An indigenous guide to the 2015 federal election

Tim Fontaine | CBC News | Posted: August 6, 2015 5:00 PM | Last Updated: October 17, 2015

Who are the indigenous candidates and what are the parties offering indigenous voters?

• Read the political parties' 2015 platforms

• $215 million to provide skills development and training for aboriginal peoples;
• $200 million for First Nations education and and schools;
• $30 million for a land management scheme aimed at helping economic development on reserves.
• Review the 94 recommendations released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• Commit $567 million over five years to help build "stronger communities."
• $500 million toward building and renovating schools on reserves.

• Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Restore the $5.1 billion commitment and specifics of the Kelowna Accord.
• Work with aboriginal groups to create an Aboriginal Lands and Treaties Tribunal Act that deals with land claims, negotiations, etc.
• Immediately implement lands claims agreements already negotiated and that may have stalled due to lack of funding.
• Review all existing federal policies on self-government.
• Ensure that any self-government negotiations do not lead to extinguishment of aboriginal title and rights or assimilation.
• Fully implement the recommendations of the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
• Remove the 2% funding cap on First Nation education and fully fund the program back log ($424 million).
• Ensure that governments and corporations honor and abide by the Sparrow Decision (which recognizes the aboriginal right to fish) as well as the Tsilhqot'in ruling, which recognizes aboriginal title.
• Negotiate and legislate primary hunting, fishing, trapping, and logging rights for aboriginal peoples on traditional lands.
• If pushed by First Nations, work to scrap the Indian Act.

• Immediately lift the two per cent cap on funding for First Nations programs and services (which a Liberal government introduced in 1996)
• "Nation-to-nation talks" on improving gap in First Nations education.
• Initial funding of an extra $515 million a year for core education in First Nations schools (K to 12) for a total of $2.6 billion in new funding over four years.
• $500 million over 3 years for education infrastructure
• Will work with provinces and territories on improving urban schools where First Nations are large sector of population.
• Additional $50 million per year for post-secondary student support.
• Implement the Kelowna Accord "in a manner that meets today's challenges."
• New funding to support and enhance indigenous languages
• Ensure that First Nations have control over First Nations education.
• Equitable funding for child and family services on reserves.
• Immediately launch a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
• Enact the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Repeal changes to the Elections Act that might make it harder for indigenous peoples to vote
• Development of a "Federal Reconciliation Framework" with mechanisms to resolve grievances associated with existing historical treaties and modern land-claims agreements.
• Conduct a full review of legislation unilaterally imposed on indigenous peoples by the Harper government.
• The Liberals also vow to begin a new nation-to-nation relationship with the Métis, including the settling of land claims and improving federal funding agreements for programs and services.
• While on a pre-campaign stop in Winnipeg, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau vowed to contribute the federal funding needed build a road for the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.

• Remove the 'punitive' two per cent funding cap imposed and maintained by previous Liberal and Conservative governments.
• Increase investment in First Nations by $1.8 billion over the next four years and $4.8 billion over eight years based on an annual escalator.
• Improve critical infrastructure in indigenous communities, including clean water and sanitation facilities, with $375 million over four years.
• Provide $96 million over four years and long-term funding of $800 million over 20 years to support infrastructure projects.
• Call an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women within 100 days of taking office and provide $50 million to support it.
• Commit $68 million to revitalize indigenous languages.
• Improve health services available for indigenous people living in urban centres with an investment of $120 million.

• We initially reported that Yvonne Jones, a Liberal Party candidate in Labrador, was of Métis heritage. In fact, she is of Inuit heritage. August 15, 2015 2:16 PM
• We initially reported that Edward Rudkowski, an NDP candidate in Labrador, was of Innu heritage. In fact, he is of Inuit heritage. August 13, 2015 7:39 PM