Backgrounder B: The Government of Canada's Ongoing Support for Aboriginal Peoples

The Government of Canada is making significant efforts to address many of the specific problems faced by some Aboriginal people in Canada. These include:

• on-reserve housing and living conditions (lack of clean water, overcrowding);
• poverty, unemployment and dependence on social assistance;
• literacy, skills and education;
• physical and mental health;
• interactions with law enforcement and the justice system; and
• the ongoing legacy of the residential schools.

Status of Women Canada

• Since 2007, Status of Women Canada (SWC) has approved over $17 million in funding for projects to empower Aboriginal women and girls to address the issues of violence they face, build economic security and gain leadership skills.
• Since March 2010, SWC has approved funding of over $2.3M to Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) to support the two phases of the Evidence to Action project.
• The goal of this project is to reduce the levels of violence experienced by Aboriginal women and girls in communities across Canada.
• Building on previous work, the project will work to strengthen the ability of communities, governments, educators and service providers to respond to issues that relate to the root causes of violence against Aboriginal women and girls. This will be achieved through education, developing community-based resources and engaging communities, by emphasizing awareness, prevention and responsiveness.

Housing

• The Government of Canada provides an annual investment to First Nations for on-reserve housing. Since 2006-07, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) has allocated approximately $1 billion to support First Nations in meeting their housing needs.
• In addition, in 2009-10 and 2010-11, the Government of Canada provided an additional $400 million to support the construction of new on-reserve housing, the renovation of existing housing, and complementary housing activities. From AANDC’s $150 million allocation alone, over 4,400 units were built or renovated and nearly 1,200 lots were serviced.  
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provides $150 million a year to address housing needs on-reserve.  About $143 million is spent annually by CMHC to support specific housing needs of Aboriginal households off-reserve.
• Canada’s Economic Action Plan also invested $200 million over two years to support the renovation and construction of social housing units in the North.

Economic Development

• The Government of Canada announced the new Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development on June 29, 2009.
• In addition, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada committed:
• an additional $100 million over three years to the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership initiative;
• $75 million over two years to the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund; and
• $25 million to the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy.
• In October 2010, the Government of Canada announced investments of $1M to develop and implement pilot projects that will provide Aboriginal women entrepreneurs with financial literacy training along with access to business development tools and capital to help them establish and run viable, sustainable businesses. These initiatives will help to address some of the main barriers currently limiting the participation of Aboriginal women in the Canadian economy.
• As part of the investment, AANDC is providing $348,633 to Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada to lead a pilot project based in Iqaluit called the Inuit Women Business Network. Community consultations reiterated the need for the creation of such a network to support Inuit businesswomen in the range of unique challenges they face and to share lessons learned.

Health

• Health Canada invests over $2 billion annually to support health programs and services for First Nations and Inuit communities, and supplementary health benefits for eligible First Nations and Inuit.
• Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012, $330.8M over two years will be provided to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Health Canada to build and renovate water infrastructure on reserve and to support the development of a long-term strategy to improve water quality in First Nations communities.  Budget 2012 also commits to working with Aboriginal communities and organizations, provinces and territories to improve the mental health and well-being of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.  This builds on previous significant investments in health, including funding through Budget 2010 to renew important Aboriginal health programs focusing on health promotion and disease prevention, Aboriginal health human resources, and closer alignment and integration of federal health services with provincial health systems.

Education

• Canada recognizes that better educational outcomes contribute to individual and community well-being, increased labour force participation and improved socio-economic conditions. Aboriginal girls and boys deserve an education that encourages them to stay in school, and sees them graduate with the skills they need to enter the labour market and share fully in Canada's economic opportunities.
• To enhance child development and school readiness for younger children, the Government of Canada supports Aboriginal Head Start programming both on reserve and in urban and northern communities.
• In 2011, the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education was appointed to lead an engagement process with First Nation leaders, parents, students, elders, teachers, and others, to provide input on how to enhance the education system and outcomes of First Nation students.
• Based in part on the report of the National Panel, in 2012 the Government committed to develop new legislation for First Nation elementary and secondary education and to have it in place by September 2014, to explore new mechanisms to ensure stable, predictable and sustainable funding for First Nation elementary and secondary education, to add $100 million over three years to the over $1.5 billion invested annually in First Nation education to provide early literacy programming and other supports and services on reserve and to invest an additional $175 million over three years to build and renovate schools on reserve.
• The Government of Canada is also committed to improving Inuit access to education. Since 2009, the Government has been working with Inuit education stakeholders (including provinces, territories and Inuit organizations) to develop a National Inuit Education Strategy. In 2011, the partners released the strategy First Canadians, Canadians First.

Justice

• The Aboriginal Justice Strategy (AJS) is a federally led initiative, coordinated by the Department of Justice Canada. It works on a cost-shared basis with Canada's provincial and territorial governments and in partnership with Aboriginal communities. Programs serve over 600 communities, helping the mainstream justice system to become more responsive and sensitive to the needs and culture of Aboriginal communities.  In the 2011-12 fiscal year the federal government invested $12.5 million in the AJS, which brings the total federal investment to to nearly $100 million since 2007.
• The federal government provides funding to participating provinces and territories to support the Aboriginal Courtwork Program.  This ongoing justice program is available to all Aboriginal people, with services provided directly by Aboriginal service delivery organisations, provincial/territorial governments or legal service boards.  The Program provides information and referral services to Aboriginal people involved in the justice system to help ensure access to fair, equitable and culturally sensitive services throughout the court process. The federal contribution to the program ($5.5 million a year) supports over 200 court workers who provide services to approximately 70,000 Aboriginal adults and youth annually, of whom an average of 30% are Aboriginal women.
• In January 2012, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers responsible for Justice released the Missing Women Working Group’s final report.   Responsible ministers have announced their support for the report’s recommendations, noting that some have already been implemented. Ministers have also asked the Group to bring forward an implementation plan, and reiterated their commitment to continue to co-ordinate their efforts on this important issue.

Violence and Crime Prevention

• Public Safety Canada provides funding support for crime prevention initiatives to reduce known risk factors for offences and victimization in high-crime areas and among vulnerable populations. Funding also supports community-based healing strategies that are rooted in traditional Aboriginal healing processes. 
• Through the First Nations Policing Program, Public Safety Canada provides funding to support dedicated, culturally responsive policing services in First Nation and Inuit communities, while improving overall accountability.
• The Government of Canada’s Family Violence Initiative provides on-going annual funding to eight federal departments and agencies, including $1.9 million to CMHC for the Shelter Enhancement Program.
• The Government of Canada invests approximately $29.6 million annually in family violence prevention programs and services on reserve. The First Nations Family Violence Prevention Program provides operational funding for a network of 41 shelters and supports approximately 350 community-based prevention projects on reserve, as well as projects off-reserve. Budget 2012 increased the Government’s investment in the Program by $11.9 million for 2012-13. Ensuring shelter services and violence prevention programming are available to on-reserve communities is an important element to address the family violence that threatens the ability to raise a family.

Residential Schools

• Bringing closure to the legacy of Indian residential schools lies at the heart of reconciliation and a renewal of the relationships between Aboriginal people who attended these schools, their families and communities, and all Canadians. The implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) began on September 19, 2007 following the consensus reached between legal counsel for former students, legal counsel for the Churches, the Assembly of First Nations, other Aboriginal organizations and the Government of Canada to achieve a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
• The IRSSA includes the following measures to address the legacy of the Indian Residential School system:
• Common Experience Payment to be paid to all eligible former students who resided at a recognized Indian Residential School;
• Independent Assessment Process for claims of sexual and serious physical abuse;
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission;
• Commemoration Activities; and
• measures to support healing such as the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program and an endowment to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
• Budget 2010 announced an additional $199 million over two years to ensure that necessary mental health and emotional support services continue to be provided to former students and their families, and that payments to former students are made in a timely and effective manner.
• The Government of Canada has committed over $5 billion for the overall Settlement Agreement and is committed to providing access to mental health and emotional support throughout the duration of the Settlement Agreement.

Backgrounder A: Addressing the Issue of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women

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Department of Justice Canada
October 2012