AMC welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement for support for urban and off-reserve First Nations Citizens

May 21, 2020

Treaty One Territory, Manitoba

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Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Arlen Dumas welcomes today’s announcement by Prime Minister Trudeau of $75 million to support the needs of urban and off-reserve First Nations citizens in weathering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grand Chief Dumas said, “The Assembly welcomes today’s announcement by Prime Minister Trudeau for COVID-19 pandemic support for off-reserve and urban First Nation citizens in Manitoba. During non-pandemic times, we see first-hand in downtown Winnipeg every day the devastating impacts of colonialism on First Nations peoples in this country. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these impacts and drawn the curtain on the extreme poverty and homelessness experienced by First Nations peoples in Winnipeg. The pandemic has led to even more and extreme hardships experienced by our urban and off-reserve people as they seek help from the AMC and other political and service delivery organizations.”

Winnipeg, Thompson and other non-reserve locations are home to many First Nations citizens from First Nations in Manitoba and neighbouring Treaty territories outside of Manitoba and across Canada, many who also access many AMC programs and services. The AMC advocates on behalf of approximately 150,000 of its own First Nations citizens in Manitoba both on and off-reserve and, through its Chiefs-mandated and armslength service delivery organizations, provides direct and indirect social sector programs for all First Nations citizens regardless of residency or jurisdiction. The AMC will be advocating strongly on behalf of First Nations to ensure that an equitable portion of this funding reaches citizens of First Nations in Manitoba living in urban centres, such as Winnipeg and Thompson.

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