Health Officers Council of BC conducts its work in what is now known as the province of British Columbia. We acknowledge with respect and gratitude that these lands are the traditional, ancestral homes of the First Nations people of British Columbia, who hold rights to these lands that cannot be extinguished.
We further acknowledge the harm that colonialism and racism has caused to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people in BC. We recognize that health systems, including public health systems, embody these colonial and racist attitudes and practices.
Health Officers Council of BC commits to working to meet our foundational obligations as described in the following resources, and elsewhere:
- The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- The BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action
- The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people
- In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-Specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care
These acknowledgements and commitments are central to the work of public health in BC and the work of Health Officers Council of BC. They guide how we plan and organize our meetings, prioritize our efforts, and relate to each other and our guests.