Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug warns short-term deal undermines Indigenous self-government and stability for children, youth and families

By NetNewsLedger Staff
Published: November 19, 2025
Category: Local/Regional Indigenous News

KITCHENUHMAYKOOSIB INNINUWUG (KI) — Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug is warning that unstable federal funding threatens the future of KIDO — KI Family Law and the community’s progress in Indigenous-led child and family services.

After ten months of uncertainty, KI says federal officials told KIDO on Nov. 18, 2025 they will extend its fiscal agreement for two years, not the four-year term KI sought.

“Our children, our law, our future—this is what’s at stake,” said Chief Donny Morris. “We’ve proven an Indigenous-led, community-driven approach changes lives. Funding instability now threatens to extinguish this beacon of hope.”

KI argues the short timeline undercuts staffing, planning, and service stability for children and families.

“Reconciliation requires real investment, not words,” said KIDO Director MaryEllen Thomas. “We need stable, long-term funding so what we’ve built is never dismantled.”

What is KIDO?

KIDO (Kichenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Dibenjikewin Onaakonikewin) is KI’s own family law and service model, launched April 1, 2023. It delivers culture-rooted supports for children, youth, and families and operates under KI’s inherent right to self-government, recognized in Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and the federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (Bill C-92).

• KI, a Treaty 9 Nation about 600 km north of Thunder Bay, says KIDO replaces colonial approaches with Anishinaabe law, language, and Elder guidance.

• KI signed a trilateral Coordination Agreement in 2023 and has been seeking a longer funding runway to sustain services.

Why KI says two years isn’t enough

KI leaders say short-term deals:

• Disrupt long-term planning and recruitment/retention of qualified staff.

• Shift time and resources away from frontline services.

• Undermine the promise of self-determination and reconciliation.

KI’s Position

• The two-year Fiscal Relationship Agreement extension is inadequate, KI says.

• KI calls on Canada to honour the spirit and intent of Bill C-92 and Section 35 by providing stable, multi-year funding aligned to community needs.

• KI says the current approach questions the Crown’s honour and its stated commitment to reconciliation and healing.

What’s next

KI says it will continue pushing for a longer-term agreement that protects KIDO’s continuity and supports generational wellness for KI children, youth, and families.