Resolution No. 2019-10-26
Choose Life Funding/Jordan's Principle
WHEREAS there are no clear criteria outlined for Choose Life/Jordan's Principle Funding on the Health Canada's website to demonstrate transparency and accountability for those accessing the programs and;
WHEREAS Mushkegowuk Council has made verbal and written requests to possess a written copy of the Choose Life/Jordan's Principle Funding Criteria in an effort to better facilitate the application process, however the requests have not received a formal response, and;
WHEREAS Mushkegowuk Council is concerned about how Indigenous Services Canada continues to ascribe meaning and interpret terminology used in community and regional applications/proposals limiting the scope of our initiatives in all sectors, further stifling the progress to improve provisions for our Nation, and;
WHEREAS "In August 2014, the Caring Society and Amnesty International filed factums with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal stating that the federal government's current interpretation of Jordan's Principle is narrow, restrictive, ambiguous, unlawful and discriminatory, causing denial and delay of services to children in need", 2014 Jordan's Principle, and;
WHEREAS the Indigenous Service Canada website states, "Since the ruling, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRD has issued a number of follow-up orders about Jordan•s Principle. In May 2017. the CHRT ordered that the needs of each individual child must be considered, to ensure the following is taken into account under Jordan•s Principle: provide substantive equality, providing culturally appropriate services, safeguarding the best interests of the child. This means giving extra help when it is needed so First Nations children have an equal chance to thrive."
WHEREAS Indigenous Service Canada often communicates verbally regarding the status of our applications citing, "overlapping" and further requests that applications/proposals should be amended to reflect one type of service per community and/or for the entire region in Mushkegowuk territory which does not remedy the multitude of gaps in the Region, and;
WHEREAS as a result of community and regional experiences the Mushkegowuk Council of Chiefs resolve that it is unacceptable that the original intent of the Choose Life orders have become lost in the bureaucratic process. Furthermore the Mushkegowuk Council of Chief state that it is not appropriate for Indigenous Services Canada to determine what services are overlapping in our region
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mamowihitowin of Omushkegowuk direct the Mushkegowuk Executive Council to pursue clarification in the policies and implementation of the Choose Life orders, and policies that impact funding applications and programming.
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