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National Indigenous News April 29 · National Indigenous Newscasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is a look at your National Indigenous News.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Darrell Stranger.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: The federal government announced about$2.1 billion in new spending on essential services for Indigenous people in its spring economic update Tuesday.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: The money will support First Nations and Inuit non-insured health benefits, on-reserve education, and child and family services beginning this fiscal year through 2031.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: This is on top of roughly$2.2 billion for essential services announced by Indigenous Services Canada earlier this year for healthcare programs, urban programming and friendship centers, and Indigenous governance and community-based services.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: The essential services being funded are programs the federal government is legally required to provide.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Of the$2.1 billion announced,$601 million in 2026-27 has been pledged for culturally relevant elementary and secondary education on reserve, and$700 million over six years beginning in the 2025-26 fiscal year will support indigenous communities implementing jurisdiction for child and family services.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Funding of$764 million in 2026-27 was also announced for the Non-insured Health Benefits Program for First Nations and Inuit.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: The Esqueo Awards recognize the achievements and contributions of First Nations Metis and Inuit women throughout Alberta.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: This year, 17 Indigenous women will receive an Esqueo Award.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And with more on that, here is Joanna Luna.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: The Esquale Awards is right around the corner, happening Thursday, May 7th, from noon to 4 o'clock at the River Cray Resort, and we cut up with President Lisa Weber.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, we're so delighted this year, Joanna.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: We've got women who have made a difference in children's lives, with their commitments to their work and communities.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: We're honoring women who have been recognized for community involvement, women committed to uh revitalization and retention of culture, um, education, health and medicine, justice, and also in the area of sports.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: And last but not least, of course, um we have our annual recognition um Muriel Stanley Ban Leadership Award.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, every year we honor a woman for her uh leadership in the community.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: We've honored more than 500 women um after 30 years, and um over 100 communities have been honored um over the years um with you know more than six, seven hundred people in attendance.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a fantastic event recognizing women in our communities.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: In Edmonton, I'm Joetta Luna.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Fire officials in the Northwest Territories are warning people to prepare for another challenging wildfire season due in part to ongoing drought conditions in parts of the territory.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: The territory has seen average levels of precipitation over the winter and a snowpack that exceeds five-year averages in most places.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: But there wasn't enough rain last fall to completely replenish the moisture in the ground.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Residents of many communities in the Northwest Territories have had to contend over the past three years with the threat of wildfires dangerously close to their communities.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: The territory has 35 wildfire crews prepared to fight fires this year, one more than it had last year.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: It also has more than 100 specialists and support staff, seven long-term contracts for helicopters, and 12 air tankers.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Over the past year, the territory has also offered basic training to seven fire departments on how to prepare and protect structures from wildfires.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's also aiming to train nine more fire departments this year.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, it has purchased two new trailers over the past year with sprinkler equipment for protecting buildings and infrastructure, and it's funded two more such trailers for municipalities.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: In addition, the territory has invested one point seven million dollars in community wildfire resilience projects, such as clearing fuel from around communities.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's a look at your national Indigenous News.