5 Indigenous-led community groups to distribute $350K from Manitoba MMIWG2S endowment fund

CBC News

· Posted: May 05, 2025 1:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit radical successful Manitoba tin present entree an endowment money to screen costs associated with a search, tribunal proceedings or healing opportunities, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine says.

Five Indigenous-led organizations volition administer $350,000 from the Manitoba MMIWG2S+ healing and empowerment endowment money to household members of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. The wealth will help families access "a wide range" of low-barrier and nonstop support, Fontaine said at a quality league connected Monday.

The state acceptable up the money a twelvemonth agone done an archetypal $15-million investment, generating $650,000 successful conscionable six months, Fontaine said.

The assemblage organizations volition beryllium fixed work for distributing two-thirds of the fund's gross each year. The state volition nonstop the remainder to akin organizations.

Eligible costs that tin beryllium covered by the endowment money whitethorn see hunt costs, gas, edifice bills, ceremonial expenses, headstones, nutrient and adjacent tuition, Fontaine said.

"I deliberation it's truly important for Manitobans to know and to beryllium arrogant of the fact that we are the lone jurisdiction crossed Canada that has acceptable up a MMIWG2S+ endowment money to run successful perpetuity for families and communities," Fontaine said astatine the quality conference.

"No substance what authorities is successful power, this endowment money volition beryllium for years to come."

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the Southern Chiefs' Organization and Giganawenimaanaanig — the province's MMIWG2S+ implementation committee — volition each person astir $90,000, the state said.

The Manitoba Métis Federation's Infinity Women's Secretariat volition get astir $40,000, and the Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre successful Winnipeg volition get $25,000.

The endowment fund, managed by the Winnipeg Foundation, is presently adjacent $25 million, Fontaine said. The extremity is to yet treble that, which could effect successful upwards of $2 cardinal successful gross generated each year, she said.