CONTENT WARNING: This edition discusses colonialism and land displacement in the context of housing and homelessness, as well as the ongoing crisis of MMIWG2S+. Please use the number below if you need support, or visit www.hopeforwellness.ca | 1-855-242-3310 – available in Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut
In this edition of CRE Explains, we’re breaking down some of the Budget 2023 investments that will impact Indigenous youth and their communities the most.
Budget 2023 at a Glance
- With the cost of everything soaring, this budget was expected to include ways to bring down the cost of living while also spending big chunks of money on things like the national dentalcare program to secure NDP support for the budget (and avoid an early election).
- UNDRIP implementation, housing for Indigenous communities, and continuing to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic were also expected to take up budget funds.
- In its report summarizing what it heard from 32 witnesses and 706 written briefs, the Standing Committee on Finance drafted 9 recommendations specifically related to funding for Indigenous communities and for addressing Indigenous issues.
- These include: funding for the Indigenous Guardians program (rec. 61) and other Indigenous-led conservation projects (rec. 62), funding to create a national Indigenous youth program (rec. 96), and funding to address the backlog of land claim and self-government negotiations with Indigenous nations (rec. 228).
- The Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, and Pauktuutit all submitted public briefs with their budget recommendations.
- All page citations in this report refer to the Budget 2023 PDF
Read our Report
Further Reading
- Budget 2023 homepage
- Budget 2023: Feds announce $2B for housing, $125M on MMIWG, $811M on health. (28 March 2023). Fraser Needham for APTN.
- The UNDA 101: Canada’s Declaration Action Plan. (28 March 2023). Hayden King for Yellowhead Institute.
- New Indigenous-led economic reconciliation framework to guide the way forward. (21 June 2022). Simon Fraser University News.