Prince Rupert

Urban voices from Prince Rupert, BC.

The attendees in Prince Rupert were clear and unified in their message of the significance of the urban First Nations population.

Underlining this point is the fact that Prince Rupert, Canada's nothern port city and hub for the region's First Nations population, has a majority First Nations population at 52%. The top priorities identified were economic development and education, with other priorites such as support for youth and elders, and language and culture discussed as well.

Attendees consistently drove home their point that the urban First Nations population is too large to ignore, and yet it is often ignored and left behind. It was mentioned that the majority of First Nations live off reserve - some Nations have upwards of 75% of their membership living off-reserve. One of the top concerns raised was the lack of support for urban youth, who are left disconnected from their culture and often fall through funding cracks. The disproportionate drop out rates from high school was cited as evidence of the lack of an education system that works for First Nations youth, and it was also mentioned that this region has the highest number of Aboriginal youth in the courts and foster care systems.

High unemployment was on many peoples' minds, and the need for effective business start-up support and mentorship was cited as a top priority. A symptom of high unemployment is poverty, and poverty amongst single parents and children is a sad reality in this area, according to some attendees. A top challenge listed was becoming self-sustaining, and to this end more support was requested for entrepreneurs.

Language and culture also surfaced as a priority, and traditional knowledge and systems were mentioned as a core value to this community.

Early on in the discussion, concern was raised over the apparent lack of northwestern representation on the board of directors, and it was also suggested that there be an urban representative on the board who will advocate on behalf of urban First Nations.

In terms of managing the funds, there was no clear consensus during discussion on whether the funds should be spent in the short term, or invested and spent over the long term. One point of view brought up the recent contribution of $100 million [not verified] to the logging industry to deal with bug kill. The contributor pointed out that the logging industry will spend now because the problem is now, and so the Trust should also spend their money now to help address the many problems that face First Nations today. Another view point brought forward cited the Gwaii Trust as an example of a fund that can grow significantly over time and have a much larger impact in the long run (see the Masset article for more information on the Gwaii Trust).

The central message coming out of the Prince Rupert meeting was the need to include urban First Nations in the disbursement of the fund, as well as the desire for better education and economic development for First Nations.