New money for Indigenous youth, but little progress on calls for justice
Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth in Winnipeg, has received nearly $1 million in honour of Tina Fontaine.
The money comes from both the federal and provincial governments and will support Tina’s Safe Haven, a 24-hour youth drop-in centre.
“Tina’s life was cut short, but her legacy is enormous,” said Manitoba’s Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine.
Tina Fontaine’s 2014 murder was a catalyst for the MMIWG2S+ movement across Canada and contributed to the launch of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The inquiry issued 231 calls for justice, but five years later, little progress has been made.
“There have been some encouraging steps forward in the implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice. However, a great deal of work remains,” said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse.
Data released this spring found that only two of these calls have been completed, and 50 per cent have seen no progress at all.
The United Nations has repeatedly called on Canada to fulfill its obligations to Indigenous people and communities.
Minister Fontaine said this funding will move the province towards better alignment with the inquiry’s recommendations and reduce the risk of gender-based violence by providing stable, equitable and ongoing funding for Indigenous-centred and community-based health and wellness services.
Your job. Your mission. Your news.
With your support, the sector you're building gets the journalism it deserves, and you get a tax receipt.
