Thank You

To our generous partners and funders for their contribution.

Our partners and funders are the reason the SUILC is able to engage our community, conduct research, and advocate on behalf of urban Indigenous people in the City of Surrey.

Funders

Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the organizations and foundations who have supported SUILC over the years. While relationships remain fluid, we are forever grateful to our past and present funders for walking alongside us in our mission to realize our vision for urban Indigenous people living in Surrey. We welcome new and renewed relationships in our ongoing work.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Indigenous Services Canada, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, VanCity Community Foundation, Vancouver Foundation

Partners

The City of Surrey

A very important partner to SUILC. SUILC is not a legal entity, and so the City applies for and manages contracts and funding on our behalf. This arrangement lowers the administrative burden on our Committee members and allows us to focus on getting projects done for the benefit of the community. We have developed a solid working relationship with the City, and we would like to see it continue and grow. We believe that the relationship we have with the City is one of our strengths.

Simon Fraser University

In January 2019, we signed an important agreement with Simon Fraser University (SFU) President and ViceChancellor Andrew Petter. SFU is the second-largest university in the province with campuses in BC’s three largest cities: Vancouver, Burnaby, and Surrey. SFU is making significant infrastructure investments in Surrey, and this agreement ensures that urban Indigenous voices are well represented as the university expands its presence in the city. As Steve Dooley, Executive Director of SFU Surrey, said, “This signing marks a significant milestone in the ongoing SFU-SUILC relationship, and will help to shape and inform the paths we travel together in support of the region’s Indigenous communities.”

All Our Relations: Honouring the Host Nations

Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee's work takes place on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the Katize, Kwantlen, and Semiahmoo First Nations. We recognize their connection to this land and acknowledge that we are newcomers to Surrey like everyone else. Our group, the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee does not represent these land-based First Nations and we are careful not to speak on their behalf. Instead, we represent urban Indigenous people that have moved here from all over BC and Canada to make Surrey their home. Our focus is making Surrey a great place for Indigenous people living in the city — regardless of where they come from, their legal status, or their particular culture heritage. As we do this, we endeavour to live in a good way with the land-based First Nations that have called this land their home since time immemorial.