If you need support during this challenging time, please reach out to:  

The Indian Residential School Emergency Crisis Line is available 24/7 for those that may need counselling and support 1-800-721-0066. Alternatively, the 24 hour National Crisis Line is also available 1-866-925-4419.

The Hope for Wellness Help Line is open to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and offers 24-hour mental health counselling, via phone 1-855-242-3310 or chat Line. 
 
Call 310-6789 (no area code needed) toll-free anywhere in BC to access emotional support, information, and resources specific to mental health and substance use issues. Available 24 hours a day. 
 
The KUU-US Crisis Line Society operates a 24-hour provincial Aboriginal Crisis line for: adults, elders, and youth. See more here. 
Adult/Elder Crisis Line: 250-723-4050 
Child/Youth Crisis Line: 250-723-2040 
BC Wide Toll Free: 1-800-588-8717 
Métis Crisis Line BC Toll Free: 1-833-638-4722 

It is integral to always be centring Black voices and educating ourselves on contemporary and historical Black experiences. Take a moment to learn about Hogan‘s Alley, a historic Black neighbourhood in Vancouver that was displaced to build the Dunsmuir Viaduct, while you are at it, why not check out the Hogan‘s Alley Society , a non-profit organization committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout BC. Did you know that there is a Vancouver Black Therapy & Advocacy Foundation? VBTAF is a non-profit that addresses the lack of Black therapy resources, advocacy, and mental health support in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. They raise funds to connect Black community members with accredited Black counsellors. Make sure to check out VBTAF‘s resources page and mutual aid page. Support the Vancouver Black Library fundraiser! Maya Preshyon, a student at UBC, is leading the initiative to create a free library by and for Black community members. 

Black History Month at UBC  

Check out these events happening on campus throughout February:  
https://events.ubc.ca/black-history-month/   

The first women‘s memorial march was held in 1992 in response to the murder of a woman on Powell St. The annual march is an expression of love, compassion, community, and caring for all women and gender diverse people in the Downtown Eastside. The march is organized by the community, centring Indigenous women, girls, trans, and two-spirit people. The march is an opportunity to come together and mourn and grieve our loved ones and remember those who are still missing.  

Memorial March & MMIWG2S+ Resources for Indigenous Kin and Non-Indigenous Allies

As a cross campus initiative, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office, Strategic Indigenous Enrolment Initiatives, and CTLT Indigenous Initiatives created two resources on the Annual Women‘s Memorial March & MMIWG2S+.

These resources are meant to be shared to provide support to Indigenous kin across UBC who may need some extra support on this day. Additionally, there is a specific resource for non-Indigenous allies who may need support on educating themselves and supporting Indigenous community. Please feel free to download these resources and share with your community!

The First Nations House of Learning and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office at UBC Vancouver are providing free transportation to students, staff and faculty from the UBC Longhouse to the 31st Annual Women‘s Memorial March on February 14th in the Downtown Eastside.

Register for transportation here.*

*All students, staff and faculty should register. There will be some last minute spots available on the day of however we request that you register in advance if possible.

Programming will take place at the Longhouse prior to the march, and throughout the day for those who are not attending in person.

February 14th:
9:00 am - coffee and snacks
10:00 am - smudging and drumming
11:00 am - bus departs for march from the Longhouse
12:00 to 4:00 pm - programming will continue at the Longhouse for those not attending in person including wellness activities, beading and more

Supports from SVPRO and Counselling will be available at the Longhouse all day.

Do you have questions about how to intentionally and thoughtfully bring in Indigenous content and worldviews into your teaching and work? Are you wondering about how to navigate land acknowledgements in a virtual and in person world? Come visit us at a virtual coffee drop-in, a casual online space for you to ask us questions, connect with others who are exploring the same topics of you, or just to get to know the team behind Indigenous Initiatives.  
 
Click the date and time you're available to register for a drop-in time. 

The Indigenous Initiatives team keeps growing! Say hello to Carissa and Jessica, our newest team members.