March 4, 2010
By Yolande Cole, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The Conservative government is adding another $200 million over the next two years to its compensation fund for former students of the residential school system because of "higher than expected funding needs."
The money is part of a package of funding for aboriginal programs announced in Thursday's budget, including improving infrastructure on reserves and expanding First Nations and Inuit health.
New money is also being put into expanding child and family services and ending violence against native women.
As part of the government's 2005 settlement to compensate victims of the residential school system, $199 million is being added over two years to cover larger than anticipated compensation payments and services for former residential school students.
Aboriginal children placed in the schools, typically run by religious groups, were told to abandon their native culture, and many were physically and sexually abused.
Federal programs for water and infrastructure projects in First Nations communities are being renewed for $331 million over the next two years.
Under the government's two-year Economic Action Plan announced in last year's budget, $515 million was set aside for infrastructure projects on reserves, including schools, water systems, health and policing.
Health initiatives outlined in the budget include $285 million over the next two years for renewal of five Aboriginal health programs, such as the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, a suicide prevention strategy for Aboriginal youth, and maternal and child health programs.
Over the next two years, the government will also provide $10 million to address the "disturbingly high number" of missing and murdered aboriginal women. But there were no details of the plan, first announced in Wednesday's throne speech.
The Native Women's Association of Canada says more than 500 aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered across the country.