Thank you for your question. Ms. Bérubé.
I agree with my colleagues on the issues facing native friendship centres.
Actually, the federal government currently does not recognize urban realities—I believe we have heard the various stakeholders speak eloquently about it. Urban indigenous needs are being ignored. We saw this with the funding provided to First Nations in response to COVID-19. We have also heard it, and I think we will hear it again, in terms of taking this distinctions-based approach to service delivery. This approach focuses on recognition of the unique characteristics of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. As a result, a large segment of the indigenous population, the urban indigenous, is invisible. This is evident in the field, given the difficulty of accessing funding methods specifically designed for the urban environment.
When we have to cope with and are engulfed in a global crisis, we see that access to limited funding—and indigenous Services Canada uses this distinctions-based approach, for example—makes it difficult to structure an adequate response in terms of services, which need to be reorganized and reviewed, and more importantly, reviewed as a matter of urgency. As a result, people are left without a voice, as it were. That is why we are grateful for this forum. It is a privilege to be able to bring that currently silent, unheard voice to you, because we want to be able to provide direct services.
A program specific to native friendship centres existed until about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, the program was merged into a broader program, which made funding for native friendship centres more precarious.
One of the government's key responses would be to bring back a program focused on supporting native friendship centres as front-line service organizations in over 100 cities across Canada.
This recognition would come with adequate funding so that we could provide answers to the community, front-line answers to an organization that is a pan-Canadian movement, let us not forget. Mostly governed by women, friendship centres are the largest community service infrastructure responding to the vast and very specific needs of people who are marginalized. The centres serve many people.
The restructuring that eliminated the native friendship centre program had disastrous consequences. This is even more evident in a pandemic.