Upending Tradition

Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations has boasted that First Nations' birthrate has out-stripped that of all other segments of Canadian society.  The federal government has recognized this, and it is concerned that this precious human resource be taken advantage of for the greater advancement of the country, and of the First Nations communities themselves. 

The level and quality of education offered to First Nations children should be commensurate with both their potential and their entitlements.  And there is work to be done in that direction.  Along with a commitment for an elevated funding for First Nations schools to bring them on par with schools that other Canadian children attend.  Allied with that, is the need to convince children of the value of achieving a good education.

School drop-outs are a problem.  Education is not necessarily recognized within the communities as the personal imperative it is, to bring young native Canadians into the workforce to represent their earned qualifications from academia, in the professions as well as a broad array of employment opportunities.  Their advancement is critically dependent upon that kind of success, just as the country itself is compelled to look to them for the qualities they can bring to the general success of the country's economic growth and stability.

There seems to exist, however, a disconnect between the young aboriginals' general mind-set about graduation from high school, and the potentials that exist to carry on into post-secondary education, or alternately, seeking out gainful and meaningful employment.  Just as First Nations peoples living on reserves have become comfortable with high unemployment and living off welfare, it seems that there is little willingness among young graduates to exercise their options to seek out employment.

It is simply less of an effort, and just as rewarding, evidently, to anticipate living on welfare.  Which is why, for example, in a province (Saskatchewan), where the unemployment rate in the general population stands at a low of 4.9%, 48.1% of native Canadians living on reserves routinely depend on income assistance.  A result of which is that government is going about instituting a change to the rules, where band members will be expected to undertake job training to qualify for that welfare cheque.

It is expected that the result of these plans to go into effect in an effort to turn around an attitude of welfare entitlements, will meet with stiff resistance.  National Chief Atleo insists that First Nations must be involved in any such efforts to break the cycle of welfare. "Unilateral approaches to assistance and training policies have often failed and resulted in more harm and cost ...  Training opportunities must be targeted and sustainable and driven by the people they're intended to help", he claims.

Sounds good.  And what will impress upon "the people they're intended to help", that it is in their best interests to become independently sustainable, rather than continue with the kind of inherited social values that has them traditionally making little-to-no effort to find employment, rather than simply sitting around, living on welfare?  In the process, being bored with life, looking for release from boredom through alcohol and drug abuse.

Will the Assembly of First Nations itself, commit to urging its members and tribal chiefs to convince their members that quality of life lies in being proudly independent, making a life for themselves through their own conviction that they can and they must, earn their own living just like anyone else?