Hamilton's Urban Indigenous Strategy is ready, but committee isn't

After two years of hard work and community consultation, Hamilton's Urban Indigenous Strategy (UIS) is ready.

Now all it needs is enough councillors to accept it.

The strategy was meant to be presented to the city's emergency and community services committee Thursday, but a shortage of members in attendance meant the committee lost quorum and had to recess around 2:30 p.m.

That means the strategy will be back the committee's agenda for its next meeting on July 11.

Had a vote been completed Thursday, the strategy would have been received in time for June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Hamilton began developing its UIS aimed at building the city's relationship with Indigenous communities back in December 2016 in response to calls for action from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

More than 500 Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents were consulted for the strategy through a survey, workshops and community conversations.

That survey found 41 per cent of Indigenous Hamiltonians experienced discrimination at some point when using city services, with another 63 per cent saying they felt it in the broader community.

The strategy breaks down its 40 key directions using three themes — Land, People and Spirit.

Among them is a recommendation the city adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as its framework toward reconciliation.

Its directions also include the following among its list of short and long-term actions:

• Involving Indigenous people in municipal decision-making that will affect them.
• More representation of Indigenous people in the city through art and public education to take on racism and stereotypes.
• Increasing the number of Indigenous employees with the city and Indigenous health-care professionals.
• More opportunities for residents to play Indigenous sports and hosting major sports events for Indigenous athletes.
• Ensuring Indigenous stories and local history are part of the city's official archives.
• Setting up an Indigenous Cultural Centre that can offer interpretive programming and provide place ceremonies and cultural events.

In pointing to its accomplishments over the past three years, the report for the committee says "significant progress" has been made in terms of building a stronger relationship between the city and Indigenous residents.

Also on the list of accomplishments is a new land acknowledgement statement that was settled on with input from the Six Nations Elected Council and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, along with a Use of Indigenous Medicines Policy that's described as "one of the first such policies for a Canadian municipality."

Other accomplishments include the raising of Indigenous flags at city hall, a celebration of National Indigenous History Month, a KAIROS Blanket Exercise for more than 100 participants and an Indigenous Cultural Competency Training pilot for 50 city staff.

Looking forward, the report says the strategy's "path to reconciliation" will see staff sharing its recommendations and developing a plan to implement it with timelines, specific actions and budgetary impacts, which is to be shared with the community and council by the end of 2019.