The federal government has slashed the health budget of the Assembly of First Nations.
The AFN says it will immediately see a reduction of 40% to its health capacity, resulting in layoffs.
The group says First Nations citizens remain one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in Canada, and it hopes these cuts do not cause harm to First Nations citizens or negatively impact community-level services.
The assembly stresses that supports for community health services are essential.
Several Aboriginal groups have been affected by federal cuts in recent weeks, including the National Aboriginal Health Organization, the First Nations Statistical Institute, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the National Centre for First Nations Governance.