CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CANADA’S CONFEDERATION
“The United Nations Declaration on Rights of the Indigenous People was adopted in 2007 with Canada formally endorsing it in 2010.” Former Canadian Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine called the deal a breakthrough for his people and asked the new government to implement the Accord. The United Nations Declaration on Rights of the Indigenous People was adopted in 2007 with Canada formally endorsing it in 2010. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2008 with a mandate to document the history and legacy of the residential schools in Canada, with the subsequent report being released in 2015 with 94 Calls to Action. In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the First Nations children and families living on reserve and in the Yukon, are discriminated against
in the provision of child and family service by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). Conclusion This article aims to give highlights of major events and setbacks in Canada’s approach to working with the Indigenous communities. Successive Canadian governments have been trying to right the wrong of the intergenerational trauma from those colonial policies such as the Indian Residential Schools, some with creative ideas, some with a paternalist approach. The focus of the current Liberal government is reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Hon. Carolyn Bennett have been reaching out to various aboriginal communities to ensure that the consultation process is working. There are many complexities involved, including land claims, treaties, provincial and federal jurisdictions, etc. However, with the cooperation of all parties, the road ahead can be made less complex. The current government has committed significant investment for better housing, better health and
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educational services, to alleviate the tremendous challenges that the isolated and remote aboriginal communities face. Some of the areas of investments include: • Investing $828.2 million over five years, to improve health care for First Nations and Inuit; • An unprecedented investment of $1.8 billion over five years into First Nation communities to significantly improve water and wastewater infrastructure, ensure proper facility operation and maintenance, and enhance the training of water system operations; • Advancing Renewed Relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on the Recognition of Rights through nation to nation consultation; • Closing the Gap on Housing for Indigenous Peoples by investing $225 million over one year to support housing providers serving people not living on reserves and renovating nearly 6,000 homes on reserves; • Creating more opportunities for Indigenous Peoples by ensuring that students have the same opportunities for success as other students in
Canada. The Budget 2017 increased funding for this initiative by $90 million over two years. This initiative will support 4,600 indigenous students advancing their education and careers; • Creating early learning and child care programs for Indigenous children living onand off-reserve; • Revitalize and Enhance Indigenous Languages and Cultures by providing $69 million in new funding. The above measures by the government as well as recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions against private enterprises that do not consult with Indigenous communities regarding projects which involve drilling or which create environmental harm, are all steps in the right direction. It is heartening to note that we have civil society organizations like the Martin Aboriginal Initiative which is helping in the reconciliation and renewal process, through its focus on education, health and social justice issues for the Indigenous communities. The collective initiatives give hope to the communities that there is light at the end of the tunnel.