2023-24 Reporting on the Calls for Justice: 2.1 - 2.7: Culture

Among the 181 measures in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) Action Plan, several specific measures related to the recognizing and protecting the cultural and language rights of Indigenous Peoples. These include reviewing the Indigenous Languages Act (Action Plan Measure Shared Priority 91) and establishing measures to facilitate the provision of adequate, sustainable, and long-term funding for the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of Indigenous languages (Action Plan Measure Shared Priority 92). Canadian Heritage will lead these measures.

Lead Department: Justice Canada
Funding Amount: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Justice Canada $31.5M over 2 years (Budget 2021), Justice Canada and Natural Resources Canada $65.8 million over 5 years, starting in 2022–23, and $11 million ongoing (Budget 2022)
Funding Source: Budget 2021 and Budget 2022
Partners: First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders, including modern treaty signatories and self-governing nations and historic treaty partners; National and regional Indigenous representative organizations; Indigenous women; Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Clan Mothers; Youth; Persons with disabilities; 2SLGBTQI+ people; Urban Indigenous people; Indigenous organizations and groups industry associations; Provincial and territorial partners
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: (1.2v, 3.1)

Part of the $5 million increase to the Canada Arts Training Fund is linked to Call for Justice 2ii and the program is responding to this Call for Justice by increasing funding to existing Indigenous recipients and engaging with Indigenous communities to develop and support new Indigenous arts training programs. Indigenous training programs play a significant role in the revitalization of Indigenous cultures and languages. They not only offer formal training in professional arts practices, but provide a connection, and in some cases, reconnection, between Indigenous students and their traditional cultural practices, stories, and languages.

A total of $2,165,000 in increased funding has been approved between 2022–23 and 2025–26 for five existing Indigenous arts training organizations receiving support through the Canada Arts Training Fund in British Columbia, Ontario, and Nunavut, which will enable them to recruit more students and offer expanded culturally relevant training.

The Indigenous Arts Knowledge Exchange (IAKE) initiative has also been approved for an additional $250,000 (125,000 per year for 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 for a revised total of $200,000 per year). IAKE collaborates with Indigenous arts training organizations on a national level to address the specific needs of Indigenous students, including the development of self-determined land-based learning based on decolonized knowledge transmission model.

In 2023–24, the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre in Saskatoon was approved for funding as a new applicant, for a total of $205,000 ($100,000 in 2023–24 and $105,000 in 2024–25).

Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre's professional training program is called Circle of Voices and is a six-month program that mentors up to 15 Indigenous youths, between the ages of 14 and 25, in both theatre skills and traditional cultural knowledge. The heart of the program is to bring together emerging Indigenous artists, Elders, and the professional theatre community to create meaningful, lasting experiences for participants, especially as future professional theatre artists.

During the first year of funding in 2023–24, with Canada Arts Training Fund support, the Circle of Voices program has been able to increase its outreach efforts, resulting in a notable increase in interest from local students. The 2023 application deadline was extended from September 25 to September 29 to enable the Artistic Associate of the program to visit local high schools to ensure that all interested students could submit their application.

At the end of 2023–2024, the Canada Arts Training Fund approved funding for two new Indigenous training programs, for activities taking place starting in 2024–2025. MA'WI Art (NB) will receive $750,000 ($250,000 per year in 2024–25, 2025–26 and 2026–27) for a visual arts training program and Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada/Atlantic Ballet Indigenous (NB) will receive $400,000 ($200,000 per year in 2024–25 and 2025–26) for its Intercultural Indigenous Dance Program (Indigenous contemporary movement, classical ballet, contemporary dance and storytelling) for students in grades 11 and 12.

Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $22.5M/5 years, starting in 2022–23, and $5 million ongoing
Funding Source: Canada Arts Training Fund/Budget 2022
Partners: Indigenous arts training organizations and the Indigenous Arts Knowledge Exchange
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: N/A

The Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program supports this Call for Justice by providing investments in Indigenous Languages. In 2023–24, Canadian Heritage provided $163.8 million to support multi-year strategies and projects for the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of Indigenous languages, for language revitalization projects, through the Indigenous Languages Component of the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program.

For example, Makivvik Corporation is undertaking a five-year plan to support strategies to develop and implement programs and services for Nunavik Inuit, including determining their own partnership and mechanism for funding the preservation, revitalization, promotion and strengthening of Inuktitut.

As part of this project, Makivvik Corporation will fund the Avataq Cultural Institute to establish and operate an Inuktitut Language Authority, a central institution for implementing Illirijavut's report on the state of Inuktitut in Nunavik.

In 2023–24, Makivvik Corporation also launched its first Indigenous Languages and Culture Program call for applications for organizations that support Inuit efforts to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and/or strengthen Inuktitut in Nunavik. In particular, the funding will help Aaqsiiq showcase Inuktitut through theatrical creations and performances.

This call for proposals will also fund several terminology initiatives in various Nunavik communities, as well as terminology workshops led by Makivvik Corporation and supported by its partners, including Kativik Ilisarniliriniq. Taqramiut Nipingat Incorporated will be able to conduct a feasibility study on how to better broadcast its Inuktitut radio programs in Nunavik.

The Métis Nation Saskatchewan government is a undertaking 5-year work plan to carry out Saskatchewan Métis languages priorities, strategies and activities, such as establishing a comprehensive path for the protection and revitalization of the Michif language and increasing access and recognition of Michif in public services.

Further, Canadian Heritage also allocates funding to implement time-limited agreements under sections 8 and 9 of the Indigenous Languages Act. In 2023–24, $35.4M supported twelve such agreements. To date, thirteen Section 8 and 9 agreements have been approved that support which support cooperative partnerships (e.g., across regions or federal/provincial/territorial programs), support economies of scale, address critical gaps that enable Indigenous communities to implement their Indigenous language plans and strategies or test innovations in Indigenous languages revitalization work.

For example, Canadian Heritage entered in an agreement with the First Peoples' Cultural Council of British Columbia to plan and host a Language Revitalization Summer Institute in Victoria, B.C. in August 2023. The 2-week event aimed to increase First Nations capacity in language revitalization. Further, this project supported FPCC to develop a multi-language app, rebuild a First Nations languages keyboard, and digitize language materials. As a result, First Nations communities in British Columbia. will have greater access to tools and resources that will support their language learning."

Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $275M/5 years and $2M ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Indigenous governments; Indigenous governing bodies; Indigenous organizations; Indigenous communities; Federal departments and agencies; provinces and territories
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 2.3, 2.4, 16.2, 16.25

Through the Listen, Hear our Voices initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to Call for Justice 2.2 by providing funds to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations to digitize materials related to Indigenous languages and cultures as well as enhance resources and capacity to carry out this work for their communities. Through its fourth funding cycle, the Listen, Hear our Voices initiative is funding 28 projects in the amount of $1.8 Million. Some examples of projects funded in 2023-24 are:

• Waskaganish Sibi Ayimuweyabi, "Digitization of 1/4" Reel to Reel - Cree Culture & Traditional Heritage" — $89,780 supports the radio station (CJRH 92.5FM) to digitize and preserve 684 hours of reel-to-reel tape dating back to the area's first radio station in the early 1980s. Six radio station employees will receive training in digitization, cleaning digitized sound files, and digital preservation.
• Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, "Tumetalik: Inuit trails and place names across Inuit Nunaat - the Claudio Aporta fonds" — $50,416 supports this non-profit, intergovernmental organization representing Inuvialuit, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and Nunavut. This project will process, digitize, and make accessible records created and donated by Claudio Aporta, Ph.D., who spent over 20 years documenting Inuit traditional knowledge across Inuit Nunangat. This first donation includes one metre of textual records, 10–15 maps, 10 photographs, and approximately 300 GB of digital files.

Through its Listen, Hear Our Voices funding initiative, Library and Archives Canada indirectly responded to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by way of support for the following project:

• Louis Riel Institute, "Voices Not Forgotten: A Digitization Project to Reclaim Michif Voices" — $86,238 supporting the digitization, transcription, and enhancement of access to a collection of audio interviews that document the history, culture and languages of the Métis through the voices of Knowledge Keepers and Elders (1980s–1990s).

Through the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by digitizing the register of delivery patents Aperture Card Subseries for the Métis Archival Project at the University of Alberta. Overall, in 2023–24, 20 collections identified by the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative for digitization contained Métis content. This responds to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by providing access to collections regarding Métis history through digitization and online resources. Métis families and communities can learn, share and reinforce culture and identity through the increased access to records containing Métis content that the We are Here: Sharing Stories project has digitized.

Lead Department: Library and Archives Canada
Funding Amount: $14.9M/4 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Library and Archives Canada Indigenous Advisory Circle; Listen, Hear Our Voices Contribution Program External Review Committee; National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; National Claims Research Directors; Office of the Special Interlocutor
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 16.2, 17.25

An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act), which came into force on January 1, 2020, contributes to addressing Call for Justice 2.2 ii.

The Act identifies cultural continuity as one of the principles which must be applied throughout Canada in the provision of child and family services to Indigenous children. In Section 9(2)(b) of the Act, it is noted that 'the transmission of the languages, cultures, practices, customs, traditions, ceremonies and knowledge of Indigenous peoples is integral to cultural continuity.' The provisions of the Act came into force on January 1, 2020, and it is up to the service providers to apply this principle of cultural continuity.

Additionally, as part of the implementation of the Act, Indigenous Services Canada provides funding to Indigenous governing bodies to support their efforts to develop Indigenous child and family services laws and service models. The laws and service models often incorporate the benefits of maintaining Indigenous language, cultural practices and recognition of Indigenous Elders as a part of the provision of child and family services.

If coordination agreements are concluded to support the implementation of these Indigenous child and family services laws and Indigenous child and family services models, Indigenous Services Canada also provides funding to support the delivery of culturally-appropriate child and family services programming.

As of March 31, 2024, ten Indigenous child and family services laws came into force via the framework of the Act since January 1, 2020. Additionally, six coordination agreements and one bilateral agreement were completed to support Indigenous governing bodies in exercising jurisdiction.

In 2023–24, four Indigenous child and family services laws came into force, and there were 21 active coordination agreement discussion tables to support Indigenous governing bodies wanting to exercise jurisdiction via the framework of the Act.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: Economic and Fiscal Snapshot: $542M over five years; Budget 2021: $73.6M over four years; Budget 2022: $87.3M over three to five years; Various funding sources: $1.29B – Funding allocated for various term lengths (up to ten years) starting over different fiscal years; Budget 2024: $1.8B over eleven years
Funding Source: Various
Partners: National Indigenous Organizations; Regional Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous, Federal, provincial and territorial governments; and First Nation, Inuit and Métis Indigenous governing bodies
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 29, 34, 36
Related Calls for Justice: 1.2 v, 1.3, 2.3, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10, 12.11, 12.14, 16.14, 16.16, 16.17, 16.18, 17.3, 17.4, 17.16, 17.17, 17.18

The First Nations Child and Family Services Program reform contributes to addressing Call for Justice ii.

The objective of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program is to support thriving children, youth, young adults, families and communities by funding eligible recipients to deliver prevention and protection services such as child protection, guardianship and support and child maintenance and care for children and families ordinarily resident on reserve or in the Yukon; and to deliver First Nations Representative Services.

The First Nations Child and Services Program's revised terms and conditions, which were developed in collaboration with First Nations partners that are parties to the human rights complaint about the program, continue to improve aspects of the program that were determined by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to be discriminatory. Changes to the First Nations Child and Family Services Program emphasize that children and family well-being, including, the safety and best interests of the child(ren) are paramount and that cultural and linguistic connections should be upheld. These changes also help to ensure that the First Nations Child and Family Services Program aligns with the principle of cultural continuity set out in An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families which must be followed by all service providers delivering child and family services to Indigenous children across Canada.

Per the First Nations Child and Family Services Program's terms and conditions, eligible expenditures related to Indigenous languages and culture include:

• Protection and Post-Majority Care: Interpretation costs including cultural and First Nations language supports to ensure the delivery of culturally appropriate services.
• Prevention: Assistance for children and families to support and facilitate the maintenance and enhancement of community connections by coordinating access to culture and language programs, including one-on-one assistance to strengthen families.
• First Nation Representative Services: Program delivery costs and family support services including supporting specific needs for children, youth, and families at risk of becoming involved with the child and family services system and those already involved in the child and family services system. This includes assistance for children and families to support and facilitate reunification, repatriation, maintenance and enhancement of community connections by coordinating access to culture and language programs, including one-on-one assistance to strengthen families.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: Budget 2021: $1B over 5 years and $118.7M ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: First Nations; First Nations child and family services agencies; Parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint regarding the Program; National First Nation organizations; Regional First Nation organizations; and provincial and territorial governments and agencies
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 1.2 v, 1.3, 2.3, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10, 12.11, 12.14

On April 1, 2019, Indigenous Services Canada implemented a co-developed policy and funding approach for First Nations education on reserve. In this approach, students in First Nation schools on reserve are supported by predictable core funding comparable to funding in provincial education systems, plus common investments to meet First Nations' specific needs. These common investments include additional funding for language and culture, full-day kindergarten, and before and after-school programming.

Budget 2021 invested $515 million over five years, and $112 million ongoing to support before- and after-school care on reserve.

Increasing access to on-reserve before- and after-school programming is expected to support parents and primary caregivers in balancing work and family, and could also reduce barriers by providing more opportunities for young parents to attend school or enter and remain in the workforce.

Building on the implementation in 2021-22, Indigenous Services Canada expanded the scope of before- and after-school programming to include a wider number of First Nations students living on reserve, including those attending provincial and private schools.

Indigenous Services Canada continues to implement these investments on an ongoing basis (currently implementing year three of before- and after-school programming) and continues to engage with regions and First Nations partners to discuss lessons learned from early implementation of before- and after-school programming and direction/expectations for the future.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canda
Funding Amount: $515M/5 years, and $112M ongoing (starting in 2021–2022)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: First Nations recipients funded through the Elementary and Secondary Education Program; Self-governing and modern treaty First Nations (where eligible)
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 4.4

Through Budget 2021, $108.8 million funding was invested over two years, starting in 2021–22, to re-establish and revitalize Indigenous cultural spaces. This initiative was part of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People, the Government of Canada's contribution to the National Action Plan.

Through the Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program, the Government of Canada supported construction and revitalization projects including, but not limited to long houses, women's lodges, powwow grounds, heritage parks, cultural centers as well as facilities to support cultural ceremonies and teachings, ensuring that that women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals have increased access to inclusive and safe cultural spaces where they can share experiences, connect with their communities, and participate in cultural activities without discrimination, harassment, or denial of identity.

The Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program responds to Call for Justice 2.3 requiring all governments to ensure that Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people have safe, no-barrier, permanent, and meaningful access to their cultures and languages to restore, reclaim, and revitalize their cultures and identities by supporting Indigenous communities in designing and implementing infrastructure project that will offer cultural programming, teaching and spaces to host events. The program further supports Call for Miskotahâ 21 which emphasizes the importance of bringing together Métis communities and families to share, learn about and reinforce Métis culture and a positive sense of Métis identity.

Key progress in 2023-24 included:

• 17 completed projects to date with up to 30 more anticipated by end March 31, 2024.
• The launch of a public facing project map on the Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program webpage with all 66 funded projects (64 First Nation/1 Métis/1 Inuit).
• 3 new public announcements undertaken across the country (in addition to 14 earlier announcements in fiscal years 2021–22 and 2022–23) with more events anticipated to celebrate the opening of new and renovated spaces in 2024–25.

On July 12th, 2023 (NB), the Natoaganeg First Nation, the Neqotkuk First Nation, and Crown–Indigenous Relations announced $150,000 funding to determine the need for and feasibility of constructing facilities that will provide culturally safe spaces for members—including women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals—to gather and connect with their history, culture and language.

On September 8th, 2023 (NL), the Flat Bay Band-No'kmaq Village, Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced $2.4 million in funding for the construction of the new Mary Webb's Gathering Place. The new wellness centre will provide a safe space for members, including women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, to gather and connect with their history through community events, cultural amenities and programs.

On November 16th, 2023 (BC), the Sc'ianew First Nation (Beecher Bay), and Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced $5,439,245 in funding for the construction of the Community Cultural Space Centre. Upon completion the Beecher Bay Community Centre will be a permanent and safe community hub for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. This will be achieved through inclusive building design, staffing, and programming.

Lead Department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Funding Amount: $108.8M/2 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Indigenous Services Canada; Canadian Heritage; Infrastructure Canada
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: N/A

This initiative supports Call for Justice 2.3 related to support for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people to restore, reclaim, and revitalize their cultures and languages through a new funding approach that includes additional support for language and cultural programming for students attending First Nations operated schools. It also supports Call for Justice 4.4 related to access to resources, which includes education, for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people within Indigenous communities, specifically within First Nations communities.

In 2022–23, ISC's Elementary and Secondary Education Program provided funding to help support First Nations in the delivery of over 500 First Nations-administered education programs nationally. The Program funded approximately 114,150 First Nations students ordinarily resident on reserve to attend First Nations-administered schools, as well as provincial, private and federal schools. Budget 2021 investments provided supports to enhance funding formulas in critical areas such as student transportation; ensure funding for First Nations schools remains predictable from year to year; and increase First Nations control over First Nations education by concluding more regional education agreements.

Indigenous Services Canada has implemented the Budget 2021 funding announcements for on-reserve education. As a result, First Nations children are being better supported through the new funding approach for kindergarten to grade 12 schools on-reserve, with an approximate 80% national funding increase between 2015–16 and 2022–23. In addition, in 2022–23, almost 94% of students attending First Nations administered schools were taught at least one subject in a First Nations language, and over 8,000 students were also provided access to full-time kindergarten at First Nations-administered schools.

Indigenous Services Canada continues to implement these investments on an ongoing basis. Engagement with First Nation partners on the implementation of these new investments are ongoing through established regional technical tables as well as the Assembly of First Nations' National Indian Education Council and the Ontario Chiefs' Committee on Education. Indigenous Services Canada also continues to work with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to engage with self-governing and modern treaty First Nations.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canda
Funding Amount: $726M/ 5 years and $188M ongoing (starting in 2021–22) (In addition to existing, ongoing underlying Program funding)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Assembly of First Nations' National Indian Education Council and Chiefs' Committee on Education; Self-governing and modern treaty First Nations (where eligible); First Nations recipients funded through the Elementary and Secondary Education Program
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 4.4

The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative, a horizontal initiative, contributes to the Federal Pathway given the important role Indigenous early learning and child care programs and services play in enabling the continuum of care to Indigenous communities, which is an important component contributing to the broader strategy envisioned under the national Action Plan on MMIWG.

The Initiative contributes to addressing the MMIWG Calls for Justice to enhance access to and support the revitalization and restoration of Indigenous cultures and languages.

Guided by the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework Employment and Social Development Canada will continue to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation governments and organizations in supporting Indigenous-led Early Learning and Child Care programs and services, delivered in communities across the country.

In the spirt of advancing reconciliation and in working in a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leadership, the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Initiative uses a distinctions-based partnership model to facilitate Indigenous-led decision-making to advance national and regional Early Learning and Child Care priorities and lay the groundwork towards the eventual transfer of Early Learning and Child Care programs to Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care authorities.

In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, working horizontally with federal departments, the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Initiative continued to be advanced with Indigenous partners to:

• enable greater influence and control by Indigenous peoples over Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care programs and services
• support early learning and child care priorities set by Indigenous communities, including those in urban and northern communities.
• strengthen foundational supports for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care
• enhance horizontal coordination of federal programs and investments
• support the design, delivery and implementation of new infrastructure funding to build and maintain new child care centres
• support Indigenous-led Quality Improvement Projects to develop and promote models to strengthen capacity and improve service quality
• advance the co-development of distinctions-based results frameworks including performance indicators and targets

In 2023–24, many Indigenous partners continued offering wrap-around supports, including literacy, nutrition, health, and parenting support, to ensure Indigenous families receive holistic and integrated services. Indigenous governance continued to be strengthened through capacity funding. Furthermore, the Initiative continued to support safe and healthy facilities by providing funding for urgent repairs and renovations as well as funding towards the building and maintenance of new centres. New infrastructure funding will help to build new centres and replace old ones where needed. In addition, the department of Employment and Social Development Canada supported Indigenous-led quality improvement projects. These projects develop and promote best practices or innovative models to strengthen the quality of Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care programs and services in communities.

2023–24 examples

• 38 new Indigenous-led Quality Improvement Projects will be supported by Employment and Social Development Canada starting in 2023–24. These projects will develop and promote best practices or innovative models to strengthen the quality of Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care programs and services in communities, including the preservations of language,culture, and identity. These are in addition to the thirty-two Quality Improvement Projects projects that have been funded to date.
• This was the first year of new Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure investments announced in Budget 2021. The funding aims to build new early learning and child care centres and upgrade older ones ensuring that there are high quality facilities for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care children. The investment will help grow the availability of Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care sector and improve access for Indigenous children and families.
• Inuit Nunangat partners continued to advance a vision for an Inuit Early Learning and Child Care system that provides opportunities to learn and speak Inuktut and benefit from Inuit programming. Inuit Early Learning and Child Care supports cultural revitalization that connects Inuit with their land, culture, language, and histories.
• The Government has funded over 400 proposals through repairs and renovations funding. These aimed to address immediate health and safety needs of existing Aboriginal Head start and Day care sites.

Lead Department: Employment and Social Development Canada
Funding Amount: $1.7B over 10 years (Budget 2017); $120M in emergency funding in 2020–21; $145M over 5 years and $225M ongoing (Fall Economic Statement 2020); $2.5B over 5 years and $542M per year ongoing (Budget 2021); All investments are incremental to existing ongoing investments in IELCC legacy programs
Partners: Employment and Social Development Canada-Service Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and First Nation, Inuit and Métis governments and representatives – participating in IELCC partnership tables at the national and regional levels
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 16.4, 16.21, 16.25, 17.26

The Indigenous Languages Component of the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program supports in part Call for Justice 2.3 by providing funding support to First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities in their efforts to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen their languages.

In 2023–24, the Department introduced new jointly developed distinction-based funding models for Indigenous languages that move away from a departmental-led call-for-applications approach that supports short-term projects to new models that provide greater Indigenous autonomy, long-term funding and better responsiveness to First Nations, Inuit and Métis priorities, including language revitalization initiatives for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+, as they see fit.

For example, the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association is developing a strategic language plan to revitalize Michif language in Prince Albert, Duck Lake, Atoche, St-Louis and surrounding areas, in which they will deliver a culture camp, launch a book and produce booklets, stories and activity books.

Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $275M/5 years and $2M ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Indigenous governments; Indigenous governing bodies; Indigenous organizations; Indigenous communities; Federal departments and agencies; provinces and territories
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 2.2ii, 2.4, 16.2, 16.25

The We are Here, Sharing Stories initiative responds to Call for Justice 2.3 by uploading digitized content to Library and Archives Canada's publicly accessible Collection Search. In November 2023, We are Here, Sharing Stories had achieved and surpassed its project goal of 450,000 digitized images. For example, this initiative:

• Digitized and uploaded 331 images of content related to First Nations Inuit and Métis, from the Status of Women of Canada fonds.
• Digitized and uploaded 4322 images of Inuit related content from the Inuit Women's Association of Canada fonds.
• Digitized and uploading 67 titles of rare books in Indigenous languages.

Through the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by digitizing the register of delivery patents Aperture Card Subseries for the Métis Archival Project at the University of Alberta. Overall, in 2023–24, 20 collections identified by the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative for digitization contained Métis content. This responds to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by providing access to collections regarding Métis history through digitization and online resources. Métis families and communities can learn, share and reinforce culture and identity through the increased access to records containing Métis content that the We are Here : Sharing Stories project has digitized.

Lead Department: Library and Archives Canada
Funding Amount: $14.9M/4 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: LAC Indigenous Advisory Circle; Listen, Hear Our Voices Contribution Program External Review Committee; National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; National Claims Research Directors; Office of the Special Interlocutor
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: 2.2(ii), 2.4, 2.5, 16.2, 17.25

An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act), which came into force on January 1, 2020, contributes to addressing Call for Justice 2.3.

The Act identifies cultural continuity as one of the principles which must be applied throughout Canada in the provision of child and family services to Indigenous children. In Section 9(2)(b) of the Act, it is noted that 'the transmission of the languages, cultures, practices, customs, traditions, ceremonies and knowledge of Indigenous peoples is integral to cultural continuity.' The provisions of the Act came into force on January 1, 2020, and it is up to the service providers to apply this principle of cultural continuity.

Additionally, as part of the implementation of the Act, Indigenous Services Canada provides funding to Indigenous governing bodies to support their efforts to develop Indigenous child and family services laws and service models. The laws and service models often incorporate the benefits of maintaining Indigenous language, cultural practices and recognition of Indigenous Elders as a part of the provision of child and family services.

If coordination agreements are concluded to support the implementation of these Indigenous child and family services laws and Indigenous child and family services models, Indigenous Services Canada also provides funding to support the delivery of culturally-appropriate child and family services programming.

As of March 31, 2024, ten Indigenous child and family services laws came into force via the framework of the Act since January 1, 2020. Additionally, six coordination agreements and one bilateral agreement were completed to support Indigenous governing bodies in exercising jurisdiction.

In 2023–24, four Indigenous child and family services laws came into force and there were 21 active coordination agreement discussions tables to support Indigenous governing bodies wanting to exercise jurisdiction via the framework of the Act.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: Economic and Fiscal Snapshot: $542M over five years; Budget 2021: $73.6M over four years; Budget 2022: $87.3M over three to five years; Various funding sources: $1.29 B – Funding allocated for various term lengths (up to ten years) starting over different fiscal years; Budget 2024: $1.8B over eleven years
Funding Source: Various
Partners: National Indigenous Organizations; Regional Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous, Federal, provincial and territorial governments; and First Nation, Inuit and Métis Indigenous governing bodies
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 29, 34, 36
Related Calls for Justice: 1.2 v, 1.3, 2.2 ii, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10, 12.11, 12.14, 16.14, 16.16, 16.17, 16.18, 17.3, 17.4, 17.16, 17.17, 17.18

The First Nations Child and Family Services Program reform contributes to Call for Justice 2.3.

The objective of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program is to support thriving children, youth, young adults, families and communities by funding eligible recipients to deliver prevention and protection services such as child protection, guardianship and support and child maintenance and care for children and families ordinarily resident on reserve or in the Yukon; and to deliver First Nations Representative Services.

The First Nations Child and Family Services Program's revised terms and conditions, which were developed in collaboration with First Nations partners that are parties to the human rights complaint about the program, continue to improve aspects of the program that were determined by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to be discriminatory. Changes to the First Nations Child and Family Services Program emphasize that children and family well-being, including, the safety and best interests of the child(ren) are paramount and that cultural and linguistic connections should be upheld. These changes also help to ensure that the First Nations Child and Family Services Program aligns with the principle of cultural continuity set out in An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families which must be followed by all service providers delivering child and family services to Indigenous children across Canada.

Per the First Nations Child and Family Services Program's terms and conditions, eligible expenditures related to Indigenous languages and culture include:

• Protection and Post-Majority Care: Interpretation costs including cultural and First Nations language supports to ensure the delivery of culturally appropriate services.
• Prevention: Assistance for children and families to support and facilitate the maintenance and enhancement of community connections by coordinating access to culture and language programs, including one-on-one assistance to strengthen families.
• First Nation Representative Services: Program delivery costs and family support services including supporting specific needs for children, youth, and families at risk of becoming involved with the child and family services system and those already involved in the child and family services system. This includes assistance for children and families to support and facilitate reunification, repatriation, maintenance and enhancement of community connections by coordinating access to culture and language programs, including one-on-one assistance to strengthen families.

Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: Budget 2021: $1B over 5 years and $118.7M ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: First Nations; First Nations child and family services agencies; Parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint regarding the Program; National First Nation organizations; Regional First Nation organizations; and provincial and territorial governments and agencies
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 1.2 v, 1.3, 2.2 ii, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10, 12.11, 12.14

The Indigenous Languages Component of the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program supports in part Call for Justice 2.4 by providing support to First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities in their efforts to reclaim, revitalize, strengthen and maintain their languages. This can include projects to digitize recordings of elders speaking Indigenous languages.

For example, the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia are implementing a 5-year Michif language revitalization plan, in which they are creating videos, educational resources and learning opportunities and initiatives to support Michif learners.

Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $275M/5 years and $2M ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Indigenous governments; Indigenous governing bodies; Indigenous organizations; Indigenous communities; Federal departments and agencies; provinces and territories
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 2.2ii, 2.3, 16.2, 16.25

Through the Listen, Hear our Voices initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to Call for Justice 2.4 by providing funding to community-led projects involving digitizing interviews with Knowledge Keepers and language speakers for the preservation of Indigenous language and knowledge.

Through funding received for Listen, Hear Our Voices for the Developing long-term capacity for digitizing First Nations language materials in the Yukon (2019–23), the Yukon Native Language Centre was able to set up a state-of-the-art digitization facility, work closely with 11 of 14 Yukon First Nations to identify prioritized audio recordings for digitization, and digitize a total of 653 of the prioritized materials.

The goal of this follow-up project is to continue the digitization of priority materials identified by 10 Yukon First Nations and to work with the 3 Yukon First Nations who were unable to participate in the initial program to identify and digitize priority recordings of their First Nations languages.

Through the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by digitizing the register of delivery patents Aperture Card Subseries for the Métis Archival Project at the University of Alberta. Overall, in 2023–24, 20 collections identified by the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative for digitization contained Métis content. This responds to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by providing access to collections regarding Métis history through digitization and online resources. Métis families and communities can learn, share and reinforce culture and identity through the increased access to records containing Métis content that the We are Here : Sharing Stories project has digitized.

Lead Department: Library and Archives Canada
Funding Amount: $14.9M/4 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: LAC Indigenous Advisory Circle; Listen, Hear Our Voices Contribution Program External Review Committee; National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; National Claims Research Directors; Office of the Special Interlocutor
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: 2.2(ii), 2.3, 2.5, 16.2, 17.25

Library and Archives Canada has responded to Call for Justice 2.5 by funding and providing support for community-level projects by First Nations, Inuit and Métis Organizations through its Listen, Hear our Voices Initiative.

Through its fourth funding cycle, the Listen, Hear our Voices initiative is funding 28 projects in the amount of $1.8 Million. Examples of projects include:

• The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation's project titled, "Iqqaumavavut: 'We Remember Them; Archival Project," carries on work that began in 2014. To date the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation has digitized over 3,000 analog, mostly U-Matic, formats. The continuation of the project focuses on cataloguing and digitizing 300 Betacam tapes for the fiscal year 2023-24. The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation promotes and preserves Inuit culture, history and language through training, education and producing quality Inuktitut programming, including five annual series for adults and children. Listen, Hear Our Voices funding assists in cataloguing, digitizing, describing, and making their vast archive collection publicly available.

Through the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative, Library and Archives Canada has responded to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by digitizing the register of delivery patents Aperture Card Subseries for the Métis Archival Project at the University of Alberta. Overall, in 2023–24, 20 collections identified by the We are Here: Sharing Stories initiative for digitization contained Métis content. This responds to the Call for Miskotahâ 21 by providing access to collections regarding Métis history through digitization and online resources. Métis families and communities can learn, share and reinforce culture and identity through the increased access to records containing Métis content that the We are Here : Sharing Stories project has digitized.

Lead Department: Library and Archives Canada
Funding Amount: $14.9M/4 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: LAC Indigenous Advisory Circle; Listen, Hear Our Voices Contribution Program External Review Committee; National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; National Claims Research Directors; Office of the Special Interlocutor
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: 2.2(ii), 2.3, 2.4, 16.2, 17.25

Fiscal year 2022–23 marked the end of Canada's first anti-racism strategy Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–22. To support the Strategy, the Government committed $95M from 2019 to 2023 to combat systemic racism and discrimination in Canada, including $70M to support community organizations across the country in addressing racism.

Canada's new Anti-Racism Strategy 2023–28 will be announced shortly.

The Government provided $85 million in Budget 2022 to renew the Anti-Racism Strategy and to develop an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, with a further financial commitment made in Budget 2023 of $25.4 million over five years to support Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2023–28.

Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2023–28 will build on the lessons and accomplishments from the first Strategy and will be grounded in robust evidence and input from people and communities with lived experience of racism including Indigenous Peoples and members of Black, racialized, and religious minority communities.

For many, racism is often connected to other forms of oppression, such as sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and discrimination based on language. These different types of discrimination can intersect and make the experience of racism even more severe and painful. Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2023–28 will aim to address these intersections through a strong intersectional framework to combat systemic racism in federal policies, programs, and services.

Lead Department: Economic and Social Development Canada; Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $85 million over four years, starting in 2022–23; $25.4 million over five years
Funding Source: Budget 2022, Budget 2023
Partners:
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: N/A

On March 14, 2024, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced permanent funding to support Indigenous-led storytelling through the Indigenous Screen Office. This includes $65 million over five years starting in 2024–25 and $13 million per year ongoing.

Since its inception, in 2021, the Indigenous Screen Office Program (ISOP) has supported Indigenous self-determination and the representation of Indigenous Peoples in media by funding the Indigenous Screen Office corporation. The Indigenous Screen Office, which is an Indigenous-led organization, supports Indigenous storytellers who create authentic stories. As an Indigenous-led initiative, the Indigenous Screen Office Program directly responds to Call for Justice 2.7 by supporting Indigenous creators, who through their work and projects, will improve the representation of Indigenous Peoples in Indigenous and non-Indigenous media outlets. It also responds to Call for Miskotahâ 21 by applying the Gender Based Analysis Plus from a Métis-specific lens in the ISOP policy development and implementation, for instance by gathering Métis-specific disaggregated data.

In total, the Indigenous Screen Office has funded 209 development and production projects in the Indigenous audiovisual sector. Some notable projects are the series Little Bird, available on the mainstream streaming platform Crave, Bones of Crows, Dear flora, and the acclaimed films Night Raiders and Slash/Back. According to this 2023 report, in 2021-22, the total volume of audiovisual production supported by the Indigenous Screen Office ($102.9 million) generated an estimated 1,440 FTEs of employment.

The Indigenous Screen Office continues to improve representation of Indigenous Peoples in media by its advocacy work. For example, the Indigenous Screen Office has funded delegations to international events to promote Indigenous screen content locally and internationally, such as the Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, in 2022–23, the Indigenous Screen Office committed $1 million to help build a studio in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Some examples of funded projects in 2022–23 include:

• Interactive and Immersive Program and a Podcasting Program
• A first iteration of a Production Program that provides largescale funding for features and series, which could have a larger commercial impact in improving the representation of Indigenous Peoples in media
• Travel for the Banff Indigenous Screen summit, Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs, and imagineNATIVE.
• In September 2023, the Indigenous Screen Office held a breakfast at the Toronto International Film Festival to provide an opportunity for over 200 Indigenous creators and industry stakeholders to meet informally as a community to network and discuss their barriers to success, goals and projects.
• The Indigenous Screen Office attended Content London with a delegation of four series producers and is partnering with Ontario Creates to bring 11 Indigenous producers to New Zealand for a Trade Mission. In addition, the Indigenous Screen Office attended the Global Affairs Trade Mission in Japan and is continuing conversations regarding Expo 2025.
• First-ever International Indigenous Co-Production Forum at Cannes on May 18, with 20 producers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Greenland and Samiland.
• The Indigenous Screen Office attended the International Indigenous Film Conference in Norway, hosted by the Sami Film Institute.

Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $40.1M for 2021– $65M for 2024–29 and $13M per year ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021 and Budget 2024
Partners: National Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous stakeholders and partners
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 21
Related Calls for Justice: 6.1