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The official spokesperson for the BCAAFC is Leslie Varley (Executive Director).

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Recent Posts

Racist “game” played by hospital staff in British Columbia is unacceptable, say Indigenous health leaders

Emergency room staff regularly play “Price is Right” when predicting blood alcohol level of Indigenous patients News Release June 19, 2020 —First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients seeking emergency medical services in British Columbia are often assumed to be intoxicated and denied medical assessments, contributing to worsening health conditions resulting in unnecessary harm or death. This is according to information

Notice of changes to the BCAAFC annual general meeting 2020

Notice of changes to the BCAAFC annual general meeting are as follows: Location: Online via Zoom Date: July 10, 2020 Time: 9:00AM – 4:30PM PST The BCAAFC does not have any special resolutions at this time. Zoom details will be distributed via email on June 25, 2020. These changes comply with provincial health orders and have been made for the

How Friendship Centres Are Supporting Communities During COVID-19

The 25 Friendship Centres in British Columbia have been contributing to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people for almost 70 years. At the best of times, Friendships Centres work against high unemployment rates, cutbacks in government spending, and general economic uncertainty. Now, amid the global COVID-19 crisis, Friendship Centres continue to find ways to provide critical services with disproportionately

COVID-19: April 17, 2020

No Emergency Funding for BC Friendship Centres Confirmed The 25 Friendship Centres located in British Columbia have not received any additional funding to support the increased need for Friendship Centre services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCAAFC has requested emergency funding from the provincial government, no funding has been confirmed. The National Association of Friendship Centres has submitted a proposal

BC Friendship Centres Over Capacity

At this time, BC Friendship Centres have not received any additional funding to support the increase in requests for services from BC First Nations members during the COVID-19 pandemic.⁣⁣⁣Please know that each Friendship Centre is doing the very best they can to serve their urban Indigenous clients and community members in need, but are over capacity with reduced resources and

Friendship Centres work to provide essential services during COVID-19 pandemic

News Release Victoria, B.C. — April 8, 2020 — Friendship Centres are experiencing an increase in requests for services from First Nations communities and vulnerable populations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Collectively, Friendship Centres are the largest infrastructure serving urban Indigenous populations across Canada, providing services critical to the health and wellbeing of their clients for almost 70

Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program: Changes to doula eligibility requirements

News Release April 1, 2020 More Indigenous birth workers will have access to the Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program (DAFGP) under its new eligibility requirements. The program, delivered by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, provides Indigenous families living in BC up to $1,000.00 for doula support. Since 2013, the program has increased healthy birth outcomes for Indigenous

National Indigenous Languages Day

Thank you to all the Elders, knowledge keepers, speakers, and language learners working to revitalize, maintain and strengthen Indigenous languages. Whether you are just beginning or an expert, your efforts represent the strength of Indigenous languages, cultures, and traditions, despite colonial policies designed to silence them. Language resources FirstVoices (First Peoples' Cultural Council) – a suite of web-based tools and

Leslie Varley and CBC Radio: What COVID-19 means for urban Indigenous communities

March 27, 2020 "First Nations communities are bracing for what will happen if COVID-19 reaches their doors. Some have declared their own states of emergency, and are banning outsiders to prevent COVID-19 from infecting their communities. But it is impossible to capture the full picture of Indigenous health in Canada without looking at urban Indigenous communities. More than 60 per

March 2020: Connecting online during physical distancing

Thank you to all the frontline workers and every community member doing their part to take care of one another during the challenges we are facing with COVID-19. The community efforts during this time have been heart-warming amid the concern and uncertainty we are all feeling. Physical (social) distancing and isolation affect everyone's mental health and emotional well-being in different