Canada Pledges $4.3B to Indigenous Groups (America, POV, organizations, Article)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

AT&T Worldnet - complete article from Associated Press

Canada Pledges $4.3B to Indigenous Groups

Updated 7:49 PM ET November 25, 2005


By BETH DUFF-BROWN

KELOWNA, British Columbia (AP) - Canada on Friday pledged $4.3 billion in a landmark deal with Indian and northern Inuit communities to help lift them from the poverty and disease that has plagued their neglected reserves for more than a century.

The agreement commits federal funding over the next decade for widespread improvements in housing, health care, education and economic development for the nearly 1 million aboriginal peoples of the North American nation, namely Indian tribes known as First Nations and Inuits, the aboriginal Canadians of the northeastern and Arctic territories.

Prime Minister Paul Martin and the premiers of Canada's 13 provinces and territories announced the agreement after a two-day summit with five native organizations.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Will the United States follow suit? or continue to ignore responsibility for the problem?

[greatcalgarian]

Actually the timing of that aid is politically inspired.

The amount of money is of no importance. It is how the money is used to help the native that is importance.

Perhaps the Americans are quietly helping the native without publicizing it?

[Ardent Listener]

Yeah, and that 4.3 billion dollars is in Canadian dollars which is worth less than ours.