Manitoba slashes Native funding

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The Manitoba government announced last week it is withdrawing $3 million in funding grants to 56 organizations across the province, with more than half that money coming out of the budgets of Native organizations.

"It really is devastating," said Terry Belhumeur, director of the Winnipeg Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, which lost $298,000 in funding, almost half of its budget. "We're still reeling."

Friendship centres took the brunt of the cuts with Gary Filmon's Conservative government withdrawing all of its funding to the 11 centres across Manitoba - a total of $1.23 million. Belhumeur said the cuts will mean the loss of 33 jobs province-wide as well as a variety of the advocacy, educational and support programs the friendships centres provide.

"It makes no sense," said Belhumeur, noting the announcements coming after a recent 10-per-cent cut in federal funding. "I don't know if they are aware of the services we provide. We're not just a bingo outfit or a drop-in centre for coffee. We provide actual services.

"All the services that we provided to our elderly, to family crisis centres, to our outreach programs, to the schools - it's all gone. We have core funding left, which is basically our administration."

Family Services Minister Harold Gilleshammer said cuts were necessary and just an example of restraint and restructuring that other organizations and governments across the country have to contend with.

"We have made some very difficult decisions. With regard to the friendship centres, the province is responsible for a little less than 13 per cent of their global budget across the province."

Finance Minister Clayton Manness said priority is being given to health care, education and protective services.

Friendship centres weren't the only places hit. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will not get the $325,000 the province gave it last year. That represents a 67-per-cent cut to its core funding. Grand Chief Phil Fontaine said the cuts are typical of the way the Filmon government deals with issues affecting First Nations people.

"This is Gary Filmon's way of celebrating the United Nations' International Year

of the Indigenous Peoples, by attempting to emasculate and silence First Nations people

in Manitoba."

Critics have questioned whether the cuts to the assembly and other organizations that have been critical of the provincial government are not, in fact, retribution.

The government has denied any ulterior motive to the cuts, but "it's hard not to conclude that," said Allan Torbitt, who handles inter-governmental affairs for the assembly.

It's no secret the provincial government and First Nations have serious differences of opinion on how to proceed on sharing jurisdiction and developing opportunities for Aboriginal people.

"The Chiefs have to ask themselves whether they should have any contact with this provincial government at all if they're not willing to support the organizations that represent First Nations interests, or that is not willing to take creative policy steps that would free First Nations organizations from being dependent on government."

Provincial Indian Affairs Minister James Downey said it's time organizations like the assembly begin to look for alternative funding sources, especially from within the Native community.

"In terms of the assembly, we've given the Native communities the ability to raise funds through gaming agreements. We've also made moves on taxation of gasoline and cigarettes. We believe if they want to, they have the means to fund themselves...There are 61 bands in the province. They could replace the (lost) funding with $5,000 per band. If it is important to them, it's not a big cost factor to the individual bands."

Torbitt disagreed, noting that only 15 reserves have gaming agreements, most of which are limited and don't bring in much money. While he admits there are no restrictions on where the money is spent, he said bands need the money to provide thngs like recreational services on the reserves. As far as taxation, he said according to the Indian Act, those taxes wouldn't have been there in the first place, and removing them doesn't create any additional revenue.

Judy Elaschuk, executive director of the friendship centre in The Pas, which lost $81,300, noted reserves aren't the only places with gaming agreements. The government has set up video lottery terminals in many rural areas, including The Pas, and keeps the profits. That makes fund-raising more difficult for organizations like hers.

"Our standard fund-raising - bingos - is suffering as a result. People that used to come into our bingos are now going into bars and playing the video lottery terminals."

Cuts were also made to the First Nation's Confederacy, the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okemakanak and Native Communications Inc.

Fontaine fears the cuts may end up costing Manitoba more money and have a high cost in human terms by forcing more people on social assistance and causing an increase in domestic violence and the need for policing.