Indigenous Canadians

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Indigenous peoples and all Canadians should expect their government to recognize Indigenous and treaty rights and to work together with Indigenous peoples as nation-to-nation partners to resolve long-standing challenges.

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• Recognize safe drinking water as a fundamental human right and end long-term drinking water advisories and target high-risk water systems
   

• Work with Indigenous groups and trade organizations to identify opportunities to increase access for Indigenous workers and youth to apprenticeship programs
   

• Further invest in trades training programs designed in partnership with the private sector and Indigenous organizations to maximize opportunities for employment
   

• Negotiate longer-term funding contracts with urban indigenous organizations to provide stability and better planning opportunities
   

• Increase Indigenous governance capacity by training young Indigenous leaders, including through the Institute of Corporate Directors
   

• Develop, in collaboration with Indigenous groups, a National Action Plan that addresses violence against Indigenous women and girls
   

• Utilize the existing infrastructure of Indigenous national organizations to provide business education to enhance and promote Indigenous business success and success stories
   

• Support innovative approaches to address the crises of mental health and addiction, such as land-based treatment programs and programs delivered in Indigenous languages
   

• Consult with First Nations on overhauling the current funding models, with the goal of making it easier for First Nations to escape Third-Party Management, reducing red tape, and providing a clearer path with better incentives for moving towards block funding
   

• Develop a comprehensive plan to implement the Truth & Reconciliation Commission recommendations for missing children, unmarked graves, and residential school cemeteries
   

• Fund the investigation at all former residential schools where unmarked graves may exist
   

• Develop a detailed and thorough set of resources to educate Canadians of all ages on the tragic history of residential schools
   

• Make the single largest investment in Canadian history for mental health supports for Indigenous people by providing $1 billion over five years to boost funding for Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs, including providing culturally appropriate supports