Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde says the new provincial budget makes small steps toward addressing the challenges of Indigenous people when what is needed is a giant leap forward.
The new budget increases the amount targeted toward Aboriginal initiatives by 2.4 per cent to just under $190 million.
Bellegarde says doubling the amount to address recommendations from a joint task force on Indigenous education and employment from $3 million to $6 million is also a good move but it doesn’t go far enough.
“When we should be moving metres, we’re moving millimetres with this amount of investment,” he says.
He adds it is high time the Saskatchewan Party government and business put the proper resources toward investment in the province’s rapidly growing young Aboriginal population.
“Both the provincial government and private sector industry have really got to start investing in Saskatchewan’s fastest growing demographic and that’s young First Nations men and women.”
The budget also scraps the $500,000 budget put aside for northern engagement and reduces the First Nation and Métis Engagement Fund from $900,000 to $400,000.
It also cuts funding for First Nations and Métis initiatives and institutions by $600,000 to $29.2 million.