St. John’s Urban Indigenous Coalition Relaunches as First Voice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This media release is also available in PDF.

A year after launching as the St. John’s Urban Indigenous Coalition, a project led by First Light in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada, the Coalition today unveiled its new name, brand mark, and website. The changes are intended to strengthen the Coalition’s public presence while also more clearly communicating its vision, values, and objectives. The Coalition is now known as First Voice.

“We wanted a name and a stronger identity that would better reflect the relationship-building and advocacy work we’re doing on urban Indigenous issues in St. John’s, all of which is driven by the perspectives and lived experiences of First Peoples,” said Justin Campbell, Coalition Coordinator of First voice. “With less than a week to go before National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the timing was ideal for us to move forward with a fresh new look.”

Bringing together Indigenous Peoples, service providers, and all levels of government, First Voice focuses on promoting and supporting local implementation of the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

In its first year, First Voice has brought together more than 25 organizations in St. John’s to develop formal terms of reference, has carried out community consultations with the urban Indigenous community, and plans to name the inaugural recipient of its new Indigenous Advocate Award on Thursday, June 18, 2020. The Coalition is also working on plans to host a virtual policy conference in the late fall or early winter.

To learn more, visit the new website at www.firstvoicenl.ca.

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Media Contact

Justin Campbell
Coalition Coordinator
First Voice Urban Indigenous Coalition
[email protected]
709-282-4728