Current Problems: Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation

Exploring Theme: "Financial Issues"

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Updates on this page: 41
 

November 6, 2024

Indigenous friendship centres say they can’t handle the costs of climate crisis and urbanization
National Association of Friendship Centre CEO Jocelyn Formsma speaks at the organization’s summit last year. Photo submitted Canada’s National Observer: Friendship centres, which serve the needs of urban Indigenous people, are increasingly important in responding to climate disasters.  They have even led emergency responses — like the local friendship centre did at Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, coordinating...

September 24, 2024

Unpaid hydro bills: Quebec says Indigenous protest ‘not a good solution’
Quebec’s minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit says northern communities can’t opt out of paying their electricity bills. Toronto Star: Quebec’s minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit says northern communities can’t opt out of paying their electricity bills. Ian Lafrenière was reacting to a Radio-Canada report that found that...

August 28, 2024

First Nations leaders demand end to federal, provincial taxation of their people
Leaders in Saskatchewan note the numbered treaties promised tax-free status to First Nations APTN News: First Nations leaders in Saskatchewan are calling on the federal and provincial governments to cease all taxation of First Nations people. They note the numbered treaties exempted First Nations people from taxes. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron said...

July 12, 2024

If you think Indigenous people don’t pay tax, think again
Jamie Golombek looks at a recent case that dealt with the exemption and how it is applied NationTalk: The Financial Post: There’s a common misconception that Indigenous people in Canada simply don’t pay tax, but that’s generally not true since in order to be exempt from tax, the income earned must be situated on a reserve....

June 19, 2024

Their land, their choice: When economic reconciliation and climate justice conflict
By Matteo Cimellaro | Analysis, Urban Indigenous Communities in Ottawa Illustration by Ata Ojani/Canada’s National Observer  Canada’s National Observer: It all started with a pipeline.  Twelve years ago, 16 B.C. First Nations came together to purchase an equity stake in the Pacific Trail Pipeline. The pipe was set to weave through ecologically sensitive rivers, lakes and valleys that the...

April 16, 2024

Indigenous infrastructure gap estimated at more than $425B
National organizations estimate immense needs in advance of 2024 federal budget CBC Indigenous: As the Trudeau government prepares to release this year’s federal budget, Indigenous organizations estimate it would take more than $425 billion to close the infrastructure gap in their communities by the government’s 2030 goal. While the bulk of that staggering sum comes...

April 9, 2024

$349B needed now to close infrastructure gap by 2030, Assembly of First Nations says in report
On-reserve infrastructure gap to top $500B by 2040 if federal government doesn’t act: national chief CBC Indigenous: The cost of closing the on-reserve infrastructure gap will top half a trillion dollars by 2040 unless the federal government acts now, the Assembly of First Nations says, joining a chorus of voices warning Ottawa is at risk...

April 9, 2024

They need new homes, roads and schools. But Indigenous communities across Canada ‘can’t catch up’ thanks to staggering $349B infrastructure gap
Ottawa has pledged to close the infrastructure gap by 2030. An official said decades of underfunding means Canada has bills “yet to be paid.” Toronto Star: In Cat Lake First Nation, there’s only ever enough money to build three new houses a year. For the community of 680 people northwest of Sioux Lookout, Ont., the...

March 28, 2024

Native Women’s Association forced to lay off half its staff amid funding shortfall
The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press – The Native Women’s Association of Canada says it was forced to lay off roughly half its workforce due to a major shortfall in federal funding. The advocacy organization said it received grants totalling $48 million last year as part of Canada’s national apprenticeship program and other initiatives....

March 14, 2024

Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations table plans to cut spending
‘This is not reconciliation,’ says Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick CBC Indigenous: A Manitoba First Nations leader is demanding answers from the federal Indigenous affairs ministers after their departments tabled plans this month to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in spending, while forecasting a multi-billion-dollar decrease over three years. Cathy Merrick, grand chief of...

January 11, 2024

BC Hydro must pay up for overcharging remote First Nations
BC Hydro has been ordered to repay the Gitga’at First Nation in Hartley Bay more than $700,000 after unfairly charging them an extra annual fee for electricity for nearly a decade. Photo of Hartley Bay village / Gitga’at Economic Development Facebook  Canada’s National Observer: BC Hydro has been ordered to repay a small coastal First Nation...

December 14, 2023

Federal liabilities ‘likely’ owed to Indigenous people grow to $76B under Trudeau
‘It is a bit concerning that they have increased so much,’ parliamentary budget officer says Brett Forester · CBC News · Posted: Dec 14, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 8 hours ago CBC News: The Canadian government likely owes Indigenous people almost $76 billion for currently filed land claims and lawsuits, recent official reporting says — a sum that’s...

December 13, 2023

The feds cut Trans Mountain a $1.8M tax break in the ’50s for a pipeline. A First Nation got just $2,400. It’s still fighting for redress
First Peoples Law Report: Global News – The Chief of a First Nation in British Columbia is angry and frustrated at pipeline giant Trans Mountain and the federal government, saying both have failed to fairly compensate his community for all the crude oil that’s been pumped beneath their land since the 1950s. And he’s not letting go. Click on...

December 8, 2023

Behind First Nations’ demands for climate tax exemptions
Cindy Woodhouse, the Assembly of First Nations’ national chief-elect, at her swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. Photo by Matteo Cimellaro / Canada’s National Observer THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES MANY HANDS, AND ALL OF US ARE BETTER EQUIPPED WHEN WE’RE INFORMED.  Goal: $125k $98,930 Donate Canada’s National Observer: Diesel can run as high as $4...

November 30, 2023

Women and Indigenous Peoples left ‘out in the cold’ by Ottawa, say critics 
NDP MP Lori Idlout rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick  Canada’s National Observer: NDP members are voting against Ottawa’s fall economic statement to protest gaps in funding for Indigenous Services in the midst of an infrastructure crisis. On Thursday, Lori...

November 6, 2023

Indigenous Services won’t say if feds are on track to meet 2030 infrastructure pledge
Minister’s office stands by target but her department, citing $349B estimate, seems less sure CBC Indigenous: Canada’s Indigenous Services minister is standing by the Trudeau government’s pledge to close the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities by 2030, even as her own department — citing a nearly $350-billion cost estimate — seems a little less sure....

September 22, 2023

Indigenous Services should be spared from spending cuts, say New Democrat MPs
Minister says no cuts proposed to programs or services CBC Indigenous: Indigenous Services Canada should be spared from proposed federal spending cuts aimed at saving a government-wide $15.4 billion over the next five years, say two New Democrat MPs. “Not only should Indigenous Services not be cut, but we need to see further investments,” said...

August 28, 2023

AMC Concerned Over Proposed Cuts to Indigenous Services Funding, Urges Adequate Investment Based on AMC’s Alternative Budget
NationTalk: Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) expresses deep concern and frustration in response to the recent announcement by Indigenous Services Minister, Patty Hajdu, regarding spending cuts within her department. “The assertion that the proposed cuts will exclusively target bureaucratic inefficiencies and not affect service delivery is a gross mischaracterization...

June 15, 2023

First Nation Librarians strategize best service despite low funding
Of the 133 First Nations in Ontario, only 39 have public libraries. Pre-pandemic, there were 46 First Nation libraries. The First Nation salary supplement from the province is around $13,000 annually. NationTalk: Anishinabeknews.ca, NORTH BAY — The 2023 Maanjidiwaad Annual Meeting of First Nation Public Libraries in Ontario (formerly called Spring Gathering) was held at...

June 1, 2023

Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson requests that the Canada Revenue Agency improve the information it provides to Indigenous Peoples
NationTalk: From: Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson – OTTAWA – The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, has sent a service improvement request to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), asking it to update its information for Indigenous Peoples on Canada.ca. Right before the CRA began the 2023 tax-filing season, the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson (OTO) reviewed the CRA’s web pages...

May 13, 2023

Trudeau schooled on the North’s pressing infrastructure needs during first trip to remote community
Visit marks first time a prime minister has landed in Newfoundland and Labrador’s northernmost community CBC News: Inuit leaders had frank conversations with the prime minister and federal cabinet ministers on Friday about the urgent need to address a lack of housing and other basic infrastructure across Inuit homelands. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Nain,...

May 8, 2023

Métis National Council maps disputed transfer of veterans money to Manitoba Métis Federation
MNC says it believes money ‘misused,’ which Manitoba group denies CBC News: The Métis National Council (MNC) is mapping the path of a disputed multimillion-dollar transfer of federal money for a veterans legacy program from council coffers to the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) in a bid to regain control of the cash, recent court filings...

April 25, 2023

The Naskapi Development Corporation asks the Quebec government to set up a negotiation table
NationTalk: QUEBEC – The Naskapi Development Corporation (NDC) is calling for the establishment of a negotiating table to obtain equitable and recurrent funding that meets the needs of the entire Naskapi Nation. The funding currently provided to the NDC is insufficient and hinders Naskapi development projects. Following a meeting with the Minister responsible for Relations...

April 24, 2023

CRA must tackle trust issues, discrimination against Indigenous clients, report says
CBC News: The Canada Revenue Agency must do more to build trust and prevent discrimination when interacting with Indigenous clients, according to a report that became publicly available last week. The report, prepared by Earnscliffe Strategy Group, sought to gather data on Indigenous Peoples’ experience when engaging with CRA tax services and accessing benefits and credits. Its...

April 19, 2023

First Nations high-speed internet access lagging behind Canadian average
Less than 43 per cent of households on reserve had access to high-speed internet in 2021 CBC News: High-speed internet access on First Nations continues to lag well behind the Canadian average, according to a recent report, prompting calls for more government subsidization of internet access. “Ideally, it would be something similar to our highways...

March 31, 2023

NACCA Response to 2023 Federal Budget – Disappointment
NationTalk: OTTAWA, ON – The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) expresses disappointment in the Liberal Government 2023 Federal Budget, as it fails in addressing and supporting the growing needs of Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs across Canada. This budget will stifle the significant, positive advancements that have been made toward economic reconciliation in recent years and it is...

March 30, 2023

Higgs pitches First Nations on up to $1.6B in revenue with possible shale gas expansion
Pabineau First Nation Chief Terry Richardson says he’s opposed to any new fracking CBC News: Premier Blaine Higgs is pitching First Nations on hefty revenue potential if they agree to allow new shale gas development in New Brunswick. But at least one Mi’kmaw chief is already standing in opposition to any new potential fracking because...

March 28, 2023

Budget 2023 continues ‘repetitive injustice’ of underfunding First Nations, says national chief
RoseAnne Archibald welcomes money for MMIWG supports despite frustrations CBC News: The Assembly of First Nations national chief is calling the prime minister a “performative reconciliationist” and wants an economic new deal for First Nations following the delivery of a 2023 federal budget that she says continues a long-standing pattern of underfunding First Nations. RoseAnne...

March 27, 2023

Indigenous groups hope for infrastructure dollars and economic development in budget
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami looking for 35-year, $75B commitment for community infrastructure CBC News – The Canadian Press – Prominent Indigenous organizations are making major requests of the federal government in its upcoming budget, seeking billions in investments for infrastructure and economic development. But with affordability issues at the top of the agenda and Finance Minister...

March 27, 2023

Ottawa’s slow rollout of internet to First Nations creating economic rift, Auditor-General says
The Globe and Mail: The federal government’s slow rollout of high-speed internet to rural areas is putting First Nations at an economic disadvantage while billions of dollars earmarked to fix the issue remains untouched, says Canada’s auditor general. The lack of internet access continues to exclude First Nation reserves from accessing education, work and medical...

March 23, 2023

FSIN condemns Sask gov’t funding reduction for First Nations
The provincial government aims to increase potash sales and raise oil production by 2030 NationTalk: SASKTODAY – Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron has criticized the provincial government for reducing funding to First Nations by almost nine per cent. Cameron stated that Saskatchewan’s economy primarily relies on natural resources from their ancestral lands...

March 10, 2023

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Responds to Provincial Budget Announcement
NationTalk: TREATY ONE TERRITORY, MB – On March 7, 2023, Manitoba’s Finance Minister Cliff Cullen announced the $21.8 billion “Historic Help For Manitobans: Safer Streets. Healing Health Care. Stronger Communities. Opportunities Ahead,” 2023 provincial budget, which identifies projected increases in federal transfers of $1,049 and expenditures of $1,976 million. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick for the...

November 15, 2022

Indigenous Services Canada did not provide First Nations communities with support to manage emergencies
Auditor-General of Canada: Ottawa —A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons found that Indigenous Services Canada did not provide First Nations communities with the support they need to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies such as floods and wildfires, which are increasing in both frequency and intensity. Over the...

August 17, 2022

Canada’s takeover of First Nations finances left a legacy of substandard homes and contaminated water
NationTalk: Canada’s National Observer: Gull Bay First Nation is finally starting to recover. For decades, the Ojibway community north of Thunder Bay, Ont., has suffered through a series of disasters nearly unparalleled among non-Indigenous communities. In 2004, an assessment found about half of the First Nation’s 100 homes were dilapidated and unlivable, mostly due to...

August 9, 2022

A damning Parliamentary Budget Office report reveals a gaping disconnect between money spent and successful outcomes
Canada’s paternalistic mindset toward supporting Indigenous communities just doesn’t work. A damning Parliamentary Budget Office report revealed a gaping disconnect between the government’s aspirations and the amount of money spent on the one hand, and the actual consequences on the other. Globe & Mail: Ken Coates – McDonald-Laurier Institute Despite a decade of dramatic increases...

February 3, 2020

Cutting emergency funding to evacuated First Nation
CTV News – People from a Manitoba First Nation destroyed by flooding nearly nine years ago met in Winnipeg on Monday after a federal court upheld a decision by the federal government last week to end benefits for evacuees still waiting to go home Chief Adrian Sinclair has expressed concern some people, who have been...

November 7, 2019

Cutting emergency funding to evacuated First Nation
Government of Canada – announcement by the Government of Canada to cut off funding for emergency aid to residents of Lake St. Martin First Nation in Manitoba on Dec. 31. 2019 with the expectation that new housing stock – needed due to the massive 2011 flood – will be finished by then to accommodate all...

November 6, 2019

Cutting emergency funding to evacuated First Nation
Nov. 6, 2019 – While some have returned to newly constructed houses, 991 people are still waiting for a place to live, 400 of them children. (CTV)...

July 9, 2019

Towards Justice: Tackling Indigenous Child Poverty in Canada
Upstream – Failure to reduce the level of poverty among Indigenous children. Tracking Indigenous child poverty and non-Indigenous child poverty trends between Census 2006 and Census 2016, it’s clear that these differences have not markedly changed over that 10-year period. “Towards Justice: Tackling Indigenous Child Poverty in Canada” co-authored by the Assembly of First Nations...

March 19, 2019

Funding for National Council for Reconciliation
Deferring the budget decision to fund the National Council for Reconciliation until AFTER the next election. The Interim Board of Directors appointed in Dec. 2017 submitted their interim report to Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs on June 12, 2018. The 2020 fiscal year beginning April 1, 2020 will be almost five...

February 20, 2019

Canada underinvests in Nunavut
CBC – The Nunavut Finance Minister has presented a budget that is virtually the same as previous years, an indication that the Government of Canada is continuing to underinvest in the Territory. The Territory’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown approximately by five percent annually since 1999 and growth in the economy is expected to...
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