BC Filipinos gear up for Cordillera Day in Vancouver

The 2011 Cordillera Day in the Philippines will focus on the impact of large-scale mining and the militarization of indigenous people’s lands where a number of Canadian mining corporations are also operating.  It will also move towards the formation of a regional pact among the different tribes and communities to protect their ancestral lands, culture and economic sustenance.
In Vancouver, the Cordillera Day celebration is on its third year and the Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR) is inviting you and your organization to join them in solidarity with the indigenous peoples in the Philippines.
Special speakers include Dr. Chandu Claver, Igorot physician and Chair of Bayan Canada and Ms. Kat Norris who is Coast Salish and Nez Perce, and founder of the Indigenous Action Movement.
The first celebration of Cordillera Day was held in Sadanga, Mountain Province, Philippines in April 1985, organizers said. Thousands from all across the country and the world now attend this annual event that affirms the Cordillera people’s unity in their struggle for self determination and national democracy. 
The event will be on Saturday, April 23, 2011 between 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m at the
Lakeview Multicultural United Church, 2776 Semlin Drive (at East 12th Ave) Vancouver, BC. A Community potluck dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. For more information contact Lingling Maranan-Claver at 604.4448 or email to [email protected].