Indigenous organizations fear Budget 2021 allocations ignore them

Some Indigenous organizations in the NWT feel excluded from the $18 billion earmarked for Indigenous peoples in .

Released by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 19, the new budget proposes $18 billion in investments to narrow gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and bring about further reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and the M茅tis Nation.

But when it comes to how much the budget allocation will benefit NWT M茅tis, it depends on which M茅tis organization will receive funding.

The fiscal arrangement needs to be overhauled so that federal funding goes directly to Indigenous governments and not through the GNWT, said Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya. 黑料吃瓜网 photo

Garry Bailey, president of the (NWTMN), said he doesn鈥檛 expect his organization to receive any of the $18 billion.

鈥淲e鈥檝e asked for direct funding to the NWTMN. Most of the funding seems to go to the M茅tis National Council (MNC), which we鈥檙e not affiliated with,鈥� Bailey said. 鈥�(We) end up falling through the cracks. It鈥檚 a big problem for us.鈥�

The lack of specific funding for the NWTMN indicates to Bailey that the federal government still hasn鈥檛 acted on the ruling in the Daniels decision of the Supreme Court. In 2016, that case recognized that M茅tis and non-status Indigenous people are 鈥淚ndians鈥� under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been waiting for five years to have the Daniels case implemented, Bailey said. 鈥淭he M茅tis are supposed to be treated equitably with all other First Nations now. We鈥檙e supposed to get the same programs and services as other First Nations. Why isn鈥檛 the budget reflecting that? I can鈥檛 emphasize how important that is.鈥�

Even though Bailey said the NWTMN wasn鈥檛 consulted over the budget, he expressed his concerns with 黑料吃瓜网 Affairs Minister Dan Vandal over the phone just after the budget was released.

鈥淚 mentioned the government has been stalling on the negotiation process for years by not having refreshed mandates. There鈥檚 nothing in (the budget) about finalizing the land (transfers). There鈥檚 nothing in there to support us in the interim. Land transfers would be beneficial for us for economic development.

鈥淭he news we got back was, 鈥榊es, we hear you and we鈥檙e having talks about it but it鈥檚 been going on for years. I鈥檝e been bringing the issue up for years. I鈥檝e been involved in this for 25 years. They鈥檝e never changed.鈥�

Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

The (CAP), which represents non-status and off-reserve First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit peoples, was quick to raise alarm over omissions in the budget.

On the same day the budget was published, CAP stated in a that the budget ignores the communities that CAP represents and instead channels funding through the that favours larger organizations like the Assembly of First Nations, MNC and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

That process aims to recognize the unique differences and interests between Indigenous organizations and is in contrast to the federal government鈥檚 old pan-Indigenous approach.

CAP鈥檚 national vice-chief Kim Beaudin agrees with Bailey鈥檚 views on the budget and said the federal government鈥檚 inaction on the Daniels decision has rendered M茅tis invisible, especially M茅tis unaffiliated with the MNC.

While he admits that his organization engages in few activities in the NWT, he points out that the federal government鈥檚 distinctions-based approach excludes 80 to 90 per cent of Indigenous peoples living off-reserve.

鈥淚 consider myself a non-status Indian. I don鈥檛 have a band to advocate on my behalf,鈥� Beaudin said. 鈥淭here are people in the NWT who need a voice and we鈥檙e looking to provide that voice, but it鈥檚 hard to provide that when we don鈥檛 have the core funding.鈥�

Dene Nation

Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya is thankful to NWT MP Michael McLeod, Vandal and other 黑料吃瓜网 leaders for their advocacy that helped bring about the $18 billion allocation for Indigenous peoples.

However, he thinks the CAP and M茅tis leaders make valid points.

For one thing, he would like more transparency over how the funds will flow into Indigenous governments and organizations in the NWT.

鈥淪ometimes money directed to Indigenous peoples even gets spread around to non-Indigenous people,鈥� Yakeleya said. 鈥淚s the GNWT going to put its finger in there and try to take some money? How much of that money is going to be filtered down into the Indigenous communities? Is it going to be dollar for dollar? Or 20 cents of the dollar? The devil鈥檚 in the details, as they say.鈥�

Yakeleya also acknowledges that CAP and the NWTMN are right to criticize the funding structure that prioritizes the large, national Indigenous organizations over smaller ones.

Governments, including the provinces, territories, Indigenous governments and land claims settlement organizations want a piece of the budget dollars, Yakeleya said.

鈥淓ach community has their own aspirations of how to build their economies. We don鈥檛 realize the damage it does to us because we鈥檙e thinking 鈥榳in-lose.鈥� There鈥檚 no 鈥榳in-win鈥�.

鈥淚 believe the whole fiscal arrangement needs to be overhauled. In the NWT, we have the Tlicho and Deline self-government agreements. They should be on equal par with the GNWT, along with the Gwich鈥檌n and Sahtu. The funding should go directly to them and bypass the GNWT. The status quo is no longer working or no longer good enough. The Government of Canada needs to recognize that.鈥�

Yakeleya also acknowledges that CAP and the NWTMN are right to criticize the funding structure that prioritizes the large, national Indigenous organizations over smaller ones.

Governments, including the provinces, territories, Indigenous governments and land claims settlement organizations want a piece of the budget dollars, Yakeleya said.

Indigenous Services Canada did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.

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