NAN looks to new Liberal cabinet to accelerate progress on First Nations priorities

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, on behalf of the Executive Council, has issued the following response to the new federal Cabinet announcement today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“We acknowledge Seamus O’Regan for his commitment to advancing many of our priorities and look to newly appointed Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller to accelerate progress on First Nations’ issues. Significant progress has been made over the past four years. NAN members have high expectations of this government to advance priorities in health care, education and infrastructure to close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations people and the rest of Canada. We expect that our work with this government will begin immediately to continue the work to create systemic change.”  

NAN congratulates Patty Hadju (Thunder Bay-Superior North) on her appointment as Canada’s new Health Minister and looks forward to a continued relationship with Seamus O’Regan as Minister of Natural Resources.

NAN will work to strengthen the relationship with our federal Treaty partner and will engage immediately with this government to address priorities of our 49 member First Nations including:

• Remoteness Quotient – Implementing the Remoteness Quotient to ensure funding for First Nations accounts for the true costs of services in rural and remote First Nations.
• Choose Life – Making Choose Life a permanent program and ensuring Canada’s definition of Jordan’s Principle fully addresses the findings of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
• Mental Health & Addictions – Providing culturally appropriate mental health and addiction services within NAN First Nations to begin the transformation of mental wellness care for our citizens.
• Environment & Climate Change – Recognizing the climate emergency in NAN territory and its impact on Treaty and inherent rights.
• Child Welfare – Recognizing First Nation jurisdiction over children and their wellbeing.
• Health Transformation – Supporting the transformation of the health care system away from the imposed colonial system to allow for equitable access to health for all NAN citizens, especially those living in remote First Nations.
• Education Transformation – Continuing to support and work on the agreements made with NAN through the signing of the Education Jurisdiction Agreement-in-Principle.
• NAN Fire and Emergency Management Service – Funding to develop a NAN-wide emergency response to wildfires, extreme weather, and other crises that affect community health and safety and forced evacuations.
• Infrastructure – Funding allocations to allow for full operation and maintenance for on-reserve infrastructure.

For more information please contact:
Michael Heintzman,
Director of Communications
Cell: (807) 621-2790
mheintzman@nan.ca