Call to Action # 19

Why “Stalled”?

Jan. 25, 2023: First Nations groups are criticizing their exclusion from an upcoming meeting between federal, provincial and territorial governments aiming to reach a funding deal to improve the country’s ailing health-care system.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) in Saskatchewan said in a Thursday news release both it and the national Assembly of First Nations (AFN) are “dismayed” by the snub…“There is no reconciliation for First Nations when we continue to be excluded from these crucial discussions and decision-making processes.”

Other Comments

Budget 2021 investments linked with the Federal Pathway include:

• $73.5 million over 3 years for the First Nation Data governance strategy
• $8 million over 3 years for the Inuit data baseline capacity and development of Inuit data strategy
• $172 million over 5 years, $36.3 million ongoing for the Disaggregated Data Action Plan
• $6.7 million over 5 years, $1.4 million ongoing to the Department of Justice and Statistics Canada overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in justice system
• $20.3 million over 5 years to ensure appropriate monitoring mechanisms are in place to measure progress and to keep the government accountable, including support for Indigenous-led data initiatives

Measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes have not yet been identified although the Federal government is working with First Nations Information Governance Centre to “develop an information strategy to determine appropriate indicators through the First Nations Regional Health Survey and the Inuit on the development of an Inuit Health Strategy”. The Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Framework has developed regional action plans to eliminate TB. The government is also working with the Métis National Council in gathering health data and developing a health strategy.

No progress on publishing annual progress reports and assessing long-term trends in any jurisdiction.

Yellowhead Institute Policy Brief “Colonialism of the Curve: Indigenous Communities and Bad Covid Data” identifies significant gaps in health data gathered by governments versus that gathered by Indigenous researchers. Gaps are further reinforced by “Our Health Counts” the largest urban indigenous population health study in Canada conducted by St. Michael’s Hospital’s Well Living House in Toronto, Hamilton, Kenora, Thunder Bay, London and Ottawa and the First Nations Information Governance Centre’s “Regional Health Survey Volumes 1 and 2“. (See also Current Problems in Indigenous Health on Health Calls to Action Home Page).