FSIN Concerns ahead of Government of Canada 2023-24 Budget

March 27, 2023

Treaty 6 Territory, Saskatoon SK – The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is seeking assistance in the Government of Canada’s federal 2023-24 Budget to help First Nations people cope with substantial socioeconomic inequality compared with non-Indigenous Canadians due to the impacts of colonization.

The 2022 Budget committed a total of $11 billion over six years to Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) priorities; an average of $1.8 billion per year.

FSIN believes the continuation of health and social funding is key to delivering First Nations self-governance, programs, and services.

Community investment is key to improving public health programming designed by First Nations to prevent health risks that adversely impact the health of individuals.

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“First Nations request that Canada recognizes First Nations Inherent and Treaty right to self-determination and self-governance as we strive to improve housing, healthcare, education, and the overall standard of living for our people. On reserve, everyday people live in overcrowded, dilapidated homes on-reserve. And off-reserve, many do not have the means to pay for housing themselves without help from the government. We want to educate our people but it all starts with housing and lifting people out of poverty so they can access services and education. Many First Nations are still homeless on their ancestral homeland,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.

Ahead of the release of the 2023 Budget, FSIN is identifying several areas in need of funding for First Nations.

Child and Family Services

• Ensure the full implementation of Jordan’s Principal and the Inuit Child First Initiative. First Nations Children and their families have access to products, services and supports regardless of where they live in Canada
• Work with First Nations partners to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services, renewing the approach to Jordan’s Principle while implementing ongoing measures as ordered by Canada’s Human Rights Tribunal
• Develop distinctions-based Indigenous health legislative options with First Nations
• Work to ensure Elder care homes and programs to support vulnerable persons with cognitive or physical disabilities are accessible to First Nations on and off-reserve
• Continue the implementation of the 2022 compensation agreement of $40 billion to compensate First Nations children and their parents for harm caused by underfunding First Nations children in the child welfare system. This includes $20 billion for First Nations children who did not receive essential services and another $20 billion to establish long-term reforms. First Nations continue to look forward to this funding as they develop and maintain their own child and family care services.

Health

• Maintain and improve access to medically necessary health benefits (non-insured health benefits) through the Supplementary Health Benefits Program
• Help to virtually connect First Nations individuals, families and communities in remote areas with general practitioners, specialists, diagnostic testing and follow-up appointments such as electronic medical records and virtual care
• Support Indigenous communities in the prevention of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and blood-borne infections, as well as vaccine-preventable diseases such as Influenza and pneumococcal infections and emerging health emergencies (i.e. moneypox)
• Encourage the full implementation of Joyce’s Principle https://principedejoyce.com/sn_uploads/principe/Joyce_s_Principle_brief___Eng.pdf
• Address nursing shortage through the ongoing implementation of the comprehensive Nursing Health Human Resources framework and the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy, including support for nurses working in indigenous communities through cultural safety and humility training in nursing colleges.
• Increase recruitment of First Nations people into medicine and health-related occupations
• Continue national dialogue and regional-themed roundtables to prompt further action by health system partners to measure and promote anti-Indigenous racism in health care Implementation of 2021 Budget funding for Anti-Indigenous Racism in health systems.
• Continue to provide trauma-informed health and cultural supports for Indian Residential School survivors and funding for mental health and traditional healing support services with a call centre component for individuals who have been affected by Indian Residential School, Indian Day School, or MMIWG
• Support for Addictions Services, Treatment Centres and Mental Health Services for drug and alcohol addictions
• Bolster Indigenous Health System Navigators to provide culturally sensitive services and support to First Nations people and families in their Indigenous languages
• Implement distinctions-based Mental Wellness Initiatives linked to a three-year investment of $597 million from Budget 2021
• Continue to protect the public health and safety of Indigenous people by working closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, other federal departments, and provincial and territorial governments as well as Indigenous leaders, organizations and communities as the pandemic continues to evolve
• Provide sustained funding for community-driven and community-designed health emergency management preparedness and mitigation activities
• Expand the scope of project proposals submitted under the First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program to include risk factors with clear impact on human health such as exposure to radon
• Advance First Nations data governance and data capacity by increasing the collection access and use of health data. Funding requirements for Data Sovereignty, engaging with digital health organizations and First Nations partners including the Canada Health Infoway and provincial governments regarding connectivity and interoperability
• Continue collaborative engagement and negotiation processes between Canada, First Nations partners, and provinces and territories to develop new First Nations-led health models or entities to assume greater control of the design, administration, management, and delivery of federally administered health services and programs

Treaty Governance Office

• Help for families and communities affected by the genocide of the Indian Residential School system. This includes support/resources for the geophysical tools such as ground penetrating radar to help identify remains and resources for communities and individuals to that wish to bring their loved ones home.
• First Nation Communities to address UNDRIP Implementation and become educated about the Bill C-15 the UNDRIP Act
• For first nations and First Nation organizations to address the full implementation of the numbered treaties

Education

• Increased funding for K-12 Elementary and Secondary Education to address education gaps and to meet the needs of First Nations students to succeed in their education
• Increased funding for Post-Secondary Education
• Funding for research on Language Revitalization and Land-Based Learning
• Increased funding for capacity development in all areas of Education
• Funding for further research and engagements with First Nation communities in education

Justice

• Increased funding for further research and establishment of First Nations self-administered police services
• Increased funding for the development of Indigenous Courts that support Call to Actions 50, the revitalization of Indigenous Laws
• Increased funding to support the development of community safety models that will address inequity on First Nations and focus on the advancement of Band Bylaw Enforcement.
• Increased funding for Gladue Principal technicians to address the over-representation of First Nations peoples in incarceration
• Increase in funding to First Nations in the area of climate change and protection of the environment, including capacity funding for First Nations
• Increase in funding on matters related to the protection of water, including funding on engagement on policy and legislation
• Increase in funding on the development and implementation of specific claims, including policy analysis and development
• Funding to non-profit organizations and First Nations regarding the protection of Inherent and Treaty rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather
• Increased funding for capacity development in all areas related to lands, water and resources; and
• Dedicated funding for the Implementation of UNDRIP articles as it pertains to lands and resources

About FSIN

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents 73 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.

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For more information or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

Lisa Risom

Director of Communications

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations

10 – 134 Kahkewistahaw Crescent

Treaty Six Territory

Saskatoon, SK S7R 0M9

Cell: 306-987-0505 | FSIN Office: 306-665-1215

Email: communications@fsin.com

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