Budget: $200 million for residential school victims

OTTAWA — The Conservative government is adding another $200 million over the next two years in compensation for former students of the residential school system because of "higher than expected funding needs."

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That and a host of other initiatives for aboriginal people in Thursday's budget won some praise from the Assembly of First Nations.

"There are some elements there that suggest that even in a time of great fiscal restraint, there's a recognition of the need to work with First Nations," said AFN national chief Shawn Atleo.

Among the budget measures were improving infrastructure on reserves, renewing funding for First Nations and Inuit health, expanding child and family services and addressing violence against native women.

As part of the government's 2006 settlement to compensate victims of the residential school system, $199 million is being added over two years.

Aboriginal children placed in residential schools, typically run by religious groups, were told to abandon their native culture, and many were physically and sexually abused.

"I'm just really pleased that the issue of continued support for residential school survivors is still a priority," said Atleo.

Thursday's budget also included renewal of federal programs for water and infrastructure projects in First Nations communities, at $331 million over the next two years.

As well, under the second phase of the government's economic action plan, $285 million was set aside for schools, water systems, health, policing and other infrastructure on reserves.

The budget also anted up $285 million over the next two years for renewal of five aboriginal health programs, including the aboriginal diabetes initiative, a suicide prevention strategy for aboriginal youth, and maternal and child health programs.

Atleo said that a lot of the funding in Thursday's budget was renewal of previous programs.

However, he praised the budget for providing $10 million over two years to address the "disturbingly high number" of missing and murdered aboriginal women.

"It's been decades of push," he said. "It's time this was recognized as a national issue."

The budget provided no details of how the government intends to address the issue.

The Native Women's Association of Canada, which receives federal funding to research violence against aboriginal women under their Sisters in Spirit initiative, also praised the new dollars.

"While the specific details pertaining to how this funding will be allocated are still unknown, NWAC is pleased to learn that the Harper government has made fundamental rights of aboriginal women a priority," the group said in a written statement.

The organization says more than 520 aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered across the country.

Liberal aboriginal affairs critic Todd Russell said he was disappointed that some budget measures -- such as a food mail program to help alleviate costs of flying food to northern communities --were part of previously announced initiatives.

"In my opinion it was a do-little, good-for-nothing budget," he said. "It's detrimental to aboriginal families and aboriginal communities. I believe you will see the gap widen between aboriginal people and the rest of Canadians."