4.11

How are we working together?

The broad scope of Action 4.11 and its 10 corresponding sub-actions has led to varying approaches to engagement, with the recognition of and respect for Indigenous knowledge systems being a key element of all the approaches.

The engagement approaches undertaken are largely distinction-based. For example, the Ministry of Health is engaging separately with partners from the First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation BC, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs-led Indigenous Advisory House, and the Provincial Directors of Mental Health and Harm Reduction in the health authorities to discuss how implementation planning may differ for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit clients in the programs under the Integrated Support Framework. Strategic and broad engagement is required, and planning is underway to commence the process throughout 2025/26.

The Aboriginal Housing Management Association and Ktunaxa Nation are leading Complex Care Housing projects, and Nuxalk First Nation, Tla’amin Nation, Kekinow Native Housing Society and Lu’ma Native Housing Society have partnered with health authorities to co-lead Complex Care Housing projects. The Complex Care Housing Policy Advisory Committee, which includes First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation BC and Aboriginal Housing Management Association, meets quarterly.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General focused their engagement with Indigenous experts on the procurement process for the new Sexual Assault Services Programs, and with the Indian Residential School Survivor Society on the expansion of their crisis line.

Since October 2023, Gambling Support BC has contracted five regional service providers to implement regional engagement plans to connect with First Nations, Métis Chartered Communities, urban and away-from-home Indigenous populations and Indigenous serving partners. The goal is to build relationships and raise awareness of available program services among the Indigenous populations across B.C. Service providers are currently meeting their quarterly engagement targets and building meaningful connections, as reflected in the significant rise in community and individual-driven service requests.

The BC Coroners Service has undertaken varying approaches to engagement, with a focus on continued learning from Indigenous partners and support of traditional practices and policy. The BC Coroners Service is engaging with the First Nations Health Authority through continued conversations, including having the Chief Medical Officer serve on the hiring panel for all BC Coroners Service forensic pathologists, to ensure the candidate performs the role in an appropriate and culturally informed way. The First Nations Health Authority also plays a role in the training of newly hired coroners, sharing culturally appropriate and respectful approaches to death.

The BC Coroners Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the First Nations Health Authority in May 2014 that remains in place. The MOU commits the parties to mutually and collaboratively supporting each other in a positive and constructive manner to improve First Nations public safety and the prevention of deaths among First Nation Peoples. The BC Coroners Service has also been involved with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and has committed to supporting all First Nations to the extent that their mandate allows. Since 2017, BC Coroners Service has worked with the BC Family Information Liaison Unit, facilitating more than 60 information requests from families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Through the Family Information Liaison Unit, the BC Coroners Service answers questions around historical investigations into deaths in a trauma informed and culturally sensitive approach to sharing often very sensitive information. 

Further, in Spring 2024, the BC Coroners Service signed an MOU with the Williams Lake First Nation, the RCMP, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and the Ministry of Forests, to work together and assist with the identification of found remains near the St. Joseph Mission. In September 2024, the BC Coroners Service began a dialogue with the BC First Nations Justice Council about the Indigenous Women’s Justice Plan to identify opportunities for further engagement and partnership. 

Are there challenges?

Challenges to fully implement Action 4.11 include the following: 

Strategic alignment and prioritization within and across ministries will be required to optimize engagement and implementation capacity for this action.

First Nations and Indigenous leadership organizations may face capacity constraints due to competing priorities and limited resources, which could impact their ability to engage effectively in advancing this action. There may be barriers within provincial policy and legislation to advance the innovative approaches required by the action. There may also be difficulty securing Indigenous service providers for some projects due to ongoing challenges with the BC Bid system and timely communication to First Nations, Métis and Inuit providers when postings go live. 

It may be challenging to develop meaningful performance indicators in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous partners for the whole of this action, while respecting the diversity of partnerships, programs and initiatives undertaken to advance it. Staff recruitment continues to be a challenge for all Complex Care Housing projects. The Ministry of Health is monitoring risks to implementation and operations.

Gambling Support BC’s Indigenous services stream operates with limited budget and resources to engage with Indigenous communities, expand services, and align with Action 4.11. Research indicates that Indigenous populations face a higher risk of problem or pathological gambling (11.2% to 19.8% of the population compared to 7% of non-Indigenous populations). Despite this, Indigenous Peoples have historically been underrepresented among Gambling Support BC clients due to challenges in outreach. Recent engagement efforts have significantly increased service requests, creating pressures on the program to meet growing demand;

Community-partner capacity (agencies and front-line partners are short-staffed), lack of trust between First Nation agencies/participants and local policing partners, lack of sustained funding for community agencies, and lack of cell service in remote communities have all been identified as impediments in effective communication and service delivery.

Highlights

A wide variety of innovative and meaningful partnerships, programs and initiatives that are underway or have been completed throughout 2024/25 and are contributing to the advancement of Action 4.11, including: the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General provides annual funding to 70 Sexual Assault Services Programs across B.C., 22 of which are Indigenous focused and five Sexual Assault Centres located in Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, Kamloops and Prince George. 

With funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada, the ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has supported enhancement of the Indian Residential School Survivor Society’s crisis line to provide support to survivors of gender-based violence. 

The Enhanced Health in Supportive Housing Program is in the early stages of planning. The First Nations Health Authority and Métis Nation BC are engaged to inform implementation and ensure regional programs include appropriate elements to support First Nation and Métis clients. Regional health authorities will be required to incorporate traditional wellness supports into their program designs, in collaboration with First Nation and Métis partners. 

Gambling Support BC’s contracted service providers supported 1,165 direct service engagements, including events, workshops, meetings, and presentations, reaching an estimated 27,500 participants between April and December 31, 2024. The Indigenous stream therapeutic counsellors have seen an intake of 70 private individual clients and 35 therapeutic group sessions offered in community.

To ensure ongoing success, and to respect the community’s long-term goals, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General continues to work closely with the Esk’etemc First Nation’s leadership following the launch of the Esk’etemc Intervention Circle in July 2023. Capacity building grants of $50,000 have been given to Witset First Nation and the Gitanmaax Band to establish Intervention Circles in their communities. Both are moving into the early training phase in preparation for implementation.

In Spring 2024, Dr. Nel Wieman, Chief Medical Officer, First Nations Health Authority, spoke at two BC Coroners Service employee conferences on advancing cultural safety and humility across B.C. Dr. Wieman spoke to how the BC Coroners Service has adjusted policies and practices to enable First Nations’ traditional laws, protocols and practices; on ways to continue to ensure family members are kept informed during and following a death investigation; and ensuring that cultural and trauma informed training continues for all coroners.

In signing the MOU with the Williams Lake First Nation, the BC Coroners Service committed to supporting and working with the Nation to co-design a culturally safe and appropriate process for the disinterment, examination, and identification of human remains in a manner that is consistent with both the requirements of the Coroners Act and the wishes of those families and communities whose children died at St. Joseph’s Mission. 

Section 12 of the MOU states that a task team, comprised of the senior leads from each signatory, shall meet bi-monthly to discuss the implementation of the MOU. At the end of March 2025, the investigative team at Williams Lake First Nation met with the BC Coroners Service for the initial meeting. Additionally, the BC Coroners Service has been involved with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and has conveyed their commitment to supporting all First Nations to the extent their mandate allows.

In September 2024, the BC Coroners Service began a dialogue with the BC First Nations Justice Council about the Indigenous Women’s Justice Plan. The BC Coroners Service is looking forward to working with the BC First Nations Justice Council to enhance the work and knowledge of the BC Coroners Service working in this space.