FORT McKAY — Fort McKay First Nation Chief Raymond Powder is calling for an overhaul of federal funding for Indigenous community safety, prevention and healing programs.
Resolution 17, brought forward by Powder with support from the Athabasca Tribal Council, calls for permanent federal funding to replace short-term, competitive grant programs used by First Nations to support services including shelters, family outreach and crisis intervention.
The resolution also calls for federal funding to flow directly to First Nations governments rather than through provincial structures, giving communities greater control over how resources are directed toward local safety priorities.
A key focus is supporting grassroots responses to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and people, including local safety networks such as the Athabasca Tribal Council’s MMEIP Taskforce.
The proposed funding model would support wraparound services for vulnerable people as well as longer-term prevention initiatives. Those could include community patrols, safe housing, family preservation programs and addiction recovery services developed around Indigenous cultures and traditions.
The resolution also seeks greater First Nations authority over community safety and enforcement, including pathways toward First Nations-led policing and locally developed enforcement protocols.
Supporters argue communities are best positioned to identify their own safety challenges and determine where resources are needed, rather than repeatedly applying for federal programs designed around national or regional priorities.
Resolution 17 also calls for greater federal accountability in implementing the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The proposal seeks to make federal agencies financially and legally accountable for supporting Indigenous safety and human rights protections at the community level.
If implemented, the changes would represent a shift away from temporary, proposal-based federal programs toward sustained funding controlled directly by First Nations.
For the Athabasca Tribal Council and Fort McKay First Nation, the resolution positions community-led prevention, healing and safety services as ongoing responsibilities requiring stable funding rather than temporary initiatives.
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