Dear Friends,

I am proud to stand with East Vancouver and join First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people in celebrating National Aboriginal Day. On this special day, I urge all of us to find a way to celebrate and honour the aboriginal community.

I wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to address the inequality faced by First Nations communities. Aboriginal people face daily challenges that other communities do not, and have been ignored by governments for too long. I am committed to making change happen in order to build a better future.

At the federal level, we must provide the funding and support to First Nations for better health care, education and healthy living, coupled with greater recognition of the rights necessary to making critical decisions within the community. We must work harder to value the aboriginal history of Canada and all that First Nations peoples have contributed to our culture. As a part of this, I would encourage you to check out “First Nations 101”, a book about First Nations people, written by Lynda Gray (Tsimshian). More information about the book’s launch can be found at www.firstnations101.com.

Federal New Democrats are proud to forge a partnership, to foster economic opportunity, to fight discrimination, and to work together for healing and hope for the future.

All the best on National Aboriginal Day.

Sincerely,

Libby