Aboriginal Steering Committee

ASC Members bring valuable knowledge and experience from their communities

ASC members are leaders, experts, and Elders from First Nation and Métis communities in BC and Canada. They bring community and Nation-based knowledge and experiences that support a deeper understanding of the social and cultural determinants of Indigenous children’s health and well-being in the context of Canada’s colonial history and legacy of residential schools. The ASC is comprised of members with a wealth of experience, ranging from elected members of government and provincial advisors, to leading student associations and front-line organizations in the child care, family support, and mental health sectors and beyond. HELP is privileged to work alongside ASC members who share our common interest in improving developmental outcomes for all First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children and youth in B.C.

Click below to hear the committee’s origin story from Diana Elliott, ASC Alumni and co-founder, as well as a learning from Duane Jackson, Elder and longtime member of the ASC. Both of these contributions are examples of the many valuable lessons and insights that have been generously shared by members of this committee.

Current ASC Members

Reanna Erasmus (Wii-tsuts-koom)

ASC , Elder

Duane Jackson

ASC , Elder

Laranna Scott

ASC

Carrie Anne Vanderhoop

ASC

Jeremy Belyea

ASC

Darryl Gray

ASC

Trudy Hill

ASC

Jackie Watts 

ASC

Lori Huston

ASC

History of the ASC

Over the past two decades, the ASC has worked with HELP to update and transform the ways in which we gather, analyze and share our research and data with Indigenous communities. Through this work we have built a relationship of trust and understanding that is crucial to fostering culturally safe and sensitive research practices in partnership with Indigenous communities. The ASC has been instrumental in providing guidance for the following:

• Overseeing HELP’s understanding of and commitment to uphold Indigenous, international and national legal agreements that bind us to improve the experiences and outcomes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children
• Ensuring that HELP continues to make a significant contribution toward the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA Calls for Justice, and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Ensuring that HELP’s data management and governance protocols are in accordance with specific ethics guidelines for health research involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
• Guiding the development of culturally-safe and relevant research, survey monitoring systems and tools, and reports
• Advising on strategies and protocols to support HELP’s education, awareness, engagement, and communications with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, organizations and Education Councils in BC
• Contributing to designing and hosting annual events that explore and facilitate dialogue on issues, challenges, and successes related to First Nations, Inuit and Métis research

To find out more about the History of the work of the ASC with HELP,  view our Aboriginal Steering Committee Historical Timeline.

Call to Action re: Recruitment, partnership, support, allies