Inventory of Aboriginal Services, Issues and Initiatives in Vancouver: Communications and Information Sharing

Relevant Details

• Since Vancouver’s Aboriginal population are so diverse and spread out, it is hard for the members of these communities, as well as others, to keep abreast of all relevant activities.
• The Vancouver Aboriginal Council was formed in 1999 to help bring the communities together to share information and make communal decisions, but they are only one aspect of how to ensure good communications within the Aboriginal communities, as well as to inform the broader community about what is happening.
• A large gap is ensuring that information is disseminated in a timely fashion, and to a broad audience. There are many individual information networks through email, faxes, and newsletters, but they are clearly not enough to ensure that as many members of the Aboriginal communities as possible receive information.
• There is a great need for a central clearing house for information dissemination within the Vancouver Aboriginal communities. A central website and email system would greatly enhance communication and information sharing both within the Aboriginal communities and with the broader community.
• City staff can utilize the Contact Information section of this manual to create their own database to disseminate information coming from and through the City.
• In particular it is important for members of the Aboriginal communities to receive up-to-date information on community programs, public events, funding opportunities, decision making processes, research opportunities or research being conducted on Aboriginal issues, and City activities, processes, funding opportunities, and decision-making processes.

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Who’s Involved?

Vancouver Aboriginal Council

• Not-for-profit organization which is governed by a community based board.
• Hosts monthly community meetings at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre for Aboriginal organizations, government reps, and others to present, discuss and/or decide upon issues important to the local Aboriginal communities.
• Also has portfolios including such areas as education, health, youth, and housing. These committees only meet when needed.
• Online resource guide at www.vac-bc.ca/directory/index.html.

RedwayBC (440 Cambie Street)

• A website completely driven, designed, created and maintained by urban Aboriginal youth in the Lower Mainland.
• A broad, but critical mission of: Harnessing Technology to Inform, Honour and Connect Urban Aboriginal Youth to Services, Opportunities, the Community and Each Other.

Co-op Radio (360 Columbia Street)

• Non-commercial, co-operatively-owned, listener-supported, community radio station.
• Airs numerous Aboriginal-focused and hosted programs.

Turtle Island Native Network

• Comprehensive website on Vancouver, BC, national, and international Aboriginal issues: www.turtleisland.org.

Musqueam First Nation

• Primary communication need is within their community. This is achieved through their website, community newsletter, postings in their community facilities, and by word of mouth.

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Partnerships

• None

Committees

• None

Trends

• Youth are currently the most active in the Vancouver media field with both Redwire Magazine and RedwayBC website having great success within the broader community. However, their ability to cover all activities and provide information on a broad scale is limited by the size of their ezine and their internal resources.

Gaps

• There is no central clearing house for information dissemination within Vancouver Aboriginal communities. A central website and email system would greatly enhance communication and information sharing both within the Aboriginal communities and with the broader community.
• There is no Vancouver-based Aboriginal newspaper. Such a paper could be very useful to both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community to present issues, concerns, ideas, positive initiatives, community events, etc.

Contact Information
Addresses, phone, fax, email, and website information for any of the organizations above can be found in the Contact Information section of this manual.

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