Annual Report to Parliament 2025

National Trends in Indigenous Economic Contributions

In 2022, Indigenous Peoples generated $60.2 billion in economic activity, representing 2.3% of the national GDI. This underscores the important role that Indigenous Peoples, businesses, and communities play in shaping the country's economic landscape.

The breakdown of GDI by Indigenous groups — First Nations, Métis, Inuit, multiple Indigenous identities, or other Indigenous identity^{Footnote roman numeral 6vi} — and by on-reserve versus off-reserve status is only available for Census years (2015 and 2020). In 2020, First Nations contributed the largest share to Indigenous GDI, with $24.6 billion (49.7%), followed by Métis at $20.8 billion (42.0%), Inuit at $2.3 billion (4.7%), and other Indigenous identity groups at $1.8 billion (3.6%). That same year, 90.5% of Indigenous GDI came from individuals living off-reserve. These patterns largely reflect population distribution: in 2021, the Indigenous population totaled 1,807,250, comprising 62.3% First Nations (46.0% Registered Indian and 16.3% non-status Indian), 32.4% Métis, 3.9% Inuit and 1.4% other Indigenous identity. Of the total population, 322,805 individuals (17.9%) lived on reserve and 1,484,445 (82.1%) lived off reserve.

Between 2012 and 2022, the Indigenous GDI steadily increased from $34.5 to $60.2 billion (+74.5%) as shown in Figure 1. This growth rate varied in recent years, with no  growth recorded in 2020, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous GDI rebounded strongly in 2021, growing by +10.90% as the economy recovered. In other years, annual growth rates ranged from +4.3% to +9.7%, except for 2016, which saw a modest increase of +1.5%. Over the same time, the Indigenous GDI growth rates consistently outpaced national GDI growth rates, except in 2016, 2021 and 2022. This trend reflects the growing economic contribution of Indigenous Peoples, businesses and communities, in both absolute and relative terms.

Indigenous GDI also grew significantly across Indigenous groups between 2015 and 2020. First Nations experienced the largest increase, rising by $5.3 billion (27.5%), followed by Inuit ($0.3 billion or +15.0%), and Métis (2.3 billion or +12.4%).

Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Indigenous Peoples Economic Account, 2012 to 2022.

Text alternative for Figure 1: Indigenous gross domestic income, Canada, 2012 to 2022

Year	Indigenous GDI (in Billions of Dollars)	Indigenous GDI growth rate	National GDI growth rate
2012	$34.5
2013	$37.1	7.5%	4.2%
2014	$39.3	5.9%	4.8%
2015	$41.0	4.3%	-0.6%
2016	$41.6	1.5%	1.7%
2017	$43.3	6.5%	5.5%
2018	$46.9	5.9%	4.7%
2019	$49.5	5.5%	3.8%
2020	$49.5	0.0%	-3.6%
2021	$54.9	10.9%	13.6%
2022	$60.2	9.7%	12.5%

Regional Indigenous Economic Contributions Trends

Regional variations in Indigenous economic contributions are significant. In 2022, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia collectively accounted for over 50% of the total Indigenous GDI while Atlantic contributed approximately 7%. This section presents GDI data disaggregated by province and territory. Additional information on jobs held by Indigenous people by gender, industry, and province and territory is available in the Appendix.

Atlantic provinces

The Indigenous population in the Atlantic provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick) totaled 135,660 in 2021, representing 7.5% of Canada's Indigenous population and 5.7% of the region's total population. Despite their smaller size, these provinces accounted for 6.9% of total Indigenous GDI and 10.7% of the region's overall GDI in 2022.

Within the Atlantic region, Nova Scotia led in Indigenous GDI in 2022. However, from 2012 to 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador was the largest contributor to the region's Indigenous GDI, with consistently high and growing values. This trend reversed in 2021 and 2022, when Nova Scotia took the lead. Despite being smaller in size, Prince Edward Island recorded the highest Indigenous GDI growth in Canada, more than doubling from 2012 to 2022. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick saw steady increases in their Indigenous GDI over the same period.

Quebec and Ontario

In 2022, nearly one-quarter of Indigenous GDI was generated in Ontario, accounting for 23.7% of the total. However, this represented only 1.4% of Ontario's overall GDI. In Quebec, Indigenous Peoples contributed 11.5% of total Indigenous GDI, also representing 1.4% of Quebec's overall GDI. These shares align with the Indigenous population in the two provinces, which totaled 611,600 in 2021— representing 33.8% of Canada's Indigenous population and 2.7% of the region's total population. Between 2012 and 2022 Indigenous GDI in both provinces grew steadily, though growth slowed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a strong rebound in 2021 — a pattern observed across the country.

Western provinces

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia together accounted for 53.5% of total Indigenous GDI in 2022. Manitoba had the highest Indigenous GDI relative to provincial GDI at 7.8%, followed by Saskatchewan (4.3%), British Columbia (3.0%), and Alberta at 2.2%. The Indigenous population in these provinces totaled 999,755 in 2021, representing 55.3% of Canada's Indigenous population and 8.7% of the region's total population. Between 2012 and 2022, all four provinces experienced substantial growth in Indigenous GDI with a slowdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a recovery in 2021. British Columbia recorded the highest Indigenous GDI in the western region in 2022, underscoring its key role in the Indigenous economy in Canada.

Territories

In 2022, Indigenous GDI in the territories accounted for 4.5% of total Indigenous GDI but represented a much larger share of each territorial economy. That year, Indigenous GDI made up 27.7% of Nunavut's total GDI, followed by 19.6% in the Northwest Territories and 12.9% in Yukon. As with other regions, these contributions align with population figures: in 2021, the Indigenous population in the territories totaled 60,235, representing and 51.7% of the region's population and 3.3% of Canada's Indigenous population. Across the territories between 2012 and 2022, Yukon recorded the highest Indigenous GDI while Nunavut had the highest Indigenous GDI in 2022.

Sectoral Analysis of Indigenous GDI

Key industries

Indigenous Peoples in Canada contribute to a wide range of industries, with the public administration sector playing a leading role in the Indigenous GDI. Other key sectors include real estate and rental and leasing, construction, health care and social assistance, and educational services.

Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Indigenous Peoples Economic Account, 2022.

Text alternative for Figure 2: Indigenous GDI contributors, by Industry, Canada, 2022

Industry	Proportion over total Indigenous GDI (in Percent)
Public administration	20.2
Real estate and rental and leasing	10.9
Construction	10.2
Health care and social assistance	10.0
Educational services	6.7
Other Industries	42.0

Regional sectoral differences in GDI

In 2022, the public administration was the largest contributor to Indigenous GDI across all regions. In the western provinces, the real estate and rental and leasing sector was also prominent, ranking as the second largest contributor to Indigenous GDI in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Natural resource industries played a particularly significant role in resource-rich regions. In Alberta, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas were among the top contributors to Indigenous GDI. This reflects the strong link between Indigenous economic activity and the geographic distribution of natural resources, as many Indigenous communities and traditional territories are located in regions rich in minerals, oil, and gas.

The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector also remains vital to many Indigenous communities. In 2020, this sector contributed $1.1 billion to Indigenous GDI, or 2.2% of the total. Of this, $0.6 billion was attributable to First Nations population, accounting for 51.2% of the sector's Indigenous GDI. As of 2022, this sector continued to play an important role in provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec.

Construction was consistently ranked one of the top five contributors to Indigenous GDI in nearly every province and territory, with the exception of Nunavut. The sector had particularly notable shares in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.

In the healthcare and social assistance sector, strong Indigenous employment in healthcare and community services made it a key contributor to Indigenous GDI, especially in regions with larger Indigenous populations, such as the western provinces. This sector also contributed significantly to Indigenous GDI in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario.

Educational services similarly made a significant contribution to Indigenous economic activity in other provinces and territories, ranking among the top four sectors contributing to Indigenous GDI in Nunavut, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Manufacturing played a key role in Quebec and Ontario reflecting the importance to the Indigenous economy, businesses and communities, particularly in regions with established industrial and production hubs. In addition, transportation and warehousing contributed a moderate share to Indigenous GDI in British Columbia, supported by the region's strong logistics and trade networks.

Looking Ahead

The IPEA provides a valuable perspective on Indigenous People's contributions to Canada's economy, highlighting steady growth in Indigenous GDI and increasing participation across various industries. Importantly, it has also provided new insights into contributions and participation by region and by industry—information that was not previously available. This detailed data informs evidence-based policy development and strategies to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity.

Continued collaboration on this tool between Indigenous Services Canada and Indigenous organizations will enhance the collection and availability of relevant, detailed data—and enable the exploration of related key dimensions such as Indigenous productivity and prosperity.

What is the National Outcome-Based Framework (NOBF)?

Where Have We Been: Engagement with First Nations and Data Experts

For many years there have been consistent calls on the Government of Canada to address and measure the socio-economic gaps, including the need to measure First Nations well-being at the national level.

A 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) between the Assembly of First Nations and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada called for the design of a new fiscal relationship that moves toward sufficient, predictable, and sustained funding for First Nations, strengthens financial management practices including exploring institutional development, and respects mutual accountability.

The Memorandum of Understanding also included a recommendation that ISC jointly produce options for closing socio-economic gaps, including appropriate metrics and performance indicators. In response, Indigenous Services Canada worked with First Nations citizens, data experts, leaders, and organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations from 2019–24, to explore the concept of an approach that supports First Nations-led reporting on socio-economic outcomes.

Key Findings from Engagement Sessions

• Further development of a National Outcome-Based Framework concept would need to be driven by First Nations governments themselves, and therefore this work can be adapted to the needs of First Nations governments as they advance their Indigenous data sovereignty, including informing their own evidence-informed program and service design, based on community-driven information.
• First Nations governments require sufficient and sustainable resources to support robust reporting to citizens. There were mixed opinions about the goal of "mutual accountability," with some liking the idea of working in partnership with the Government of Canada, while others were concerned that First Nations would be held accountable without the capacity to measure and improve citizen outcomes without sufficient and sustainable funding.
• There is no pan-First Nations approach to this work, and any aggregation at a regional or national level would need to be designed and supported by First Nations governments themselves, including whether or not comparison of First Nations information is OCAP® compliant, statistically relevant, or even appropriate.
• First Nations progress should be measured according to their own identified benchmarks of well-being rather than against Canadian standards.
• Many did not like the term "National Outcome-Based Framework" because they felt it was not meaningful to First Nations People and may not capture a strengths-based move towards well-being.
• There is a general agreement that the term "closing the gaps" may be inappropriate and, instead, well-being should be examined.

Why is this work considered completed, if outcome-based reporting at a national level has not yet been achieved?

Indigenous Services Canada funded engagement for five years, listened to the direction received from First Nations, and is therefore pointing to work currently underway to support Indigenous-led data capacity for effective service delivery and outcome-based reporting to citizens.

Where We are Going: What is Needed Moving Forward

First Nations require sufficient, predictable and flexible funding to lead outcome-based reporting, including the ability to plan, define and report on priorities.

This work is being advanced and supported through recent developments in the Indigenous data landscape, including the First Nations-led Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan (United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan) Shared Priority 30, which focuses on continuing to support Indigenous Data Sovereignty. These initiatives emphasize the importance of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, having sufficient, sustainable data capacity to control, manage, protect, and use their data effectively.

This shift from government prescribed reporting to First Nations-led outcome-based reporting is a step toward a transformed relationship with First Nations communities, supporting them in delivering effective services to their citizens, telling their own stories, participating as equal partners in federal decision-making processes on matters that impact them, and realizing their respective visions for self-determination.

Efforts to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Peoples

The Government of Canada continues to collaborate with partners on initiatives to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ Peoples in response to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice.

The Family Violence Prevention Program funds Indigenous organizations to support operations of emergency shelters and transition homes across Canada, and to provide protection and prevention-based services and programming. This work also responds to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice 1.8, 7.3, 17.20, and 17.23. Through the Continuum of Care, Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ People escaping violence receive emergency shelter and support to transition into independent living, including developing the necessary skill set to enter the job market and become financially independent. The Program works with its regional offices and Indigenous partners to identify and address service gaps. An assessment of sustainable funding needs is currently underway, in collaboration with Shelter Directors and the National Indigenous Circle Against Family Violence.

In 2024-25, the Family Violence Prevention Program, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, made considerable progress through the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, advancing the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice 3.4, 4.7, 16.19, 16.29, 17.20, 18.25. To date, 37 emergency shelters and 32 transitional housing projects have been selected by Indigenous and Inuit led Steering and Selection Committees throughout Canada. Through this initiative, partners gain oversight and agency over shelter and transitional housing services to address needs and expand access to a continuum of supports for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ People facing gender-based violence, across the country, including on reserve, in the North, and in urban areas.

Prior to the expanded eligibility under this initiative, funding was only available for shelters on First Nation reserves. To better understand Inuit and Métis shelter needs across the country, the Program provided financial support to Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples to assess their communities needs for shelter spaces. Funding to help support the capacity of all communities in developing applications was made available by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's seed funding, and pre-development funding at Indigenous Services Canada (Family Violence Prevention Program).

In 2024-25, through the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy a total of $65.6 million was provided to Indigenous organizations to support them in designing and delivering community supports and services. With some initiatives, such as Circling Buffalo in Manitoba, Indigenous aggregate organizations direct funding to the areas most needed in their communities. By providing funding to these partner organizations as well as the National Indigenous Circle Against Family Violence, the Family Violence Prevention Program supports Indigenous institutions in enhancing their own capacity so that they can continue to provide services and guide the Program's delivery to communities.

Social Development and New Approaches to Social Services

Indigenous Services Canada funds the on-reserve Income Assistance program so eligible on-reserve residents and Status First Nations living in Yukon can cover their essential living expenses as well as offering case management and pre-employment supports for individuals transitioning to employment or education.

In recent years, the Government of Canada has announced multiple investments for the on-reserve Income Assistance program, including in Budget 2024, which announced $927.3 million in investments for the Program over five years starting in 2024-25, and $169 million ongoing to provide income support on reserve and expand programming to meet demand.

As part of this investment, Budget 2024 is providing new funding, beginning in 2024-25, for Income Assistance beneficiaries with disabilities, ensuring they are able to not only cover essential living expenses like food, clothing and shelter, but also the many other disability-related costs that often prevent persons with disabilities from full, equal participation in the social and economic life of their communities. The work is also referenced specifically in Action Plan Measure 2.14 of the United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan.

Supporting Access to Economic Opportunities

The Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI) provides a way for federal partners to coordinate their efforts, reduce administrative burden and pool resources in support of Indigenous communities. This approach fills gaps in other funding programs that might create a barrier to Indigenous involvement in economic opportunities. Initiatives can span multiple years, have regional economic impacts and serve multiple communities.

Closing the connectivity gap

Rapid and reliable internet provides opportunities for First Nations to participate fully in the modern digital economy, including building online businesses, engaging in remote work, and developing digital skills. Furthermore, access to high-speed internet supports the effective operation and maintenance of vital community infrastructure, such as water and wastewater systems and enhances the delivery of socio-economic services such as education, healthcare, and emergency and public safety services. It also plays a central role in enabling modern governance and intergovernmental communications.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is the federal lead for broadband and mobile connectivity. Through a suite of initiatives—including the $3.225 billion Universal Broadband Fund, $1 billion in financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, $600 million for Telesat's Low Earth Orbit satellite system, and additional legacy programs like Connect to Innovate—the federal government has committed a total of $5.2 billion to support broadband and mobile infrastructure. These investments advance the goals outlined in Canada's Connectivity Strategy and the federal objective of connecting 98% of Canadians by 2026 and 100% by 2030. They also respond to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice 5.5roman numeral 1i.

While Indigenous Services Canada does not have dedicated funding for connectivity, high-speed internet and mobile projects are eligible under the connectivity asset category of the First Nations Infrastructure Fund (FNIF). In 2024-2025, five connectivity projects were funded for a total of $850,000. Of these, four projects were identified in Alberta (with three ongoing and one completed) and one project in Quebec.

Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples

In 2024-25, Indigenous Services Canada supported First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit and Métis populations by providing $60.5 million to over 200 urban Indigenous service delivery organizations that serve well over one million people per year across Canada. These organizations help address the critical needs faced by Indigenous Peoples in urban centres, including supporting the most vulnerable and at-risk urban Indigenous populations (women, girls, youth, seniors, 2SLGBTQI+ peoples, persons with disabilities and persons with addictions).

Indigenous Services Canada's Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples Program contributes to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan (United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan) Shared Priority 84, which is to "Continue to support Friendship Centres and other urban Indigenous organizations and coalitions in their work to identify and address local needs and priorities of urban/off-reserve Indigenous Peoples in a manner that is safe, secure, accessible and culturally relevant." Friendship Centres produce considerable social value such as improved quality of services, physical and mental wellness, and enhanced assistance programs and delivery. These Centres offer culturally relevant programs and services to help Indigenous Peoples adapt to urban life, access essential resources, and maintain their cultural identities. They act as a bridge between Indigenous communities and mainstream society, facilitating social connections and providing culturally safe spaces.

Readying Indigenous Services Canda for data transition

Indigenous Services Canada has improved its departmental data governance and data sharing capacities as a critical step for the success of the Department's transfer of responsibilities mandate by releasing its Guide to External Data Sharing, along with associated tools and templates, and providing training on its use. A Departmental Policy on External Data Sharing is also being developed. The Department receives many data requests from Indigenous partners, through various avenues including Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests and via Information Sharing Agreements and is currently administering about 40 Information Sharing Agreements with external partners. These include important data in areas such as Child and Family Services, Jordan's Principle, and Indian Land Registration System.

Strengthening First Nations Data Capacity

The First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) established one national and 10 regional Data Champion Teams as the foundation for the future network of Regional Information Governance Centres. As envisioned by the First Nations Data Governance Strategy, this network of shared service centers will support the information governance and statistical needs of communities, their governments, and their service delivery and advocacy organizations as directed by them.

These First Nations-led Data Champion Teams are building momentum across leadership tables, communities, and First Nations national and regional mandated organizations. They are working to identify priority data capacity needs for their centers and how governance and oversight mechanisms will be structured. The First Nations Information Governance Centre has formed strong collaborative relationships with both Indigenous Services Canada and Statistics Canada, outlining a series of priority demonstration projects, such as inventorying and accessing key datasets at ISC and Statistics Canada, working towards First Nations-led enumeration, and exploring new data governance frameworks for long-term partnerships. All this will lead to a detailed proposal to support a cohesive implementation of a First Nations-led statistical institution founded in a robust Data Governance Strategy, including consideration for establishing a network of Regional Information Governance Centres.

Strengthening Inuit Data Capacity

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) has made significant progress in designing a Data Strategy that will promote Inuit Data Sovereignty by clearly articulating Inuit data rights and principles. To ensure the strategy reflects the regional diversity of Inuit, Inuit Treaty Organizations conducted needs assessments, identifying areas for improvement in data stewardship, digital information management, information technology, and education for data skills. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami plans to release its data strategy in the Fall of 2025.

Strengthening Métis Data Capacity

The Métis National Council (MNC), the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (OMG) are on target to complete their Métis Nation Data Strategy in 2025. The Métis Nations-Saskatchewan (MN-S) and the Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) are developing their own data strategies, reflecting their specific priorities. They have collaborated to conduct baseline assessments aimed at clarifying the present state of data governance, identifying critical gaps, and exploring opportunities for strategic partnerships and projects. This collaborative approach ensured alignment with the needs and priorities of the Métis Nation while supporting the development of cohesive strategies. Their data strategies are also informed by early demonstration projects that begin testing their implementation plans, helping to enhance data preparedness, and provide practical tools for data use.

In addition, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) completed and is in the final stage of approving its Red River Métis Data Management and Governance Strategy. This strategy lays the foundation for a robust data community, aiming to enhance data governance capabilities and improve data management effectiveness. Through surveys assessing data maturity, the Manitoba Métis Federation has identified key areas for growth. The roadmap, with defined targets and outcomes, supports the development of a business case for transforming data analytics. This comprehensive understanding of data needs and capacities is crucial for the Manitoba Métis Federation to achieve data sovereignty, foster collaboration, and provide data-informed services to serve the Red River Métis community better.

Engaging Statistics Canada to Support Indigenous Data Capacity

Statistics Canada co-developed over 40 projects with Indigenous partners and initiated 22 new data collection activities. They also delivered 76 data and statistics-related courses to 1457 participants to date. These new data products and processes have increased the visibility of Indigenous data in the national statistical system and improved the availability of relevant data for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. For example, the Indigenous Peoples Economic Account, highlighted in section 1.0 of this report, is a suite of economic statistics that aims to measure the economic contribution, in terms of gross domestic income and jobs, of Indigenous Peoples to the Canadian economy.

Working with numerous partners, Statistics Canada developed the Survey Series on First Nations Peoples, Métis and Inuit to fill key data gaps with timely and culturally relevant data. The first two surveys have released data on healthcare access and experiences among Indigenous Peoples as well as the effects of rising prices on their well-being. The upcoming third survey will focus on Emergency Preparedness and Extreme Weather.

Statistics Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada, also developed an Index of Remoteness to measure the geographic isolation of communities based on their distance from population centers, through assessing factors such as transportation difficulties. Evidence indicates that remoteness can be a significant barrier to positive socio-economic and health outcomes. Due to this, Indigenous Services Canada and Nishnawbe Aski Nation have explored how this index can inform policy decisions and funding allocations by highlighting the specific needs of remote communities.

Important milestones for fiscal year 2024-25:

• 18 additional First Nations joined the Grant, bringing the total number of First Nations receiving funding through the Grant to 160;
• Average Grant escalator rate in 2024-25 was 5.1%, resulting in an additional $40 million being provided to Grant recipients, and a cumulative escalation total of over $100 million annually;
• As of March 2025, 59 First Nations and 40 First Nations-led Service Delivery Organizations have expressed interest in joining the Grant for fiscal year 2025-26;
• With the expansion of the Grant, approximately 80 Tribal Councils, 38 health authorities and 170 other service delivery entities may now be eligible.

Investments for fiscal year 2024-25:

• As of March 31, 2025, Canada is investing $2.4 billion in grants over 11 years to advance community-led Indigenous laws to support long-term system transformation.
• Since the Act came into force, 259 First Nations, Inuit and Métis recipients have received more than $283.2 million in funding for 446 Indigenous communities, to help them prepare to take control over child and family services. As of March 2025, nearly $50 million in funding has been allocated to support participation in coordination agreement discussions.
• A total of eight agreements (six trilateral and two bilateral) were signed in 2024-25 with nine Indigenous governing bodies: Tŝilhqot'in National Government and Council of Tl'etinqox Government (March 22, 2025); Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation (March 14, 2025); Atikamekw of Opitciwan (March 11, 2025); Driftpile Cree Nation (February 27, 2025); Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (September 30, 2024); Gwa'sala-‘Nakwaxda'xw Nations (September 12, 2024); and Sts'ailes (September 06, 2024).
• Indigenous Services Canada began pre-engagement for its first mandatory five-year review of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. The review provides an opportunity for the Department to engage, consult and gather meaningful feedback from First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners, communities and individuals on provisions contained in the legislation and the operation of the Act. The Department has continued to engage with Indigenous rights-holders, partners and others to establish long-term distinctions-based funding approaches to promote greater predictability for First Nations, Inuit and Métis to plan their program and service delivery needs.
• As part of the Government of Canada's Progress on 6 points of action to address the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in care, in late 2024, the Inuit Data Strategy Working Group – co-established by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and ISC and featuring the participation of eight Provinces and all three Territories – co-developed a Data Discussion Paper: Inuit-specific child welfare data (PDF) that was approved by the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee.
• This initiative included the first inventory scan of data involving Inuit children which evaluated the types of child and family services data collected by provinces, territories and Inuit Treaty Organizations, along with the degree to which Inuit identity is distinguishable.
• As one of the next steps, Working Group members are populating a tracking document with timelines for the inclusion of distinct identity-based data fields within their child and family services data and information systems.

Jordan’s Principle

Named after Jordan River Anderson from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, Jordan's Principle is a human rights principle and legal obligation under the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that ensures that First Nations children do not experience gaps or delays in accessing government-funded health, social or educational services and supports, and that they are not denied government services because they identify as First Nations.

To date, nearly $10 billion in Jordan's Principle funding has been secured, and more than 9.4 million health, social and educational products, services, and supports have been approved since 2016.However, requests through Jordan's Principle have grown at an extremely fast pace, most notably in the last few years. Between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, alone, 2,839,149 products, services, and supports were approved for First Nations children. Of the total number of products, services, and supports approved, 153,864 products, services, and supports were through individual requests and 2,685,285 were through group requests.

In light of the increased volume, in February 2025 the Government of Canada announced changes to operating procedures to make sure requests align with the long-term sustainability of Jordan's Principle. These changes provide further clarity and consistency around the services available for First Nations children through Jordan's Principle, as well as the required documentation that is needed in the processing of requests.

Indigenous Services Canada remains committed to ongoing dialogue with First Nations partners to advance the implementation of Jordan's Principle.

Inuit Child First Initiative

Modeled after Jordan's Principle, the Inuit Child First Initiative ensures Inuit children in Canada have equal access to essential government funded health, social and educational products, services and supports they need, regardless of where they live in Canada.

The Inuit Child First Initiative was approved in Cabinet in 2018 as an interim measure with a mandate to co-develop a long-term Inuit-specific approach with Inuit partners. Since then, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Inuit Treaty Organizations and Canada have been working to co-develop a National Framework and regional approaches that would set common parameters and ultimately govern the implementation of a new Inuit-specific long-term approach.

Co-development on Education Priorities for Inuit and Métis Nation

Indigenous Services Canada continues to participate in the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) and Canada - Métis Nation Permanent Bilateral Mechanisms with Inuit and Métis Nation partners to identify joint priorities, explore policy options and monitor progress.

Through these Permanent Bilateral Mechanisms and as mandated under the United Nations Declaration Act's education-specific commitments (Action Plan Measures #13 and #21), the Department is engaging with Inuit and Métis Nation partners to co-develop distinctions-based, federal policies on elementary and secondary education. Both policies seek to supplement and enhance Inuit and Métis Nation-specific programming offered to elementary and secondary students.

Health Transformation

Health Transformation is a collaborative initiative between the Government of Canada, First Nations and provincial governments whose goal is to transfer control over federal programs and services to First Nations-led organizations that have secured a mandate from their leadership to deliver health services on their behalf. This means that First Nations-led organizations take control over the design, delivery, and management of health programs and services for their communities.

Based on a renewed relationship with First Nations, the Health Transformation initiative means that Canada vacates the space of control to become a governance partner and funder. This shift is grounded on relationship building, mutual accountability and respect for First Nations' inherent rights to self-determination, including their rights to determine and respond to the needs and priorities of their communities.

The Health Transformation initiative is modeled on the successful transfer of control over health services to the British Columbia First Nations Health Authority in 2013, which since then has demonstrated the value of a health care system designed by First Nations, for First Nations. As shown in the Evaluation of the First Nations Health Authority: Case Study Technical Report (PDF), the transfer of control to the Authority has led to a system-wide and holistic transformation of the health care system that means not just providing services to communities, but also addressing the root causes of health disparities. Since its establishment, the First Nations Health Authority has become a valuable partner and collaborated with provincial and federal governments in promoting cultural safety and a broader paradigm shift.

There are currently six active Health Transformation projects underway:

• Battleford Agency Tribal Council in Saskatchewan;
• Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. in Northern Manitoba;
• Southern Chiefs' Organization in Southern Manitoba;
• Nishnawbe Aski Nation in Ontario;
• First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission in Quebec; and
• Tajikeimɨk in Nova Scotia.

Indigenous Health Equity Fund

Starting in 2024-25, the Government of Canada is providing $2 billion over ten years (approximative funding of $200 million annually) through the Indigenous Health Equity Fund to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Indigenous Services Canada in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners during the last fiscal year worked to roll-out this Fund that aims to support Indigenous-led approaches to increasing access to culturally safe health services, responding to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Call for Justice 7.1. This funding has two components:

• Distinctions-Based Funding: $190 million per year directed to First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, providing a long-term, predictable base of funding support for their health priorities.
• Targeted Initiatives: $10 million per year directed to select Indigenous organizations in support of short-term, innovative, activity-driven projects on cross-cutting Indigenous health priorities.

While it is still early in the implementation of the Indigenous Health Equity Fund, many First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities have already indicated support for the program's flexibility and long-term, predictable base of funding.

In 2024-25, through Targeted Initiatives, Indigenous Services Canada supported more than 31 innovative, Indigenous-led health projects within a wide range of Indigenous organizations.    

Distinctions-based Health Legislation

Indigenous Services Canada and partners continue to work on the co-development of distinctions based First Nations, Inuit and Métis health legislation.

In October 2024 as a response to significant feedback from Indigenous partners, Indigenous Services Canada received the authority to work on separate approaches with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to co-develop policy and/or legislative options and adjust the co-development process to improve transparency and collaboration. This decision was communicated to National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs) and, since then, several meetings have been held to discuss and strategize on next steps.

Ongoing settler-colonialism, policy barriers, and lack of coordinated approaches to address the health needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis among all levels of government, including Indigenous governments, remain an ongoing challenge. These challenges continue to create health inequities and impact First Nations, Inuit and Métis people's ability to access culturally safe and sensitive health services free of racism and discrimination. In this context, advancing work to co-develop separate First Nations, Inuit, and Métis health policy and/or legislative options is an opportunity to:

• Jointly establish overarching principles as foundation of federal health services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis;
• Collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to increase Indigenous-led health service delivery;
• Continue to advance the Government of Canada's commitment to reconciliation and a renewed nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationship based on the respect of inherent rights, co-operation, and transparent partnership.

Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism

The Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism initiative provides funding to Indigenous partners to design and implement Indigenous-led initiatives that work to address racism experienced by Indigenous patients within Canada's health systems, and to implement Joyce's Principle.

More specifically, the initiative supports efforts to increase Indigenous representation within the healthcare system, as well as the hiring and retention of Indigenous patient advocates, health system navigators, midwives, and birth support workers in positions across the healthcare spectrum to provide immediate support to Indigenous patients. The initiative also allocates capacity funding to National Indigenous Health Organizations such as the National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Health and the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, to support systems level change and efforts to address anti-Indigenous racism at the national level.

Since its inception in 2021, the Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems initiative successfully funded over 100 partners to implement over 150 projects across all provinces and territories, across distinction-based groups and in urban settings with a focus on services for Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities and other  groups who may experience intersecting discrimination. A few examples of projects funded include:

• Funding of $2 million was provided to the Atikamekw Nation and the Atikamekw of Manawan to help create the Joyce's Principle Office, and to advocate for the implementation of Joyce's Principle across the country.
• Indigenous Patient Advocates supported approximately 100 patients in accessing provincial and territorial complaints resolution processes;
• Two new community-based midwifery education programs have been established for the Innu in Labrador and the Cree of James Bay;
• Approximately 100 First Nations community members have received doula or birth support worker training in the last three years. In addition, the First Nations University of Canada has developed an Indigenous Birth Support Worker Certificate-level Program that students can take on-site or remotely. The First Nations University of Canada is currently expanding training through the Wasakama Project that will offer Certificate-level and Micro-credential options related to Indigenous Birth Supports, Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne Infections, and Grief and Loss.  
• The first of its kind federally funded standalone birthing centre in Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan is in the late stages of construction and is scheduled to open in September 2025;
• The establishment of Indigenous-led health organizations, such as the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada.

Building on the success from Budget 2021 investments, Budget 2024 invested $167.6 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to continue combating anti-Indigenous racism in Canada's health systems and advancing the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice 1.8 and 7.6. The renewed funding continues to support Indigenous patient advocates, health system navigators, midwives and birth support workers, as well as efforts to increase Indigenous representation in health professions.

A few examples of initial results funded through Budget 2024 include:

• The advocacy efforts of the Joyce's Principle Office continue to be supported.
• The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) continues to support Indigenous patients through the First Nations Health Ombudsperson's Office, the first Indigenous-led office in Canada to help address healthcare complaints and systemic racism in healthcare, and a model for similar offices that could be established in other regions;
• The Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations is developing jurisdictional roadmaps and trilateral committees to further support coordination between health professionals working on addressing anti-Indigenous racism in health systems;
• The National Association of Friendship Centres continues to support Indigenous health system navigators in Friendship Centres across Canada in urban settings;
• Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) has maintained its capacity to support the Métis Health Experience Program (MHEP) that assists Métis Citizens facing healthcare harms and navigating British Columbia's healthcare complaints system.

Indigenous Services Canada will continue to work with partners to improve access to quality health services and reduce health disparities by enhancing nurse safety, recruiting healthcare workers, and collaborating with First Nations and Inuit in tailoring mental health and wellness initiatives. The Department's Mental Wellness and Health Promotion programming is centred around providing funding to Indigenous communities and organizations to design, deliver, and manage the services that meet the needs and priorities of their community members.

Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund

Budget 2021 announced $4.3 billion over four years, starting in 2021-22 for the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund. The Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund (ICIF) is a distinctions-based fund to support the immediate demands, as determined by Indigenous partners for ongoing, new and shovel-ready projects in First Nations communities, including Indigenous Self-Government and Modern-Treaty partners, Inuit, Métis Nation communities and northern First Nation and northern Métis communities.

The Urban Component of the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund provides capital infrastructure support specifically targeted to improving the physical capacity, safety, security and accessibility of facilities for urban Indigenous Peoples.

A total of 47 Indigenous projects have received funding under the Urban component of the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund. Indigenous Services Canada entered into funding agreement with all approved recipients, and transferred funds to the selected community organizations responsible for planning, designing and managing the execution of their infrastructure projects. This initiative supports Indigenous organizations to assume control over service delivery and develop projects that meet the unique social and cultural needs of their community members.

Promoting Economic Development by Unlocking the Potential of First Nations Lands

The Government of Canada continues to work with First Nations to expand their reserve land base through the Additions to Reserve process, and with partners on initiatives that return control and decision-making over the use of First Nations lands back to First Nations communities. With more land and resources under their control, First Nations can exercise greater self-determination in economic planning and community development.

An addition to reserve is the process of adding land to the existing reserve land base of a First Nation or creating a new reserve for First Nations without an existing reserve. Additions to reserve help grow the Indigenous economy, support self-determination, and ensure that Canada meets it legal obligation by returning lands owed to First Nations under historic treaties and other settlement agreements.

First Nations are interested in adding land to reserve to take advantage of economic development opportunities, especially in urban settings, or to accommodate housing and other public infrastructure as their community populations continue to grow. Expanding reserve lands can create wealth and economic sustainability for First Nations by creating opportunities for investments, business, tourism, agriculture, and natural resource development, ultimately generating revenue and employment opportunities.

Budget 2021 provided Indigenous Services Canada with $32.2 million over four years (2021-22 to 2024-25) to accelerate the Additions to Reserve process and reduce the Additions to Reserve backlog. Through this investment, Canada has enhanced addition to reserve-specific capacity both internally and at the First Nation level resulting in an annual increase of approved files in 2024-25. A one-year renewal of this funding was secured through the fiscal framework for 2025-26.

Supporting the Advancement of Business Development

The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program supports the advancement of economic development by lowering barriers for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis entrepreneurs, and increasing access to capital to promote the establishment or expansion of Indigenous businesses across the country. The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program – Access to Capital stream is delivered by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association's network of over 50 Indigenous Financial Institutions, as well as the five Métis Capital Corporations.

In 2015, the administration of the program was transferred to the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association at their request, meaning they now manage the program and its budget in addition to program delivery.

In 2019, a Métis delivery model was developed, and two of the five sub-components of the program were transferred to the Métis Capital Corporations. For fiscal year 2024-25, it is expected that the five Métis Capital Corporations will administer and deliver all sub-components of the program. The establishment of the Métis specific portion of the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program – Access to Capital stream represents a significant advancement of distinctions-based programming.

Discussions are ongoing between Indigenous Services Canada and Inuit partners to explore the possibility of an Inuit specific delivery model.

The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program – Access to Capital stream is also an enabling program that is helping Indigenous Financial Institutions access capital from sources such as National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association' Indigenous Growth Fund launched in 2021. The program provides supports to Indigenous Financial Institutions to offset the interest costs associated with accessing capital from the Indigenous Growth Fund, which helps them to recover the cost of borrowing. The Fund is now investing in Indigenous Financial Institutions across the country, increasing their lending capacity and helping Indigenous businesses obtain affordable capital. In this way, the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program – Access to Capital stream is helping address the built-up demand for loans from Indigenous businesses, as well as for larger businesses, with the goal of increasing the number of Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada.

Following the Budget 2024 announcement which provided an additional $350 million in funding over five years, Indigenous Services Canada and partners are working together to modernize the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program – Access to Capital stream to better reflect the priorities of Indigenous entrepreneurs. This includes introducing new sub-components to improve program access for Indigenous Peoples who have been traditionally underrepresented in this Program, such as women and youth. An updated policy manual is currently being co-developed.

Advancing Assertion of Jurisdiction of Oil and Gas on First Nations Lands

In 1996, the Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Resource Council with the shared objective of transferring control of oil and gas resources on reserve lands to First Nations. This Memorandum of Understanding laid the foundation for a phased approach to transferring jurisdiction, aligned with the recognition of First Nations' inherent rights to self governance.

This past year, Indian Oil and Gas Canada continued its collaboration with First Nations and the Indian Resource Council to advance the objective.

This initiative supports First Nations in asserting jurisdiction over oil and gas resources on their lands. Indian Oil and Gas Canada and the Indian Resource Council are now preparing for the next phases of the Memorandum of Understanding (Phase roman numeral 2II and roman numeral 3III). The focus will continue on co-development of strategies and options for a path forward. While much work remains, Indian Oil and Gas Canada continues to support a First Nations led approach.

Supporting First Nation and Inuit Community Economic Development South of the 60th Parallel

After a community identifies an economic opportunity, proposal-based programs such as the Community Opportunity Readiness Program can fill the gap in funding to assist the community to acquire, create or expand a business, or develop economic infrastructure that will lead to two or more new businesses. These community-owned businesses generate revenues that are used to fund other programs and services for members.

The Community Opportunity Readiness Program funds an average of 23 projects per year across the country through the national envelope. In 2024-25, up to 494 sustainable full-time jobs were projected to be created over eight years through Indigenous Services Canada's investments.

As part of the Economic Development Capacity and Readiness evaluation of the Lands and Economic Development Services Program and Community Opportunity Readiness Program in 2023-2025, key informants from communities were asked about their vision and support for transfer of the community economic programs. This feedback will be used to plan the program approach to transfer. The final evaluation report and management action plan will be available in 2025-26.

Environmental Protection

The environmental protection and integrity of reserve lands has long been identified as a key priority by First Nations, and is fundamental to the social, cultural and economic health of communities.

The Contaminated Sites On-Reserve Program supports the assessment and remediation of contaminated sites on reserve. The program aims to reduce and, where possible, eliminate risks to human health and the environment posed by environmental contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, petroleum hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls. The program has closed a total of 2,435 suspected and known contaminated sites on reserve since 2005. Assessing and remediating contaminated sites on reserve is important to restore communities' ability to safely use their land, supporting economic opportunities, social well-being, and traditional activities. Through a transfer payment program, First Nations gain hands-on experience and technical expertise in the delivery of projects, strengthening their skills in the management of contaminated sites.

• From April 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, the program undertook assessment activities on 39 sites, risk management/remediation activities on 105 sites, and had successfully closed 113 sites.

The First Nations Waste Management Initiative provides funding for First Nations to develop sustainable waste management systems through modern infrastructure, operations and maintenance, training, and partnerships. Investments in solid waste are critical to protecting sources of drinking water, mitigating harm to the environment and human health and benefit mental health and wellbeing.

Since the Initiative's inception in 2016, the percentage of First Nation communities with an adequate waste management system has increased from 2% to 50%. The First Nations Waste Management Initiative funds First Nations, Tribal Councils, or First Nation organizations to provide waste management services and projects, and support capacity building on First Nation reserves. Successful partnerships with First Nation organizations to deliver waste services to member communities and multi-year agreements have enabled the program to begin to move away from proposal-based funding toward a community-led investment planning model.  

• Between 2016 and December 31, 2024, the First Nations Waste Management Initiative has invested $659.5 million to support 1,304 solid waste management projects benefitting 610 First Nations and serving approximately 480,000 people.

Indigenous Services Canada is working with First Nations and Indigenous representative organizations to explore options to enhance environmental protection on reserve lands, recognizing the need to ensure that appropriate legislative, regulatory and capacity supports are in place to meet First Nations' goals and support stewardship over their lands. This work will begin with waste management and unauthorized dumping.

In November 2024, Indigenous Services Canada established a Joint Table on First Nations Waste Management comprised of federal officials, First Nations representative organizations, and First Nations technical experts. The Joint Table has been meeting regularly to develop options to enhance waste management practices and address unauthorized dumping on reserve lands. As part of this work, the Joint Table is exploring a range of mechanisms to support effective waste management in communities, including regulations, enforcement, compliance, and capacity development. This work will help to address one of the key sources of contamination on reserve lands, inform the path forward on how to improve waste management on reserve and provide First Nations with greater control over the management of reserve lands and local environment.

Bill C-38, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements)

In 2021, the Nicholas v. AGC Charter litigation was filed by 16 plaintiffs who were impacted by enfranchisement. This litigation sought to end the inequities and exclusion faced by individuals with a family history of enfranchisement under earlier versions of the Indian Act. In response, Indigenous Services Canada held engagement activities from August to December 2022 to inform the drafting of legislative amendments to the Indian Act.

On December 14, 2022, Bill C-38, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements), was introduced in Parliament. The Bill was awaiting resumption of debate at second reading in the House of Commons when Parliament was dissolved on March 23, 2025.

Bill C-38 sought to address four areas related to enfranchisement, individual deregistration, natal band re-affiliation and membership, and outdated and offensive language related to dependent persons. The proposed legislation also responded to longstanding concerns raised by First Nations and other individuals affected by the residual inequities that still remain in the Indian Act. For example, the Bill would have ensured First Nations individuals with family histories of enfranchisement would be entitled to registration under the Indian Act, as well as transferred the right for registration to their descendants.

• If passed, proposed amendments would have:
  • Ensured persons with a family history of enfranchisement will be treated the same as those without;
  • Enabled persons who wish to have their names removed from the Indian Register to apply for deregistration;
  • Enabled women who were automatically transferred to their husbands' First Nation and their descendants to seek reaffiliation with their natal First Nation;
  • Removed dated language regarding dependent persons from the Indian Act.

Detailed information about Bill C-38 can be found at the 2023 Annual Report on Registration under the Indian Act, First Nations Membership and Status Cards.

In addition to enfranchisement and the issues in the former Bill C-38, First Nations persons continue to experience other inequities in registration related to the second-generation cut-off, among others.

Criticism of the narrow scope of former Bill C-38 has been mitigated by the launch of the Collaborative Process on the Second-Generation Cut-off and Section 10 Voting Thresholds in November 2023 to address some of the remaining inequities in registration and membership.

Detailed information about the former Bill C-38 and other Indian Act reform can be found on the ISC website.

Bill C- 61, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands

The 2021 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Class Action Settlement Agreement committed Canada to making all reasonable efforts to develop and introduce, in collaboration with First Nations, proposed legislation to replace the repealed 2013 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act.

In December 2023, after an Indigenous-led engagement process, Bill C-61, First Nations Clean Water Act, was introduced in Parliament. Bill C-61 sought to recognize and affirm First Nations Inherent Right to self-govern in relation to water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on, in and under First Nations' lands. The Bill was awaiting report stage in the House of Commons when the 44th Parliament was dissolved on March 23, 2025.

The proposed legislation was developed through engagement with First Nations. Indigenous Services Canada engaged directly with First Nation rights-holders, including Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations, through their own representative institutions and First Nation organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Advisory Committee on Safe Drinking Water, to help ensure the Bill was reflective of First Nations needs and priorities.

• If passed, Bill C-61 would have:
  • Recognized and affirmed the existing Inherent Right of First Nations to self-government and jurisdiction in relation to water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands;
  • Supported First Nations in protecting source water and maintaining drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in a self-determined way;
  • Held the federal government accountable to continued investments in water infrastructure through sustainable and adequate funding;
  • Led to the application of minimum standards for clean drinking water in every First Nation and lay the groundwork for the creation of a First Nation-led water institution to support communities.