Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet and now will have two ministers working on Indigenous matters rather than one. This underlines the emphasis Trudeau has placed on reconciling with First Nations people in Canada.
Jane Philpott will leave the health portfolio to fill the new position of Indigenous Services. She will work with Carolyn Bennett who will be named minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.
In spite of Trudeau’s best intentions, there have been obstacles in the efforts to reconcile with Aboriginal peoples. A commission that was struck to find the reasons why Canada has so many murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls has been plagued with problems. Several people have resigned from the commission and there have been multiple complaints about it from Indigenous people themselves.
Philpott named six of her top priorities. They are child and family services, health care, clean drinking water, education, food security, and housing.
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