[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” module_class=”fw_header” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” locked=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”csc statement on 2025 Federal Budget” module_class=”fw_header” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”–et_global_heading_font|600||on|||||” title_font_size=”46px” title_line_height=”0em” background_image=”https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-lureofadventure-19013057.png” max_width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” min_height=”200px” max_height=”1000px” custom_margin=”12px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_free_form=”.fw_header{|| || padding:125px 0 10px 0 !important;||}||” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”2025 Federal Budget Returns Canada\u2019s to a Legacy of Failure for First Nations” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”left” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ text_font=”Roboto|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#124f77″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||50px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
TREATY 6, 7, 8 TERRITORIES \u2013 [Nov. 5, 2025]<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 The Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services (CSC) are profoundly shocked by the abandonment of Canada to its commitments under its 2024 Treaty Bilateral Table on Water and Related Infrastructure. The funding outlined for First Nations is dramatically insufficient to address the urgent needs address in critical infrastructure gaps across the Alberta region, particularly around clean water. This budget fails to deliver on reconciliation promises and is the continuation of unjust differences in living conditions for First Nations.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cPrime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s first budget is just fancy words on status quo,\u201d says Chief Troy Knowlton, Piikani Nation, Treaty 7 Territory. \u201cThe funding for clean water and infrastructure is simply maintaining progress on active projects\u2014including those focused on water advisories\u2014among hundreds of others. It\u2019s a single drop in the giant bucket that Canada created.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The budget\u2019s allocations for critical infrastructure are a mere fraction of the hundreds of billions required to close the documented gap by the 2030 deadline set by Indigenous Services Canada. Relying on piecemeal, time-limited funding continues the colonial legacy, preventing First Nations from achieving true autonomy and long-term economic planning.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAs we have seen time and again, the Government of Canada is unwilling to follow through on the promises and legal duties they are required to fulfill,\u201d says Chief Sheldon Sunshine, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 8 territory. \u201cThis budget does nothing to meaningfully close the enormous gaps that exist, or further First Nations in their road to reconciliation. It is, yet again, woefully inadequate.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The CSC views this budget as a failure of commitment, not a prudent step forward. It is impossible to address a $350-billion infrastructure deficit with short-term, incremental investments marketed as \u2018supercharged\u2019 and \u2018enhanced\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe government always acknowledges the need for financial fairness but refuses to provide the funds to fulfill its own constitutional obligations,\u201d says Chief Vernon Watchmaker, Kehewin Cree Nation, Treaty 6 territory. \u201cWe are not looking for more tokens; we are demanding justice and the financial tools necessary to govern our territories and ensure the well-being of our people.\u201d<\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TREATY 6, 7, 8 TERRITORIES \u2013 [Nov. 5, 2025] \u2013 The Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services (CSC) are profoundly shocked by the abandonment of Canada to its commitments under […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n Chiefs Steering Committee Expresses Disappointment with 2025 Federal Budget and Failure to Close Gaps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TREATY 6, 7, 8 TERRITORIES \u2013 [Nov. 5, 2025]<\/strong> \u2013 The Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services (CSC) expressed profound disappointment with the 2025 Federal Budget tabled today. The funding outlined for First Nations is dramatically insufficient to address the urgent needs to address critical infrastructure gaps across the Alberta region, particularly around clean water. This budget fails to deliver on reconciliation promises and maintains the unjust differences in living conditions for First Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s first budget is just fancy words on status quo,\u201d says Chief Troy Knowlton, Piikani Nation, Treaty 7 Territory. \u201cThe funding for clean water and infrastructure is simply maintaining progress on active projects\u2014including those focused on water advisories\u2014among hundreds of others. It is a small drop in the giant bucket that Canada created.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The budget\u2019s allocations for critical infrastructure are a mere fraction of the hundreds of billions required to close the documented gap by the 2030 deadline set by Indigenous Services Canada in 2023. Relying on piecemeal, time-limited funding continues the colonial legacy, preventing First Nations from achieving true autonomy and long-term economic planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs we have seen time and again, the Government of Canada is unwilling to follow through on the promises and legal duties they are required to fulfill,\u201d says Chief Sheldon Sunshine, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 8 territory. \u201cThis budget does nothing to meaningfully close the enormous gaps that exist, or further First Nations in their road to reconciliation. It is, yet again, woefully inadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CSC views this budget as a failure of commitment, not a prudent step forward. It is impossible to address a $350-billion infrastructure deficit with short-term, incremental investments marketed as \u2018supercharged\u2019 and \u2018enhanced\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe government always acknowledges the need for financial fairness but refuses to provide the funds to fulfill its own constitutional obligations,\u201d says Chief Vernon Watchmaker, Kehewin Cree Nation, Treaty 6 territory. \u201cWe are not looking for more tokens; we are demanding justice and the financial tools necessary to govern our territories and ensure the well-being of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CSC will continue to firmly hold the federal government accountable and demand a revised, funding strategy that matches the scale of the challenges faced by First Nations across Canada.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25651","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25651"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25671,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25651\/revisions\/25671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The CSC will continue to firmly hold the federal government accountable and demand a revised, funding strategy that matches the scale of the challenges faced by First Nations across Canada.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n