Latest news with #Mi'kmaq
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa says it wants to improve income assistance program on First Nation reserves
A highway sign that highlights Nova Scotia's rich Mi'kmaq heritage stands along the Trans-Canada Highway near Amherst, N.S., on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan The federal government says it is committed to working with Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia to improve the income assistance program -- though Ottawa has yet to provide details on the progress of negotiations. The comments from Indigenous Services Canada and for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada are in response to criticism that there is a gap of more than $25 million a year between what First Nations people on reserve receive from Ottawa and what they would get from Nova Scotia if they lived off reserve. Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, a group that represents 12 of 13 Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, has said some people living on reserve who rely on income assistance from Ottawa are being kept in deep poverty because of the inadequate assistance. A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada and for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said the federal government has been working closely with Maritime First Nations since 2016 to develop a 'culturally responsive system' for delivering income assistance, but didn't provide details. Anispiragas Piragasanathar said in an email Wednesday, the two departments 'remain committed to working with the Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk to ensure that the program is more responsive to the needs of the Income Assistance clients they represent.' Piragasanathar added that because the negotiations are confidential, he cannot offer further comment at this time. He did not immediately respond to followup questions about what progress has been made with on-reserve income assistance since 2016, or if negotiations with Mi'kmaq First Nations have resumed. Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk said Tuesday the Mi'kmaq had been negotiating a self-governing agreement for social assistance with the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia between 2021 and 2024, then Ottawa halted negotiations in 2024 after the Mi'kmaq submitted a plan to negotiate a fiscal arrangement to deliver social assistance on reserve based on provincial levels. The group said that on July 9 the Mi'kmaq passed a resolution requesting that Canada return to the negotiation table to finalize an agreement this fiscal year. James Michael, a lead negotiator with Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, said in an interview Tuesday it's a serious issue that affects the health and well-being of people living on reserve. 'This is not about a handout, this is about enabling people to basically start to lift themselves out of deep poverty,' Michael said. Michael said the federal government offers rates as low as $13 a day for a single person, not enough to cover food or other basic necessities. 'There's community support, people helping out other people, and people stretching their dollar as far as it can go. But I don't know how people do it, to be honest,' Michael said, adding that many end up forgoing healthy food because they cannot afford it. Leroy Denny, chief of Eskasoni First Nation, said in a statement Tuesday, 'our people are tired of the intergenerational trauma caused by an under-resourced federal income assistance program.' For people living off reserve, Nova Scotia offers basic income assistance rates starting at $644 a month for individuals who board, meaning they have a bedroom inside a home belonging to someone else. The payments rise to $726 a month for an individual who rents or owns a home, and who doesn't have dependants or isn't a student. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025. By Lyndsay Armstrong
Hamilton Spectator
14 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ottawa says it wants to improve income assistance program on First Nation reserves
The federal government says it is committed to working with Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia to improve the income assistance program. The comments are in response to criticism that there is a gap of more than $25 million a year between what First Nations people on reserve receive from Ottawa and what they would get from Nova Scotia if they lived off reserve. Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, a group that represents 12 of 13 Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, says some people living on reserve who rely on income assistance from Ottawa are being kept in deep poverty. A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada and for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada says Ottawa is working to make its income assistance program 'more responsive' to people in need. Anispiragas Piragasanathar says the government has been in talks with Maritime First Nations and Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk since 2016 on improving income assistance for people on reserve. The spokesperson says Ottawa and the Indigenous groups are trying to come up with a 'culturally responsive' program, but didn't provide details. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Everybody's welcome' to large powwow at Cape Breton's Open Hearth Park
SYDNEY - Every First Nation on Cape Breton Island will come together on the weekend of Aug. 8-10 to take part in a Powwow at Open Hearth Park. And we're all invited. 'Everybody's welcome. We invite all people. If you're a human being you're welcome. All nations, all backgrounds. This is a Mawio'mi – that's what it is – a coming together in a good way,' says Jeff Ward, the powwow emcee and executive producer. Ward is also the general manager of the Membertou Heritage Park. 'If it was a rodeo – everybody goes. If it's the North Sydney Exhibition everyone goes.' 'Everyone goes to Ribfest at the very same location as this. If you're all welcome to come to Ribfest – you're all welcome to come to the Mawio'mi.' The annual Membertou Powwow is being held the weekend before on Aug. 1-3, so people living in Unama'ki will have two opportunities to attend a powwow or mawio'mi. Mawio'mi is a Mi'kmaq word increasingly being used as a synonym for powwow. It signifies a cultural gathering, celebration, or powwow where people come together to celebrate traditions, share stories, and connect with their culture. It is an important time of community-building and passing along of traditions to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The powwow on Aug. 9-10 is being held as part of the cultural Wi'kipaltimk (we-ga-ball-dim-k) 2025 festival being held that weekend in Sydney. Each of the First Nations communities in Cape Breton – Membertou, Eskasoni, Potlotek, Whycocomagh and Wagmatcook – welcomes the opportunity to host new friends and old friends who will attend this event of joy, dance, song, drums and artistry. FOR FAMILIES Ward stresses that the festival is a true family event. It will include award-winning performers at night; traditional food; drumming and dancing; cultural vendors; and educational workshops and teachings. He says every generation from babies to great-grandparents, will be participating and welcoming others. He hopes people outside the Indigenous communities attend for the cultural learning it will provide. For example, he wants people to listen to the drumming because he knows how much the sound draws people in. 'Everybody that has a heart is connected. That drum – I call it the Big Bang Theory – is the very first sound you heard in your life. It was your mother's heartbeat. That's the beauty of the drum and the secret to spirituality,' Ward says. 'The first teaching of the Mi'kmaq seven teachings is love. It was love that brought you here.' 'The opposite of love is fear. Some people are fearful of coming to our powwow and asking, 'Why does that drum attract me?' They're scared – they know there's something here (and he hits his chest) but they don't realise it's based on love.' GUIDED BY SURVIVORS The festival is being led by Indigenous voices and guided by survivors of Indian Day School. Ward is one of them. He says there has been so much emphasis on the abuse suffered by those who attended Indian Residential Schools that some people may not know about the Indian Day Schools. He says the things that happened there get overlooked. 'People say, 'Well, they got to home every day,' but there were still experiments done to us.' One of the examples he remembers is daily fluoride flushes. 'Why were we doing it every single day? That kind of exposure to fluoride is not healthy.' Another was giving them milk every day, even though it made some of them sick. 'They made sure we had milk every day even though we are lactose intolerant,' he says. (Lactose intolerance is common among the Indigenous population.) When he entered regular school in Sydney for Grade 7, those things stopped because children in regular school didn't have the same treatment. 'It was like the system was set up for us to fail because we weren't prepared,' Ward says. 'We didn't have the same curriculum in Indian Day School as others. Why wasn't it identical when we were going to go to the same universities?' Other survivors have stories from school that traumatized them and changed their lives. Wi'kipaltimk 2025 will honour those who survived Indian Day School by bringing their treatment to light and showing respect by offering them a time of joy, compassion and healing. The entire weekend is an alcohol and drug-free event where intoxication and bad behaviour will not be tolerated by organizers or security guards on duty. This includes the evening concerts featuring some of the best musical talent in Nova Scotia. Headliners include Neon Dreams, the duo that just won the East Coast Music Award for Best Group 2025. Ward is pleased that so many Unama'ki First Nation communities will be coming together to celebrate Wi'kipaltimk 2025 in the same place. 'It's important to honour your local people as much as you can because that's where pride is. You have that sense of belonging by honouring your people.' If You Go Where: Wi'kipaltimk 2025 cultural festival, Open Hearth Park, Sydney When: Aug 8 –10 with Powwow Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 5 p.m. Things to Bring: Bug spray and sunscreen A sun or rain umbrella Bring a chair just in case. There are chairs for elders but bring your own lawn chairs and leave them in the car unless needed. Cameras to take lots of photos Blankets or jackets for evening events An open heart Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
N.S. Mi'kmaq chiefs call on Ottawa to address income assistance disparity on reserves
Mi'kmaq leaders from Nova Scotia are calling on Ottawa to urgently address the income assistance disparity they say is keeping some families on reserve in deep poverty. Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, which represents 12 of the 13 Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, says Canada must raise on-reserve income assistance rates to provincial levels. The group says there is a gap of more than $25 million a year between what First Nations people on reserve receive from Ottawa and what they would receive from Nova Scotia if they lived off reserve. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Sen. Paul Prosper, who is a Mi'kmaq lawyer from Nova Scotia, says First Nations in the province are asking for basic human and legal rights, and poverty-reducing support that's comparable to what others access off reserve. James Michael, a lead negotiator with Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, says the disparity in income assistance rates is keeping some people on reserve in 'deep poverty,' making it impossible for some to access healthy food. Story continues below advertisement A representative from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada was not immediately available for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
N.S. Mi'kmaq chiefs call on Ottawa to address income assistance disparity on reserves
Mi'kmaq leaders from Nova Scotia are calling on Ottawa to urgently address the income assistance disparity they say is keeping some families on reserve in deep poverty. Ta'n Etli-tpi'tmk, which represents 12 of the 13 Mi'kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, says Canada must raise on-reserve income assistance rates to provincial levels.
