441-01750 (Indigenous affairs)

The Government of Canada acknowledges that the current state of Indigenous health is the result of shameful colonial activities and policies whose impacts are still felt today. The federal government remains committed to advancing reconciliation and partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, and that includes implementing and delivering on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. For example, the following are recent actions undertaken by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to fully respond to and implement Calls to Action (CTA) #18 through #21.

Regarding Call to Action #18, Indigenous Services Canada is working to address the harmful legacy of past policies by providing and/or funding a range of programs and services, including:

• Community-based health promotion and disease prevention programs in First Nations and Inuit communities in areas such as children and youth, mental health and addictions, and chronic disease and injury prevention;
• Primary care services on-reserve in remote and isolated areas where provincial services are not readily available and home and community care services in all First Nation and Inuit communities;

• Programs to control communicable diseases and address environmental health issues in First Nations and Inuit communities outside the Territories, and initiatives related to environmental health risk assessment and contamination;
• Non-Insured Health Benefits which provide a range of medically necessary goods and services to status First Nations and eligible Inuit regardless of where they live that supplement benefits provided by private or provincial/territorial programs; and

• Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First Initiative which ensures that First Nations and Inuit children can access the products, services and supports they need, while the federal government works with First Nations and Inuit partners, provinces and territories to develop long-term approaches to help better address the unique needs of First Nations children.

Budget 2022 provided $4 billion over 6 years to ensure First Nations children continue to receive the support they need through Jordan's Principle, and Budget 2023 provided an additional $171 million to ensure that this commitment is fully funded. Jordan's Principle provided more than 2.69 million approved products and services for First Nations children, and the Inuit Child First Initiative has provided 85,280 products and services for Inuit children covered under this initiative. Budget 2023 also reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to invest $2 billion over 10 years through a new Indigenous Health Equity Fund, which will work to achieve and work through the challenges associated with quality and culturally safe health care services for Indigenous people. 

The recently released Action Plan for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) is a starting point for ongoing collaborative work with Indigenous Peoples on UN Declaration implementation. All measures contained in the Action Plan are to be implemented in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples, with approximately 25% of measures specifically committed to implementation through co-development with Indigenous Peoples. To support Indigenous Peoples’ participation in this work, Budget 2022 provided $37 million in funding over five years to support the core capacity of Indigenous governments, organizations and groups to continue to contribute meaningfully to UNDA implementation. The implementation of the Action Plan will also be supported by a distinctions-based Advisory Committee involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis experts that will be established in the short term, as committed in the Action Plan.

ISC engaged with, and received 42 engagement reports from, First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Intersectional partners to understand the potential role federal Indigenous health legislation could have in addressing ongoing health inequities created by settler colonialism. Through this engagement process a national summary report was published What We Heard: Visions for Distinctions-based Indigenous Health Legislation, which, in combination with individual engagement reports received by partners, will provide a basis for the co-development of legislative options or for other new approaches to improve Indigenous health outcomes.

Regarding Call to Action #19, ISC is currently collaborating with multiple other government departments and Indigenous partners on developing relevant indicators. A joint initiative between the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network, Statistics Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information resulted in the development of a health inequalities data tool to measure inequalities between distinctions groups. This tool includes 81 new and updated indicators for health outcomes and determinants of health. A report and a supplementary data tool are also being developed by PHAC and the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) on the topic of social determinants of mental health inequities in Canada. Additionally, a report and a suite of complementary assessments on mental wellness inequalities are being developed by ISC, PHAC and FNIGC, and are expected to be completed by 2025. To aid in the development of this report, PHAC has provided $200,000 to the FNIGC.

Call to Action #20 – During engagements with Indigenous partners on Indigenous health legislation, partners highlighted jurisdictional issues with living on reserve, the disadvantages associated with accessing health programs and services for on-reserve populations, and the need for government accountability and responsibility to on-status and off-reserve populations. These issues raised by partners will be explored further in the ongoing and future distinctions-based, co-development of legislative options with Indigenous partners. 

The Indigenous Community Support Fund provided approximately $2.1 billion to Indigenous communities and organizations to address the COVID-19 pandemic, $1.2 billion in direct allocations to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and $851 million in needs-based funding. Of the $851 million in need-based funding, $450 million was provided to urban and off-reserve Indigenous communities and organizations through a call for requests related to the COVID-19 response. Additionally, the Government of Canada invested $1.67 billion in COVID-19 Public Health Funding to First Nations communities and organizations that delivered public health services since the start of the pandemic. Also, funding for Jordan’s Principle, the Inuit Child First Initiative and the Indigenous Health Equity Fund has, and will continue to be, provided to address the concerns and recognize the distinct needs outlined in Call to Action #20.

Regarding Call to Action #21, ISC continues to be actively involved with the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated in the construction and ongoing operations of the Nunavut Recovery Centre. To date, approximately $2 million has been provided to the Government of Nunavut to support the design and construction of this facility. The Minister of ISC attended the ‘tundra-turning’ ceremony with Inuit and territorial partners. Construction on the centre is expected to be completed in August 2025.

In partnership with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, ISC has worked to develop and open the Woodland Wellness Centre, which had its grand opening in June 2022 and continues to provide Indigenous-led health and wellness services to Indigenous people in Saskatchewan. ISC has also invested $6.5 million into the construction of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre, which will provide culturally appropriate substance use treatment services once open. This healing centre, located in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik is scheduled to open in 2023, despite having been delayed because of the pandemic.

After Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced that ground-penetrating radar had detected remains of 215 children who died at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, the Government of Canada announced that Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation would receive $12.5 million in federal funding for the construction of a new healing centre for the community.  ISC continues to work with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and the First Nations Health Authority to ensure the facility and services reflect the vision of the community.

Similarly, to support those impacted by the mass stabbing that took place in Saskatchewan in September 2022, the Prime Minister of Canada announced a $42.5 million over 6 years and $4.5 million ongoing to construct a new wellness centre in James Smith Cree Nation, refurbish the existing treatment centre, and fund wraparound services and transitional supports. ISC continues to work collaboratively with James Smith Cree Nation on this project to ensure that programs best serve the needs of the community.

In addition to the funding provided for construction and infrastructure projects, Budget 2021 provided $597.6 million over 3 years to support distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategies (including Trauma-Informed Health and Cultural Support Programs), and Budget 2022 provided $227.6 million over 2 years, to maintain expanded access to trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led services to improve and support distinctions-based mental wellness.