Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Christian Sinclair and OCN’s Onuschkewuk signed a 10 year grant yesterday that establishes a new fiscal relationship with the Crown to support capacity building that will allow investing in their own priorities such as economic development, education, and health.
This new relationship will help OCN work towards self determination and close the socio economic gaps between First Nations and the rest of Canada.
A press release stated that OCN is really excited for this opportunity given the fact that the current leadership inherited a lot of debt and was on the verge of third party management, but according to Sinclair they were able to turn their finances around and secure this opportunity within their three year term.
He added that this type of funding is critical to the success of a first nation and will allow them to allocate, manage and use funding that will accommodate their needs in a way that represents Cree values and traditions.
The agreement will be in effect from April 1st of this year until March 31st of 2029.
