Mi’kmaq leaders from Nova Scotia are calling on Ottawa to urgently address the income assistance disparity they say is keeping some families on reserve in deep poverty.
Ta’n Etli-tpi’tmk, which represents 12 of the 13 Mi’kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, says Canada must raise on-reserve income assistance rates to provincial levels.
The group says there is a gap of more than $25 million a year between what First Nations people on reserve receive from Ottawa and what they would receive from Nova Scotia if they lived off reserve.
Sen. Paul Prosper, who is a Mi’kmaq lawyer from Nova Scotia, says First Nations in the province are asking for basic human and legal rights, and poverty-reducing support that’s comparable to what others access off reserve.
James Michael, a lead negotiator with Ta’n Etli-tpi’tmk, says the disparity in income assistance rates is keeping some people on reserve in “deep poverty,” making it impossible for some to access healthy food.
A representative from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada was not immediately available for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
