10) INDIGENOUS PEOPLES FACE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN CANADA
Excerpt from an article by Pam Palmater, a Mi'kmaw citizen and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She heads the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. For the full article, visit http://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.ca.
This blog post is not an official report, but is modeled off situation reports from international groups and organizations about specific crises in othercountries. Canada portrays itself as a model nation but always hides the darker side of the historic genocide perpetrated on Indigenous peoples and the aggressive assimilatory actions it is taking currently ‑ which only serve to make poverty in First Nations much worse...
Although the Government of Canada has been presenting a picture of stable relations with and improved living conditions for Indigenous Nations, the reality on the ground shows many Indigenous individuals, families, communities and Nations suffering from multiple, over‑lapping crises. Although federal, provincial, Indigenous and independent researchers have all verified the crises, Canada has refused to act. This is resulting in the pre‑mature deaths of hundreds, even thousands of Indigenous peoples every year. Many of those that do survive, do so with higher levels of injuries, disabilities, diabetes, TB, heart disease, and other preventable health issues.
There is a children in care crisis where 40% of children in care in Canada (30,000) are Indigenous children.
The crisis of over‑incarceration of Indigenous peoples in state prisons shows 25‑30% of prison populations are Indigenous and increasing.
The water crisis of 116+ First Nations not having clean water and 75% of their water systems being at medium to high risk is well‑known.
The housing crisis is particularly staggering when you consider that 40% of First Nations homes are in need of major repair and there is an 85,000 home backlog.
There is a growing crisis of violence against Indigenous women with over 600 murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada. The health crisis results in a life expectancy of 8‑20 years less for Indigenous peoples due to extreme poverty.
This does not include the cultural crisis where 94% of Indigenous languages in Canada (47/50) are at high risk of extinction. These are all exacerbated for communities who suffer from massive flooding due to hydro‑electric operations.
The gap between Canadians and Indigenous peoples with regards to education, employment, skills training, food security, water security, health care, and mental health services continues to increase. Statistics are often manipulated by Canada to show that conditions are getting better, but when reviewed over a 20 year period, the statistics are clear that the socio‑economic conditions of Indigenous peoples are on a downward trend. The levels of poverty and ill‑health in northern Indigenous communities are even more acute. Suicide rates are amongst the highest in the world with suicides starting at much younger ages, like 9 years old. While Canada rates in the top 4 countries when measuring the human development index, when Indigenous peoples are isolated, Canada drops to 78th.
Indigenous Nations in Canada have attempted to work with federal and provincial governments to address these crisis areas, all to no avail. The closest Indigenous Nations came to accessing funding relief for the current crisis was in 2005 when the Government of Canada promised $5 billion over 10 years to address issues like education and housing. This commitment was later withdrawn when the Conservative Party came to power. Since then, Indigenous Nations, through their individual First Nation communities, representative organizations and advocacy groups, continue to try to raise public awareness and get Canada's attention ‑ but have been met with funding cuts, instead of assistance.
These funding and other cuts are in direct violation of Canada's domestic laws, legislated mandates and legally binding treaties and other agreements with Indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples in Canada have been in a state of prolonged crisis and casualties continue to increase. The situation has become critical and many Indigenous individuals and communities are in need of immediate emergency assistance. Other communities not in a crisis, still require that their treaties be upheld, their stolen lands be returned and they have a fair share of the wealth that comes from their traditional territories in order to be self‑sustaining...
For more information, see Palmater's article "Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death By Poverty in First Nations," in the journal Canadian Review of Social Policy: http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/viewFile/35220/32057