Budget Sounds Death Knell For Healing Foundation

Budget Sounds Death Knell For Healing Foundation

Friday, March 05, 2010 at 14:57

 

 

It doesn’t appear the Aboriginal Healing Foundation will get the money it needs to survive.

 

Supporters of the group, which provides counselling and healing services to survivors of residential schools, have been lobbying the government to renew its funding which expires at the of this month.

 

Yesterday’s budget does provide $199 million in funding for mental health and emotional support services for survivors and their families.

 

However, that money is also expected to go towards higher than expected funding needs, and there’s no mention of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in the budget.

 

People who work at centres associated with the foundation are reacting with shock at the news their funding is not being renewed.

 

Debra Edin runs the Marguerite Riel Centre in Melfort.

 

It provides counselling to families in the area, many of whom have been affected by the residential school experience.

 

She says she’s not sure what will become of the 19 staff members who work at their facility.

 

Edin adds the settlement process for survivors seeking compensation from the government runs until 2013, but that doesn’t address the on-going intergenerational impact families still suffer from the schools.

 

Despite the news, another person who works with the foundation says she’s hoping the money to run their project may be found elsewhere.

 

Shirley Bighead runs the Youth Initiatives Program on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation.

 

It teaches life skills, provides counselling and offers workshops on a number of subjects associated with the pain the schools created.

 

Bighead says she hasn’t heard anything definite about a loss in their funding, so she is hopeful money can be found to save their program.