Indigenous community in Surrey.
- Increase funding for urban Indigenous programs and services in Surrey.
