Indian
Affairs had allocated a mere $10,000 to control tuberculosis for 300 bands
across Canada (about 105,000 people [between 1891-1896]). In comparison, the city of Ottawa (with about
the same population) had a medical budget of $342,000.
The
Department of Indian Affairs, which treated problems at schools the same way
that it treated other problems on reserves.
When the department is forced to confront a serious issue on a reserve,
it seems to have a defacto four-point response: 1. Ignore the problem; 2. If
ignoring doesn’t make it go away, stall for time; 3. If forced to take action,
pay for a study on the basis that the facts need to be determined first; and 4.
If a problem persists, repeat the pattern.
Between
1995-2003, Indian Affairs spent $1.9 billion on water and sewage plants for
First Nations in Canada. But there was
little to show for such expenditures. In
2005, 38 First Nation communities in Ontario alone were on long-term boiled
water advisories.
