Omission of reconciliation 'glaring' and 'alarming' in budget speech, First Nations leaders say
CBC
First Nations leaders are panning this year's federal budget and demanding a renewed commitment from the Liberal government, after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland failed to mention reconciliation in Tuesday's budget speech.
"It's alarming," said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, head of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), at a Wednesday news conference.
The AFN represents chiefs countrywide and Woodhouse Nepinak said it will renew calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to organize a first ministers meeting this year to discuss a path forward on reconciliation and the longstanding issues facing First Nations.
Cathy Merrick, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, also expressed disappointment with the "glaring omission" in the budget process.
"I was there yesterday to be able to hear — and I did not hear any words pertaining to reconciliation," she told reporters in Ottawa.
Freeland's 2024 budget pledges $9 billion in new cash for Indigenous Peoples, with major line items covering child and family services, education, health, housing and on-reserve income assistance.
But her 3,500-word, 40-minute speech in the House of Commons mentioned none of this. Instead, it doubled as an expansive political manifesto targeting millennial and Gen Z voters facing a housing and affordability crunch — and aggressive courting from the opposition Conservatives.
Now compare that with her speech in 2021.
Freeland, who is also deputy prime minister, mentioned Indigenous Peoples nine times when delivering that budget — which included $18 billion for Indigenous communities.
The change in tone sparked worry the government and country may once again turn their backs on First Nations amid increased general economic anxiety, Woodhouse Nepinak said.
"We're absolutely concerned," she said.
"We wouldn't be standing here if we weren't."
A spokesperson for Freeland cited the 181 per cent increase in Indigenous spending since 2015, a key figure from the budget book itself, as a measure of the Liberals' commitment.
"The deputy prime minister and the government are absolutely committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples," wrote Katherine Cuplinskas.
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