The feds appear to be taking an economic approach to reconciliation, but ‘socioeconomic issues are not the only issues’ facing Indigenous communities in Canada, says political science professor Chadwick Cowie.

Indigenous Services Canada, headed by Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, is set to trim 15.3 per cent in spending over the next three years, as well as cut 845 full-time staff next year, according to its departmental plans. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Indigenous Services Canada is projected to slash $3-billion in funds this coming fiscal year, according its 2026-27 departmental plan, which outlines a total 16.5 per cent spending decrease over three years, and is “raising alarm bells” across Canada without proper communication from the government, says Senator Paul Prosper.