First Nations FIRST NATIONS ALTERNATIVE FEDERAL BUDGET 2017 HIGH STAKES CLEAR CHOICES. Background

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1 First Nations ALTERNATIVE FEDERAL BUDGET 2017 FIRST NATIONS HIGH STAKES Over 10,000 First Nations high school graduates can t access post-secondary education and children receive inferior education because of a long-standing funding cap. First Nations child and family services are not up to provincial standards because they don t receive adequate funding. Inferior housing, unsafe drinking water, and poor infrastructure are forcing First Nations people out of their own communities. CLEAR CHOICES Invest $141.6 million in post-secondary education for First Nations students and $653.2 million in K 12 education to lift schools to comparable provincial standards. Bring financial support to First Nations child and family services to fulfil all orders from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Invest $1.9 billion in housing, water, and infrastructure in First Nations. 58 Indigenous languages are threatened with extinction. Invest $153.4 million a year to support Indigenous language revitalization. POLICYALTERNATIVES.CA/AFB2017 #AFB2017 Background The Federal Government has committed to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and all 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. While the federal budget provided welcome investments of $8.4 billion over five years, the funding that supports First Nations governments in providing core programs and services remains affected by historic underfunding. The prime minister s commitment to eliminate the 2% cap on annual funding increases for core First Nations programs and services clearly requires ongoing investments. The Assembly of First Nations calculates that the 2% cap, which has been in place since 1996, has resulted in a cumulative loss against inflation and population growth of $30 billion. Over the course of , Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada did increase funding on K 12 education by 4.5% and on child and family services by just over 3%, finally exceeding the 2% cap in those areas. However, increases to support for the governance and administration of First Nations, operations and maintenance on capital projects, and income assistance all remain under 2% in this fiscal year. After decades of inaction and neglect, the investments outlined in the following areas will go some of the way toward re- High Stakes, Clear Choices: Alternative Federal Budget

2 pairing the damage done, though it will not meet the entirety of that need. Nonetheless, these investments would go a long way to demonstrate the government s willingness to truly reset the relationship between Canada and First Nations. Education First Nations education received significant funding in the federal budget, but remains at a disadvantage compared to provincial systems. The average annual growth rate in education funding provincially has been 5%, which means that First Nations education had not been able to keep up with inflation and population growth for the past 20 years. A stable funding formula is needed in the longer term. Also needed are immediate investments to help catch up, to establish a new national, honourable partnership process between the government and First Nations, to develop new education systems, and to provide language and cultural programming. Post-secondary education was left out of the budget and requires immediate funding to address the existing backlog of 10,000 First Nations graduates who are ready to move on to post-secondary studies but who lack access to funding to do so. Child and Family Services First Nations child and family services have become a national priority. Youth suicide, frequently linked to treatment in foster care, continues to be a crisis. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission s 2015 report prioritized child welfare, and in a landmark ruling the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) has made several orders regarding improvements to be made to services in this area. The federal government has committed to implementing the Calls to Action and is legally obliged to follow the orders of the CHRT. Although the 2016 federal budget promised $634.8 million over five years, the $71 million invested in did not meet the levels of investment needed, nor will the commitment of $99 million meet that need, which is estimated at well over $200 million per year by Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. In November of 2016, Parliament unanimously passed a motion for the federal government to invest an additional $155 million in First Nations child and family services, but this has yet to occur and legal battles continue. High-priority issues such as an enhanced, prevention-focused approach for child and family services will require additional investments to close the gap in services between provincially funded child welfare systems and those provided by First Nations through federal funding. First Nations also welcome the government s willingness to engage in dialogue toward transforming child and family services on a more fundamental level, addressing the issue of jurisdiction, and making progress in reducing the number of children taken into care while increasing the security and safety of all First Nations children. 70 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

3 Housing Adequate housing is a basic human right and the foundation for success. First Nations scholastic achievement, employment, and health are negatively affected by overcrowding, mold, and other housing deficiencies. Without adequate funding, communities are unable to meet demand for new housing, causing people to move to urban areas. This out-migration increases homelessness, the loss of language, substance abuse, and family breakdown. There remains a significant need for new construction and renovation to relieve overcrowding, address deficiencies, and provide services. A study commissioned by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada estimated that, between 2012 and 2036, there will be a housing shortfall of 99,581 units, an additional 5,836 replacement units required, and approximately 12,492 units requiring major repairs. Taking into account the investments made in the 2016 budget, the additional annual investment to meet these needs is $523 million in and $800 million annually afterward. Water Access to clean drinking water is a universal human right, recently affirmed by the United Nations, and Canada has a responsibility to ensure clean drinking water is accessible to all First Nations communities. However, First Nations water quality continues to be a national concern. The federal government committed to eradicating all boil-water advisories on reserves within five years of its election, and the 2016 budget committed $1.8 billion over five years to support clean drinking water and the treatment of wastewater on reserves. In 2011, a government study estimated the needs for First Nations water and wastewater facilities in 10 years at $4.7 billion, plus a projected operating and maintenance budget of $419 million per year. Additional costs relate to water distribution and wastewater collection systems. Even with the significant investment in the 2016 budget, it is estimated that additional funding of $300 million annually will be required. Other Infrastructure Other community infrastructure includes the following: elementary and secondary educational facilities; roads and bridges; fire halls and other fire protection facilities and equipment; electrical power generation and distribution; fuel systems; community and recreation facilities; band offices; flood and erosion protection; remediation of contaminated sites; and internet connectivity. The federal government is developing a 10- year infrastructure plan. First Nations are at the greatest disadvantage, both historically and currently, and require a share of that investment that is proportional to their infrastructure need. This need is estimated at just over $1.1 billion annually. Languages The 2016 budget invested $5 million in the Aboriginal Languages Initiative and promised that the government would work with High Stakes, Clear Choices: Alternative Federal Budget

4 Indigenous peoples to identify how best to proceed in future years. The AFB submits that, in addition to the school-based immersion programs being discussed with the minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, investment is needed in community language revitalization, adult language revitalization, and language maintenance and dissemination. This investment is urgently needed due to the crisis facing Indigenous languages in Canada. Language defines nationhood and every language matters. Languages are integral to the cultural continuity that has been identified as a key factor in preventing youth suicide. 1 It is unacceptable that there are an estimated 58 First Nations languages threatened with extinction. Without supports for Indigenous languages, entire nations and cultures are at risk. An investment of $153.3 million annually is needed. Health Accords and First Nations The health and wellness of many First Nations peoples and communities in Canada is in profound crisis. The data that does exist paints a shameful picture. In comparison to the general Canadian population, First Nations peoples: face higher rates of chronic and communicable diseases; have more limited access to healthy foods and employment opportunities; experience 5 7 year lower life expectancy; have an infant mortality rate that is about 1.5 times higher; and have a 5 6 times higher rate of suicides. Despite chronically inadequate resources, First Nations communities are transforming their systems of health and wellness to better meet communities needs based on wholistic and culturally-based worldviews. The renegotiation of the Health Accord, provides an opportunity for provinces, territories and the federal government to advance First Nations health with First Nations as full partners. The structure of the investments should be accountable to First Nations and must move away from siloed and short-term funding and towards sustainable and longterm funding that is responsive to and that is based on First Nations needs and priorities. (for more information on the Health Accords with the provinces see the Health Care chapter) AFB Actions Action: Invest $795 million annually in First Nations education, including $653.2 million for K 12 schools and $141.6 million for postsecondary students. Result: Funding for First Nations schools will be comparable to that provided to other students in Canada, and 10,000 First Nation students will be able to enter post-secondary studies. Action: Invest $155 million annually in First Nations child and family services. Result: First Nations child welfare services will be brought closer to providing comparable levels of service to those of provincial child welfare systems. Action: Invest $1.9 billion annually in housing, water, and other infrastructure for First Nation communities. 72 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

5 Result: Thousands of houses will be built, clean drinking water will be provided to more people, and roads will link First Nations to the rest of Canada. Action: Invest $154 million annually in revitalization of First Nations languages. Result: The extinction of 58 Indigenous languages will be prevented and fluency will increase in communities across the country. Notes 1 Chandler, M.J. & Lalonde, C.E., Cultural continuity as a moderator of suicide risk among Canada s First Nations. In Kirmayer, L. & Valaskakis, G. (Eds.), Healing Traditions: The Mental Health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (pp ), University of British Columbia Press. Action: Invest $1.58 bil to support First Nations health systems. This investment will address the current health infrastructure backlog, provide new health services for children, expand the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program, and support First Nations health governance capacity all while building out community care, mental health and providing health care on a needs basis. Result: First Nations people have access to the best health programs and services available in Canada. High Stakes, Clear Choices: Alternative Federal Budget