Hey There
James here. I'm the executive director of Increased ACCESS, an Indigenous-led team that facilitates funding to families, non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities, to increase access to essential animal-related, community safety services and resources.
Why?
In Canada, children living in Indigenous communities are the most likely people to be mauled by a dog, and dogs are regularly being culled.
The well-being of humans is inextricably tied to the well-being of the dogs and cats we share our communities with as referenced in the commonly used expression by Indigenous Peoples, 'all of my relations'. The concept of One Health is an emergent of this.
Collaborate?
We are now graduating from a direct-service focus (primarily facilitating access to basic veterinary care, animal controls, etc.) to adding a policy advocacy campaign to address the Canadian Government's fiduciary responsibility failure that dates back to the 1876 Indian Act.
Increased ACCESS is a small team with a big vision (getting Canada to pay it's bill ($150M?) for the last 150-or-so-years of negligent deferral, and going forward annually). We are using philanthropy to get beyond the philanthropy, and volunteerism that the federal, provincial and territorial governments have burdened with the delivery of essential animal-related services, that radically impact community safety.
Is your foundation or organization keen to help animals in rural and remote Indigenous communities across Canada while making these communities safer for all residents?
How about a chat to explore how we can collaborate? Maybe we can pool funds and resources to get direct, animal-saving services to where they are most needed in Canada? Or, maybe we work together to disrupt the inequitable status quo whereby the federal, provincial and territorial governments disproportionately allocate animal-related funds to urban, non-Indigenous communities and to colonial-structured organizations?
I can be reached at 250 266 2273 or at info@increasedaccess.org