A federal review says climate change is driving “ecological grief” in First Nations and Inuit communities while exposing shortfalls in Ottawa’s $1.6 billion wellness program meant to support mental health.The Department of Indigenous Services reported that extreme weather, wildfires, and disrupted access to traditional practices such as hunting, fishing and medicine gathering are taking a toll on well-being. “Climate change is disrupting important and distinct pathways for good health and well-being,” said the report, citing stress, grief and the loss of opportunities to pass cultural knowledge to younger generations.According to Blacklock's Reporter, since 2021, cabinet has spent $1,562,700,000 on a Mental Wellness Program to fund “Indigenous-led, culturally relevant, community-based” services. But auditors concluded demand far outstrips the budget. “Despite program enhancements there was strong agreement that the available financial resources within the Program did not meet the demand for services,” they wrote..The review said evacuations caused by wildfires and floods have compounded stress by uprooting families from their communities. Climate change was also blamed for undermining food security and traditional cultural practices.The department said it remains committed to supporting self-determination but did not indicate how much additional funding would be required. “Recognizing the increasing threat of climate change events and the close connection with mental wellness, a continuing increase in demand for services may be expected,” said the evaluation.Auditors also found poor accountability in tracking how money was spent. “Formal documentation pertaining to key meetings such as agendas, meeting minutes or records of decisions were not consistently documented,” they wrote, warning that weak recordkeeping could result in inefficiency and loss of transparency.
