UNDRIP Strategy - Indigenous engagement

In June 2024, the City of Vancouver became the first municipality in Canada to put the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) into action. One year later, Vancouver City Council, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) reaffirm their joint commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Action Plan.

This 5-year plan is the most significant and in-depth collaboration we’ve achieved, with staff and partners working together to move Reconciliation forward in a meaningful, measurable way.

Here, representatives across all four governments share what UNDRIP means to them and what they hope its impact will be for this, and future, generations.

More info: vancouver.ca/undrip

An Urban Indigenous engagement was held about DTES Housing Implementation on May 8, 2025 which marked a significant milestone as the Planning Department’s first dedicated engagement with Urban Indigenous communities. It was designed to ensure that Indigenous voices are not only heard, but meaningfully reflected in the City’s housing planning and decision-making processes.

Recognizing that many Indigenous people live in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) and that many other Indigenous Peoples have deep roots and long-standing connections to the area, the event was created to give Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver a culturally safe space to share their input and lived experience on the proposed changes to DTES housing policies. The goal was to listen carefully and involve Indigenous Peoples in a thoughtful and respectful way, as these changes would have a big impact on the future of the neighbourhood.

More information about the session is available in this Engagement Summary.

• In 2021, UIPAC submitted a formal letter to the City requesting improved engagement with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, and səlilwətaɬ, urban Indigenous Peoples and the advisory, among other key issues. To increase public pressure, UIPAC also shared the letter with the media.
• 2021 Council voted to appoint an intergovernmental MSTV Task Force to develop the Vancouver UNDRIP Strategy, which was approved in 2022. . The strategy identified several calls for action that specifically included the diverse Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver’s priorities and highlighted the City’s responsibility towards providing services and opportunities for them
• 2022 the City hired the first Senior Director, Indigenous Relations to start an Indigenous Relations Department.
• 2023 Senior Manager, Urban Indigenous Relations added to the Indigenous Relations team.
• 2023 Engagements with the diverse Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver began with 2 online and 2 in person engagements, as well as a Final Summit in Spring of 2024.
• 2024 Pilot of the Engagement Framework Guiding Principles and Engagement Fair which included 11 City projects.
• 2025 Draft Engagement Framework complete.

Learn more UNDRIP Task Force | City of Vancouver

On Oct 21, 2025 the Vancouver Official Development Plan (ODP) and Villages Planning Program provided an in-person engagement opportunity at the Japanese Hall and Language School. Feedback collected through this engagement will be used to inform the final version of the Vancouver ODP and Villages Planning Program presented to Council in 2026.

The purpose of the workshop was to bring Indigenous community members together to:

• Share project information about the draft Vancouver Official Development Plan (ODP), and emerging directions for Villages Area Planning
• Answer questions and listen to feedback on the proposed policy updates and changes
• Accurately capture concerns and ideas to report back to Council, or to influence final policy decisions where possible

After deep reflection, I’ve made the decision to conclude my role as Senior Director, Indigenous Relations for the City of Vancouver. It has been an honour to serve in this position and to help lead work that is meaningful not only to the City, but to Indigenous Peoples, communities, and future generations.

To the urban Indigenous community, thank you for your trust and guidance during my time at the City. The City’s Urban Indigenous Engagement Framework that is a commitment in the City’s UNDRIP Strategy is a tangible expression of our partnership and work together. But more than that, it reflects respect, dialogue, and shared purpose and amplify your voices at the City. My hope is that this work continues in a way that is sustainable, meaningful, and true to Indigenous values, and helps ensure that Indigenous perspectives are a first thought, not an afterthought, and that the relationship between urban Indigenous Peoples and the City continues to grow into something even stronger.

t’oyaxsut ‘nüüsm

Bilha’am Nelx

Michelle Bryant-Gravelle