British Columbia | BC ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS21st ANNUAL SPECIAL CHIEFS MEETING FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2025 Online Via Zoom |
| – DRAFT AGENDA – Chair: Harvey McLeod |
| FEBRUARY 26 | |
| 9:00 AM | OPENING BLESSING AND WELCOME Dr. Gwendolyn Point, BCAFN Knowledge Keeper Sempulyan Stewart Gonzales, BCAFN Knowledge Keeper |
| 9:10 AM | OVERVIEW AND ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA Harvey McLeod, Chair |
| 9:15 AM | WELCOME AND ADDRESS Regional Chief Terry Teegee |
| 9:40 AM | UPDATE FROM BCAFN BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir, Tk’emlups te Secwépemc Chief Don Sam, ?Akisqnuk First Nation Chief Jerry Jack, Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Brian Assu, We Wai Kai Nation Chief Maureen Luggi, Wet’suwet’en First Nation |
| 10:00 AM | ADDRESS FROM BCAFN YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE Crystal Starr-Lewis, BCAFN Female Youth Representative (tbc) |
10:30 AM | ADDRESS FROM BCAFN 2SLGBTQQIA+ REPRESENTATIVE Orene Askew, BCAFN 2SLGBTQQIA+ Representative RESOLUTION 01-Support for the Establishment of a BCAFN 2SLGBTQQIA+ Council |
11:00 AM | ADDRESS FROM BCAFN WOMEN’S REPRESENTATIVE Vice-Chief Cheryl Rule, Coldwater Indian Band RESOLUTION 02-Support for the Establishment of a BCAFN Women’s Council |
| 11:30 AM | CANADA WATER AGENCY UPDATE Darren Haines, Legal Counsel Sophia Iliopulos, Associate Director RESOLUTION 03 – Advancing Shared Governance of the Canada Water Agency |
| 12:15 PM | LUNCH |
1:15 PM | TARIFF THREAT IMPLICATIONS Regional Terry Teegee Mark Podlasly, First Nations Major Project Coalition RESOLUTION 04 – Call for First Nations Rights and Title to be Upheld in Canada-U.S. Trade Considerations and Countermeasures |
2:00 PM | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE Deputy Chief Harlan Schilling, CEO of COE |
| 2:30 PM | INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE Jessica Berglund, Chief Civilian Director |
3:00 PM | ADDRESS BY MINISTER CHRISTINE BOYLE, INDIGENOUS RELATIONS AND RECONCILIATION |
| 3:30:PM | ADDRESS BY PREMIER DAVID EBY |
4:00 PM | CLIMATE CRISIS/FIRST NATIONS CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AGENDA IN BC Patricia Rojas-Caro, BCAFN Climate Change Coordinator/Policy Analyst RESOLUTION 05 – Support for the BC First Nations Climate Leadership Agenda Recommendations and Final Report |
| 4:30 PM | ADJOURNMENT |
| FEBRUARY 27 | |
| 9:00 AM | OPENING BLESSING Dr. Gwendolyn Point, BCAFN Knowledge Keeper Sempulyan Stewart Gonzales, BCAFN Knowledge Keeper |
| 9:10 AM | ADDRESS BY NATIONAL CHIEF CINDY WOODHOUSE |
| 9:50 AM | CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Chief Cheryl Casimer, NCCC Representative Deb Foxcroft, NCCC Representative RESOLUTION 06 – B.C. Pathway for Long-Term Reform of First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle |
10:30 AM | JUSTICE Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, RCMP Kory Wilson, Chair, First Nations Justice Council Regional Chief Terry Teegee RESOLUTIONS 07 – Call for a National Inquiry into Police Violence 08 – Support for the Use of Body-Worn Cameras by RCMP Officers in British Columbia 09 – Call For Reform of the Security Services Act 10 – Call to End Exploitative Legal Fees Structure |
11:15 AM | MINERAL TENURE REFORM – GITXAALA INTERVENTION UPDATE AND MINERAL TENURE ACT MODERNIZATION Regional Chief Terry TeegeeJoelle Walker, Legal Counsel, MTMerle Alexander, Legal Counsel, MT |
| 12:15 PM | LUNCH BREAK |
1:30 PM | ADDRESS BY MINISTER JAGRUP BRAR, MINISTRY FOR MINING AND CRITICAL MINERALS |
2:15 PM | FIRST NATIONS CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AND JORDAN’S PRINCIPLE SETTLEMENT AND COMPENSATION PROCESS Lydia Hwitsum, LiaisonJeannie Parnell, Liaison |
| 2:45 PM | RESOLUTIONS |
3:30 PM | CLOSING COMMENTS Regional Chief Terry Teegee CLOSING PRAYER Dr. Gwendolyn Point, Knowledge KeeperSempulyan Stewart Gonzales, BCAFN Knowledge Keeper |
| 3:45 PM | ADJOURNMENT |