First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) is urging Canada to embrace a new and innovative method of funding Indigenous infrastructure based on partnership rather than paternalism to keep its promise to bridge the infrastructure gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada by 2030. "The federal model for funding infrastructure has failed to deliver the housing, clean water and other critical infrastructure that will improve the living conditions in First Nations communities," said FNFA President and CEO Ernie Daniels. "We believe there is a better way, a way that works with First Nations as partners rather than the colonial approach that's rooted in the almost 150-year-old Indian Act."
61 Indigenous Communities in Canada Still Need to Boil Water for Safety
Canada is one of the wealthiest and most water-rich countries in the world. Yet many of its First Nations communities continue to lack safe drinking water — a basic human right. As of February, 61 Indigenous reserves were under long-term drinking water advisories, half of which remain unresolved after more than a decade. These water advisories warn people to either boil water before use, not to consume it, or avoid it altogether because of toxicity levels.