SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Tribal Council and Indigenous Services Canada have signed a seven-year, $269-million agreement intended to shift child and family services toward First Nations-led prevention and long-term support.

All seven member First Nations are participating: Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, One Arrow First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation, Muskoday First Nation and Whitecap Dakota Nation.

Agreement means ‘working together’

The agreement is named Māmowōhkamātowin, a Cree word meaning “working together.” Indigenous Services Canada described it as the first regional agreement in Canada outside Ontario under the proposed long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program.

The federal government says the funding can support prevention services, housing, First Nation Representative Services, capital projects and post-majority supports for young adults who are leaving or have left care.

First Nations set local priorities

The agreement gives participating First Nations greater flexibility to direct money across the continuum of care, including programs intended to keep children safely connected to their families, communities and cultures.

Saskatoon Tribal Council Health and Family Services Inc. is the delegated agency coordinating child and family programs for member First Nations. The release says implementation will be guided by their priorities and include accountability and continuous-improvement measures.

The agreement establishes funding and a regional framework; outcomes will depend on implementation in each participating community over the seven-year term.

Source: Indigenous Services Canada and Saskatoon Tribal Council, October 7.

Lead image: Canadian flag via Wikimedia Commons; not a photograph of the signing or participating communities.