By Lyndsay Armstrong Mi’kmaq leaders from Nova Scotia are calling on Ottawa to urgently address an income assistance disparity they say is keeping some families on reserve in deep poverty. Ta’n Etli-tpi’tmk, which represents 12 of the 13 Mi’kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia, says Canada must raise on-reserve income assistance rates to match provincial levels. The group says there is a gap of more than $25 million a year between what First Nations people on reserve receive from Ottawa and what they would get from Nova Scotia if they lived off reserve. “This is not about a handout, this is about enabling people to basically start to lift themselves out of deep poverty,” James Michael, a lead negotiator with Ta’n Etli-tpi’tmk, said in an interview Tuesday. Michael said the…
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