Ottawa, Ontario, Traditional Unceded Algonquin Territory - Crown−Indigenous Relations
Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced that close to $2 million in funding has been allocated to five projects undertaken by four Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations. This funding will support the organizations in promoting Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ voices and unique perspectives on effectively protecting and empowering Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ people.
The funded projects, spanning across three provinces, will make concrete and positive differences in the lives of 2SLGBTQI+ people by identifying community needs and service gaps; providing culturally relevant, land-based programs; and fostering connections through the creation of regional support groups.
This funding is part of the $36.3 million over five years provided in Budget 2021 to Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada's Supporting Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Organizations program, which includes $8.6 million ongoing to ensure that Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations can rely on funding to continue their critical work. It also helps respond to Call for Justice 1.8,which calls upon governments to support national, regional, and local Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations through specific and long-term funding.
Increasing the voices of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations is paramount to ending the ongoing national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people and helping prevent gender- and race-based violence in Canada. It is crucial that 2SLGBTQI+ people and organizations in Canada have the capacity to deliver critical services, fill knowledge gaps, and amplify the voices and unique perspectives of those they support.
