Government of Canada makes progress on support for Indigenous Communities

January 23, 2018 Ottawa, Ontario Department of Indigenous Services Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples; one that is based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. As part of the Prime Minister’s announcement in August 2017, the department of Indigenous Services Canada (DISC) was created as one of two new departments to bolster this renewed relationship, and ‎address the unacceptable socio-economic gaps that exist between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians.

DISC is building on the work already done in Budget 2016 and 2017 and is responsible for improving the delivery and quality of day-to-day services for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation, while also supporting the path to self-determination of Indigenous peoples who rightfully want and need to control service delivery for their own people.

Over the past two years, progress has been made in many areas; reducing the number of long-term drinking water advisories ‎on public systems on reserve, thousands of new housing units built, new investments for education programming and infrastructure, mental health and crisis supports for communities, and advancing a new fiscal relationship.  But, we know that there is much more work ahead, and we are committed to working in partnership with Indigenous peoples in doing so.

‎To help outline some of the next steps, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services and Jean-François Tremblay, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services, today held a media briefing to outline the key priorities of the new department of Indigenous Services Canada.

The presentation outlined some of the current challenges, points of progress since November 2015, and the path forward, in five key priority areas:

• Improving Health outcomes
• Quality Education
• Child & Family Services
• Reliable Infrastructure, including Housing & Water
• A New Fiscal Relationship

Quotes

“The Government of Canada is committed to helping improve the lives of Indigenous Canadians.  There is an incredible amount of important work ahead – work to be done in partnership with Indigenous peoples – to address the inequities and priorities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation. that is why I was pleased to outline the new department’s key priorities today on how we will improve services for Indigenous peoples and support the path to self-determination.”

The Honourable Jane Philpott, M.D., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Indigenous Services

Associated Links

• Backgrounder – Improving Health Outcomes
• Backgrounder – Quality Education
• Backgrounder – Child & Family Services
• Backgrounder – Reliable Infrastructure (Housing & Water)
• Backgrounder – New Fiscal Relationship
• Indignous Services Canada – Home Page
• Indigenous Services Canada – Drinking Water Advisories

Contacts

Andrew MacKendrick
Office of the Honourable Jane Philpott
819-956-5372

Media Relations
Department of Indigenous Services Canada
819-953-1160

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