Four new members have been appointed to the Minister’s Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women (MACAW), which provides advice to the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation on improving the quality of life for Aboriginal women and girls.

Twenty-four Aboriginal organizations and communities throughout B.C. will receive $1.5 million from the provincial government to support culture-based domestic violence programs for Aboriginal families and communities.

Seven Aboriginal organizations and communities on Vancouver Island will share approximately $310,000 from the Province to support culture-based domestic violence programs for Aboriginal families and communities.

Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation John Rustad has issued the following statement in support of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation’s renewed interest in the B.C. treaty process:

To support greater First Nations participation in the clean energy sector, applications are now being accepted until the end of January for the next round of funding from the First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund (FNCEBF).

First Nations involvement with B.C.’s developing LNG industry received another boost with a new Pipeline Benefits Agreement (PBA) with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation.

Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation John Rustad and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton have issued the following statement:

On October 16, 2015, men throughout Canada are asked to take part in the ritual of fasting to pledge their support to end violence against Aboriginal women and children. Men are invited to fast - refrain from eating and drinking - from sun up until sun down.

‘Namgis First Nation will see benefits from proposed treaty lands early, thanks to an innovative agreement that supports both reconciliation with ‘Namgis and forestry operations on northern Vancouver Island.