Canada supports the efforts of Anishinabek Nation to rebuild their nation and improve child and family services

Press Release

March 15, 2019 – Nipissing First Nation, Ontario – Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

The Government of Canada is supporting the Anishinabek Nation in their efforts to improve the safety and well-being of First Nations children and families and rebuild their nations in a manner that responds to the priorities and unique needs of their nation.

While meeting with the Anishinabek Nation on March 13 to learn more about their vision of self-determination and community-based approach to rebuilding their nation, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced Indigenous Services Canada’s contribution of over $1.5 million in funding for the Community Well-Being and Jurisdiction Initiative to support Koganaasawin, the central support body. Budget 2018 has also provided Ontario First Nations with over $17.6 million this fiscal year to support Community Well-Being and Jurisdiction Initiatives to help children and families stay together.

Canada is also providing over $110,200 to Anishinabek Nation towards nation rebuilding projects related to child and family services initiatives led by the communities. In total, Canada has provided $1.7 million this fiscal year to First Nations in Ontario through the Nation Rebuilding Program.

Made possible by Budget 2018, the Nation Rebuilding Program provides funding support for activities facilitating Indigenous groups’ own paths to reconstituting their nations. The Program is an important step forward in renewing nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous peoples, improving their well-being and economic prosperity and developing healthier, more sustainable nations.

Quotes

“First Nations know what is best for their children, their families and their communities. Investments like these help support the work of First Nation partners to provide services that meet the needs of youth in their communities and help children and families stay together. We are proud to support Koganaasawin and Anishinabek Nation in this work.”

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

“Canada is committed to renewing its relationship with Indigenous people. The Nation Rebuilding Fund plays a critical role in our work on reconciliation. Through this fund the Government of Canada is supporting Indigenous nations, like the Anishinabek Nation, as they work to reconstitute their nations and their journey towards self-determination.

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Indigenous Services

“The Anishinabek Nation has established our own path for moving forward with exercising jurisdiction over child and youth well-being and family unity. Following the mandate of our Chiefs-in-Assembly, we have established our own law and are moving forward to implement that law and establish our own child and youth well-being system. The funding from Canada will allow us to continue along the path we have forged and move our First Nations closer to exercising full control over child and youth well-being and family unity.”

Grand Council Chief Glen Hare
Anishinabek Nation

Quick facts

• Budget 2018 allocated $1.4 billion to address funding pressures facing child and family service agencies, while also increasing community based prevention services. Through this, the new Community Well-Being and Jurisdiction Initiative funding stream was created.
• In 2017, the name Koganaasawin was given, through ceremony, to the Anishinabek Nation’s central support department for its Child Well-Being System. Koganaasawin will support the implementation of the Child Well-Being Law that has been under development since 2007.
• In 2017-2018, Indigenous Services Canada provided $269,960 in prevention funding to the Anishinabek Nation to support pre-implementation work for Koganaasawin.
• In 2018-19, the Community Well-Being and Jurisdiction Initiative will provide $1,565,994 to support Koganaasawin.
• The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) recommended that Indigenous groups should begin to reconstitute themselves as nations.
• Nation Rebuilding Program funding has been made available for five years starting in 2018-19. All funded proposals support capacity development as well as aggregation and nation-rebuilding activities that include more than one Indigenous group of the same nation.
• The Anishinabek Nation, is one of nine recipients in Ontario which received Nation Rebuilding funding for 2018-19.

Associated links

• Anishinabek Nation
• Nation Rebuilding Program
• Nation Rebuilding Program Guidelines
• Contributions to support the Nation Rebuilding Program
• First Nations Child and Family Services

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Matthew Dillon-Leitch
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
819-997-0002

Media Relations
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
819-934-2302
RCAANC.media.CIRNAC@canada.ca

Laura Barrios
Communications Officer
Policy and Communications Department
Anishinabek Nation
705-497-9127 ext. 2339
laura.barrios@anishinabek.ca

Rachel Rappaport
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan
Minister of Indigenous Services
819-934-2796

Media Relations
Indigenous Services Canada
819-953-1160
SAC.media.ISC@canada.ca

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