Survivors’ Secretariat say they don’t support Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) recent announcement that recent funding caps implemented to the Residential Schools Missing Children – Community Support Fund had been lifted.
On Aug. 16, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree announced the change of funding from $500,000 back to previous years’ maximum funding amount of $3 million per year.
Survivors’ Secretariat Lead Laura Arndt says the organization will not accept the $3 million in funding from the federal government.
Arndt says Canada’s current budget has allocated $91 million to the support fund for the next two years or $45.5 million per year, arguing that the funding is not enough for the over 200 communities looking to continue or start work associated with searching for unmarked burial sites.
“Not every community is going to get the funding. So we have to compete against each other,” she said.
“It’s unfair for communities who are just applying for the first time.”
