by Indigenous Service Canada

October 11, 2023 — Millbrook First Nation, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, Nova Scotia — Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM)
The Government of Canada recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to self-determination and supports the right of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to independently deliver services that meet the unique needs of their communities.

Today, Angeline Gillis, Executive Director of The CMM and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, announced the signing of a historic, co-developed Framework Agreement to work together on the transfer of control, delivery and management of First Nations housing and infrastructure services to participating Mi’kmaw First Nations.

Once the transfer is complete, participating communities, in partnership with The CMM, will assume control of the design, management, provision and delivery of all housing and infrastructure programs and services currently under ISC’s Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program (CFMP), except for water and wastewater services. ISC will continue to deliver housing and infrastructure services to First Nations that do not opt into this transfer process.

The coming into force of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act marked a historic milestone in Canada’s collective journey towards reconciliation—one rooted in the recognition of rights ...