Aid agreement signed for Quebec First Nations

First Nations communities in Quebec have signed an agreement with the federal and provincial governments aimed at improving access to social assistance in aboriginal communities.

The announcement was made by Federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, his provincial counterpart Pierre Corbeil, and theQuebec chiefof the Assembly of First Nations, Ghislain Picard, in Quebec City on Tuesday.

Because funding comes from the federal government, but the province is in charge of providing social services, officials acknowledged that people are sometimes falling through the cracks.

For example, funding for social services won't follow a family that moves from one community to another, because of a lack of communication between federal and provincial officials, said Picard.

Over the next three years, federal, provincial and First Nations officials will work to put more power in the hands of First Nations communities, Strahl said.

For example, authorities in First Nations Communities will be trained to distribute and manage money for employment insurance, he said.

Strahl said he hopes streamlining the process will also help more native people get the training they need to find better jobs.

"Certainly, there's a need to make sure people don't fall through the cracks, that we deliver services effectively efficiently, use best practices and we take advantage of the provincial expertise," said Strahl. "But there's also a need to mare sure that it's not just an inactive way of just making sure people get a cheque. It's also a way to help them move ahead."

The Assembly of First Nations called the announcement a good first step. Its members are hopeful the move is a sign federal and provincial officials will be willing to hand over even more responsibilities to First Nations officials.

"Finally instead of discussions taking place between Canada and Quebec, it is an opportunity for us to be at the table to really reflect perhaps statistics or situations the government's don't understand," said Picard.

Currently 16 per cent of people living on reserves in Quebec depend on social assistance double the provincial average.