Shelters to receive $6 million from feds

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Financial help is on the way to address the problem of family violence among First Nation communities.

On Oct. 24, Jim Prentice, minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) announced that a one-time investment of $6 million for 2006-07 will be provided to 35 INAC-funded family violence shelters to ensure they are better equipped to provide much-needed services to women and children on reserve.

"We need to invest in our future-a future that will see First Nations women and their families enjoy a safe and secure home environment," said Prentice. "These investments will be used to support resources such as staff training, direct client costs such as food and bedding, facility costs such as insurance and cleaning supplies and administrative costs such as office supplies."

According to information on the INAC Web site, close to 1,900 women and 2,300 children access the services of the 35 available shelters and community-based prevention projects each year.

The department will continue to work with the National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence, the Native Women's Association of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, the Aboriginal Working Group on Family Violence and the provinces and territories to provide a co-ordinated approach to the prevention of family violence.

"I share with national Aboriginal leaders, the vision of empowering First Nations communities so that they may develop community-based approaches that will help lead to concrete changes to address the root causes of family violence," Prentice said. Addressing these issues, he said, will lead to safe and healthy individuals and sustainable First Nations communities.