First-Nations Demographics

We hear of the hopelessness, the eternal plight of Canada's first nations people, and we despair over their despair. Seen most starkly not only in their severely substandard living conditions, the frail condition of their collective health, but in the stark vulnerability of their children. Expressed by dreadfully high suicide rates, leaving us and them wringing our hands in misery.

Those, it would appear to some, represent the placidly stubborn demographic that refuse to leave reservations.

Analogous to some degree to the cycle of poverty seen in Canada's urban centres where one generation after another of non-aboriginals has succumbed to the pathology of state support. Living on welfare, subsidized housing and dental care, psychically engaged with their own disempowerment.

Society can do no other than relate to their ineffectiveness at grasping independence for themselves, sacrificing pride to sloth.

Not to say that there does not exist a varied group in any society incapable of fending adequately for itself, of earning a decent living wage. These are society's true disadvantaged, the working poor, the mentally ill, the handicapped to whom normalcy as we know it is denied them by circumstance.

To them too society owes the decency of care, not neglect for their well-being for they too are honoured members of our society.

The recent release of a census report on Canada's aboriginal population gives pause to the usual sigh of regret. It's more than a little fitting that our First Residents have demonstrated strength in the growth of their numbers, far outdistancing births and replacement of the balance of the Canadian population. Also a source of comfort that they are not in fact, in the decline.

We now understand that our aboriginal population has increased by 45% in the past decade, six times that of the non-aboriginal population, quite the achievement, although some of that has been attributed to a greater willingness to self-identify. Canada now, officially, can boast a real boost in the numbers of young aboriginals - the median age being 27 as compared to 40 for non-aboriginals.

Still plenty of moody news, since aboriginals remain disadvantaged, primarily in the western urban centres in contrast to cities like Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver where the divide in adequate and comfortable living accommodation between aboriginals and non-aboriginals has narrowed considerably.

"There's first Nations, Metis and Inuit, and where they live varies across the country and their conditions vary depending on the population", according to Jane Badets, director of Statistics Canada's social and aboriginal statistics division. Of the identified 1,172,790 Canadians of aboriginal descent, fully 700,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis live off reserve now, and are busily organizing for recognition and support.

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, representing off-reserve aboriginals, has the ear and the attention of government which agrees their needs should not be ignored. Interestingly, the Congress has called on Ottawa to monitor the huge sums allocated to reserves, and they're in support of descending transfers.

While the Assembly of First Nations whose purpose it is to represent the country's chiefs, those who govern the countless reserves, agitate for additional funding. Under political pressure to become more openly accountable for the funds received. Their response being to pass a resolution that the rival congress does not "politically, legally or morally represent First Nations citizens."

The two associations are not terribly fond of one another; their agendas reflect their memberships' perceived needs which can seem oppositional to one another. One, basically representing the needs of their urban-located constituents, the other the traditional hierarchy of chieftainship and all its attendant perquisites. And there's the rub.