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Cultural Conection

Indigenous Gathering Place

Indigenous people in the City of Surrey need a gathering space that can accommodate a variety of uses.

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The proposed Indigenous Mixed Use Space will be a gathering place where the Aboriginal community and agencies can come together to serve the Urban Aboriginal residents in the City of Surrey. Anchored by a Community Hall, the Mixed Use Space will be a place where cultural events, celebrations and workshops can be held that work collaboratively to strengthen the Aboriginal community in Surrey. An Indigenous Mixed Use Space will serve as:

  • A welcoming presence for Surrey’s Aboriginal community
  • An appropriate cultural gathering space
  • A place for community feasting – food prep and servery
  • An outdoor gathering with performance space
  • A place for Elders and Youth to come together
  • A marker space for the fusion of traditional craft & technology
  • Flexible meeting space with multi-purpose rooms, and
  • A space for Community Services and Social Innovation

The establishment of an Indigenous Mixed Use Space is timely in that it is the first step taken to improving the cultural connections and relationships between the Aboriginal community and its respective Leadership & Service Providers. In addition, an Indigenous Mixed Use Space would go a long way to help the City of Surrey better understand the lived experience of its Aboriginal citizens.

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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.