A New Beginning?

June 11 marks the one-year anniversary of the Government of Canada’s apology to First Nations for the attitudes and policies that led to the Indian Residential Schools. The Assembly of First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations in Canada have recognized the tremendous significance of the apology. With the apology came the opportunity for a new beginning for relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

As we prepare to mark this significant anniversary, several questions arise. What difference has the apology made to the lives of Canada’s First Peoples? Have we changed the way that we, as Canadians and as Christians, engage with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters changed? Have we entered a time when Aboriginal peoples are seen and treated as valued members of Canadian society?

Clearly, widespread attitudinal changes take time and a year is hardly long enough to expect any major shifts. Still, it is fair to expect, upon acknowledging this “sad chapter in our history,” that the official response of the Government of Canada, as reflected in policies and funding, would be consistent with this expression of regret. On the occasion of the apology, Prime Minister Harper himself stated that “there is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian Residential Schools system to ever again prevail.”

Efforts have been made to advance the process of healing and reconciliation through the “Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.” Other small steps have also been taken. For example, on June 2, 2009, Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (the national Inuit organization in Canada), addressed the Canadian Senate in Inuktitut – something that had never before occurred in Canadian history.

Yet despite improvements over the last forty years in the broader sphere of their lives and livelihoods, Aboriginal Canadians continue to be one of the most disadvantaged groups in Canadians society.

The AFN has identified a list of issues requiring priority action. At the top of the list? Aboriginal poverty. This is followed by funding for First Nations schools and addressing inequity towards Aboriginal child welfare agencies.

Aboriginal Canadians experience significantly higher rates of poverty than other Canadians, whether they are on reserve or in one of Canada’s largest cities. According to a recent report prepared by the Make First Nations Poverty History Expert Advisory Committee (March 2009):

• 77% of First Nation persons living on their own (i.e. outside a family setting) report incomes below the poverty threshold;” 
• only about 9% of the First Nation population is in the $50,000 and above income range; and, 
• the Aboriginal unemployment rate is 38% on reserve and 27% overall.

The living conditions of some Aboriginal communities have been compared to living conditions in the developing world. Housing continues to be a major challenge in First Nations communities, with crowded, poor quality accommodation being prevalent. High levels of mould and mildew often affect houses on reserves. And over 100 communities, notably the Kashechewan First Nation in Ontario, have been plagued by longstanding contamination of their water supply systems.

The quality and health of buildings in First Nations communities has also affected education. Families in Attawapiskat (in Northern Ontario), for example, have been told that despite the fact that their “school” (a series of run-down portables) is located next to a diesel leak, they will have to continue their nine-year wait because there are 29 other schools in First Nations communities that are in worse shape. Unhealthy schools mean that children are not receiving the education that they require. 48 per cent of the First Nation adult population in Canada has not completed high school.

While Aboriginal peoples confront many of the same challenges as other poor Canadians, their conditions and experiences also relate to their experiences of racism, colonialism and Canada’s failure to implement Aboriginal rights. Addressing First Nations poverty, therefore, requires what the 1996 Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples calls “a renewed relationship based on the principle of recognition, respect, sharing, and responsibility.” Canada also needs to address the broad array of Aboriginal rights, including adopting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Canada was one of only four nations who opposed the adoption of the Declaration in September 2007).

The 2009 Federal Budget included investments in Aboriginal skills and training, as well as on-reserve social housing and infrastructure. However, the $1.4 billion price tag falls far short of demonstrating a sincere commitment to meeting the needs of Canada’s First Nations communities. Education funding is set at a fraction of the funding provided for non-Aboriginal children. And the budgeted investments fail to address the needs of Aboriginal people living off-reserve.

It is with a generous spirit, then, that First Nations peoples are reaching out to invite Canadians to join them in marking the first anniversary of the apology. As a society we need to respond in kind and rethink our relationship with Aboriginal Canadians, to engage them with renewed respect, and to seek policies and practices that value Aboriginal culture, language, and heritage – and indeed, that ensures the dignity of all First Nations people.