Members of B.C.'s First Nations who live off-reserve claim they aren't getting the same sort of support as those who live on their traditional lands.

The lack of support for aboriginals who leave their home community, regardless of the reason, has prompted Grace Elliott-Nielsen, executive director for Nanaimo's Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre, to urge city council to lobby the provincial government to establish a comprehensive off-reserve strategy.

Once a person leaves a reserve, the band council does not have to give them the same support as it did while they lived there, regardless of the reason for leaving, she said.

"It's very difficult but we can't do much to help them."

For many years, there was not adequate housing for all Snuneymuxw First Nation members on the reserve, so they were forced to leave their territory.

The problem stems from a lack of funding to aboriginal friendship centres.

The federal government cut the funding for organizations like Tillicum Lelum by 10% 15 years ago and that funding has never increased since.

"We have a budget of around $100,000 and we operate 38 programs here," Elliott-Neilsen said.

The problem is increasing as an increasing number of First Nations people move off reserves.

Tiffani Page is a member of the Cowichan First Nation. She left the reserve in Duncan after receiving multiple threats.

She says she reported these threats to both the RCMP and the band council but nothing was done.

"I wanted to get as far away as I could from there to protect my son," the 19-year-old young mother said.

Page is trying to raise money to buy coats and other clothing for her family by selling her father's artwork.

While Elliott-Neilsen said she was unaware of Page's circumstance, she was not surprised to learn of it.

"There is no plan in place for urban aboriginal people," she said.

Her letter, received by city council at Monday's committee of the whole meeting, stressed that provincial government funding for friendship centres has not increased in 15 years.

WCordery@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4237