Response Letter Climate Change Emergency Declaration

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FIRST NATIONS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL 
 
June 27, 2019 
 
Peter Luckham       via Email 
Chair, Islands Trust Council 
Email: pluckham@islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
 
Dear Mr. Luckham, 
 
RE: Climate Change Emergency & FN Engagement 
 
Thank  you  for  sharing  copies  of  the  Islands  Trust  Council’s  Climate 
Change  Emergency  Declaration  and  news  release.  We  appreciate  that 
your  Council  and  members  are  making  climate  change  a  priority,  are 
taking concrete steps to play your part to respond to the emergency, and 
that  you  understand  the  importance  of  doing  this  work  collaboratively 
with First Nations.  
As your letter notes, First Nations in British Columbia believe that we are 
in an environmental emergency due to climate change. The Union of BC 
Indian  Chiefs  and  the  BC  Assembly  of  First  Nations  both  have  climate 
change  Resolutions  (Resolution  no.  2019-02: “Climate  Emergency  and 
First  Nations  Climate  Emergency  Plan”, and  Resolution  no.  04/2019: 
“Climate  Emergency  and  Support  for  the  Development  of  a BC  First 
Nations  Climate  Change  Strategy”,  enclosed)  passed  by  our  respective 
Chiefs-in-Assembly,  calling  for  the  First  Nations  Leadership  Council 
(FNLC)  to  work  together  on  climate  change  issues  through  strong 
advocacy and action to address this crisis. 
The FNLC, made up of the First Nations Summit (FNS), the Union of BC 
Indian  Chiefs  (UBCIC),  and  the  BC  Assembly  of  First  Nations  (BCAFN), 
has a mandate to work together to improve the socio-economic conditions 
of  First  Nations  in  British  Columbia,  and  to  advance  recognition  and 
reconciliation  of  pre-existing  Aboriginal  Title  and  Rights,  and  Treaty 
Rights, with the assertion of Crown sovereignty. This work is supported 
and guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous 
Peoples (UNDRIP), which has been adopted without qualification by the 
Governments of British Columbia and Canada.  
With regards to the FNLC climate change response, as mandated by the 
two resolutions, we are planning to: 
1. Develop  a  First  Nations  Climate  Change Strategy  and  Action  Plan, 
including a bold Just Transition Plan informed by First Nation priorities 
and  knowledge,  which  will  guide  climate  emergency  response  and 
communicate to partners about priority areas. 
2. Host  a  BC  First  Nations  Climate  Change  Session to  showcase 
important information for First Nations on climate change adaptation 
and mitigation initiatives. 

 
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3. Engage with the Provincial and Federal governments to ensure: 
• the  meaningful  participation  of  BC  First  Nations  in  all  climate 
change-related    initiatives    to safeguard that    inherent    and 
constitutionally protected Indigenous Title, Rights and Treaty Rights 
are recognized and upheld; 
• that  all  climate  actions  are  consistent  with the  implementation  of 
UNDRIP, in particular, Articles 18, 25, 2

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