Reconciliation not a priority for Trudeau government, First Nations leaders say

“Today we will be renewing our call for the prime minister to organize the first ministers meeting over the coming year to address these long-standing issues and facilitate an open discussion about how to keep reconciliation moving forward for the future prosperity,” Woodhouse Nepinak said.

The national chief said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s failure to mention Indigenous people or reconciliation in her 40-minute budget speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday was “alarming.” Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Cathy Merrick called it a “glaring omission.”

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance Katherine Cuplinskas said the minister and government are “absolutely committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples,” adding the Liberals are investing $32 billion over this fiscal year in Indigenous priorities.

The federal government proposed $9 billion in new spending for Indigenous priorities with a particular focus on children and education, health care and economic growth, including the new First Nations Loan Guarantees Program. While Woodhouse Nepinak said they appreciate these new investments, the proposals for housing, policing, roads and water fall “far short of closing the long standing infrastructure gaps that creates so many difficulties for First Nations people.”

A report filed this month by the AFN and the federal government showed more than $349 billion is needed to meet Canada’s commitment to close the infrastructure gap by 2030, and to support economic growth and reconciliation. More than $139 billion alone is needed to close the gap for on-reserve housing, vastly outweighing the $918 million proposed by the federal government in Tuesday’s budget.

“This country is facing a housing crisis and sadly, our communities make up a significant portion of those facing inadequate and yes, unsafe housing,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Chief Brendan Mitchell. 

“Adequate housing is a human right and our communities deserve more than failed promises,” he said, adding more action and more investments are needed.

“We have to do more than just words.”

Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Patty Hajdu denied that reconciliation is a dropped priority for Ottawa, pointing to the $9 billion of new money invested in the budget and said Woodhouse Nepinak could count on “an ongoing engagement with the AFN” from the federal government.

The minister did recognize that there is a “giant” infrastructure gap and said economic reconciliation and the ability for Indigenous communities to generate revenue is key to closing that gap.

“I think it’s really time to look at all of the tools that we have available to change the way that we’re conceptualizing how we’re going to close that gap,” Hajdu said. 

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree said the government has a “continued commitment” with Indigenous Peoples that is renewed “every single day,” and while there may need to be a “recalibration” of that relationship, “there’s certainly no need for reset.”

“We have a very strong foundation and we will keep building on that foundation,” he said.

Woodhouse Nepinak said she invites Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Freeland to attend the AFN’s national assembly this summer in Montreal and their gathering in Ottawa in December to “explain their budget choices directly to chiefs who are at the front-line,” and also plans to meet with the opposition parties’ leaders about what’s missing.

“We can’t keep waiting and waiting.”