Current Issues

The struggle that Aboriginal peoples have been engaged in can be understood by recounting the famous statement made in 1920 by Duncan Campbell Scott, poet, essayist and Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, that encapsulates the prevailing attitude of his day: 'Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic, and there is no Indian question and no Indian department'. 

Aboriginal people have had to fight to maintain their cultural identity, sovereignty over traditional territories, and rights to full participation in Canada’s constitutional democracy. Since contact with European influences, Aboriginal people have had to resist or conform to the teachings and methods of Christian missionaries and their economic counterparts, the trading companies. What resulted was a loss of language, a loss of traditional rituals, ceremonies and traditions as well as a loss of political self-determination.

As expansion continued westward government policies were developed to further address the 'Indian Problem'. With the institution of the reserve system, residential schools, and the Indian Act, the government of the day essentially undermined the sovereignty of all Native peoples.

Despite these concerted efforts Aboriginal people have risen and continue to rise through such accomplishments as: 

• The enshrinement of Aboriginal rights in the Canadian constitution.
• Abolition of the residential school system and compensation for its victims.
• Resolution of long-standing disputes over specific and comprehensive land claims.
• Formation of Aboriginal education, health care and judicial systems.

Found in: Aboriginal Perspectives - National Film Board of Canada

Cody Zacharias - Chairman of National Aboriginal Caucus for the Canadian Federation of Students speaks to some of the issues currently being experienced by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. 

Published on May 14, 2016 What do we mean when we say Aboriginal or Indigenous communities? What are pow-wows and smudging ceremonies? What role did history play in the current relationship we have with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities? Joining me to discuss this, and much more is Coty Zachariah, Chairman of National Aboriginal Caucus for the Canadian Federation of Students. Quran Speaks - You Tube

In Alberta today there are 48 First Nations groups living on and off the 140 reserves in the province. Together they represent many linguistic groups, the largest being the Cree, who make up more than half of the Aboriginal population in Alberta. Approximately one-half of First Nations people in Alberta lived on a reserve in 2011. 

Alberta is home to 96,865 Métis people, the largest Métis population in Canada. Alberta has the only recognized Métis land base in Canada with the total population of the eight Métis settlements being 4,858. There are 1,985 Inuit people living in Alberta. Most Inuit people who choose to leave Canada’s Arctic move to urban centres like Edmonton.

A Statistics Canada report on Aboriginal peoples based on data obtained from the 2006 census provides some interesting figures about Canada’s and Alberta’s FNMI populations. *Remember to view these statistics with caution as they can be misleading. These are only a few of the issues facing Aboriginal peoples today, both on and off the reserve. 

Population:

From 2006 to 2011, the First Nations population in Alberta increased by 19 per cent, while the Métis population rose by 14%, and the Inuit population rose by 24 per cent. Nearly half (49%) of Aboriginal people in Alberta were under the age of 25, compared to 32% of the nonAboriginal population. In Alberta, 44 per cent of First Nations children aged 14 and younger lived in a family with both their parents in 2011, as did 59% of Métis children and 61% or Inuit children. The corresponding percentage of non-Aboriginal children is 80%. About a third of First Nations children and 28% of both Métis and Inuit children lived in a lone parent family, rates that are higher than that of their non-Aboriginal peers (14%).

Aboriginal Languages:

Approximately one in six Aboriginal people in Canada are able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language. More Aboriginal people reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language than reported an Aboriginal mother tongue. This implies that a number of Aboriginal people have acquired an Aboriginal language as a second language. In Alberta, 45 per cent of First Nations people living on reserve reported the ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, a rate higher than among off-reserve First Nations people (13 per cent), Métis (4 per cent) and Inuit (8 per cent).

Post Secondary Qualifications

In 2011, 47 per cent of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 64 in Alberta had a certificate, diploma or degree from a trade school, college or university: 40 per cent of First Nations people, 53%of Métis and 52 per cent of Inuit. The comparable percentage for their non-Aboriginal counterparts was 65 per cent. Among those with postsecondary credentials, First Nations people, Métis and Inuit were more likely than non-Aboriginals to have completed trades or college programs than university programs. In 2011, 39 per cent of First Nations people aged 25 to 64, 23% of Métis and 24 per cent of Inuit did not have a certificate, diploma or degree. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 11%.

Employment Rates

In 2011, the employment rates for First Nations people, Métis and Inuit aged 25 to 64 in Alberta who did not have a certificate, diploma or degree were 40.5 per cent, 56.9 per cent and 68.2 per cent respectively. Employment rates were higher for those with further education. For example, among those with postsecondary credentials, the employment rate for First Nations people was 71.4%, while that of Métis was 80.5 per cent and that of Inuit, 84.4 per cent.

Living Conditions

Although First Nations people in Canada are making many positive strides, there is still a long way to go to eliminate the disparities between them and most Canadians. Many reserves are small, remote and deficient in resources. The average life expectancy of First Nations people is five to ten years below the Canadian average. According to the Centre For Policy Alternatives, 2013 Report, half of Status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty, which is triple that of non-Indigenous children. No two communities are the same. Differences in geographic location (urban, rural or isolated) combined with access to economic development mean that economic disparities exist among First Nations and Inuit communities. Leaders are implementing many initiatives to improve living conditions on reserves. The goal is to increase their standard of living to Canadian standards in all communities.

Alberta Teachers’ Association (2002). Education is our buffalo: a teachers’ resource for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Education in Alberta. Edmonton: Alberta Teacher’s Association. (970.4123 Edu)

Published on Oct 22, 2013 The fifth annual TEDxToronto conference took place on September 26, 2013 at The Royal Conservatory of Music. For our 2013 TEDxToronto Conference, all talks, performances, and demos were rooted in our selected theme, "The Choices We Make." About the Speaker: Gabrielle Scrimshaw is a young professional with a passion to create social impact. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Gabrielle is a member of the Hatchet Lake First Nation. She has studied international business and policy in Australasia, Asia, the Americas and Europe. Gabrielle became the youngest Associate accepted into one of Canada's most competitive post-graduate finance programs. Most recently Gabrielle co-founded a national not-for-profit for Aboriginal Professionals and was named the 2013 First Nations Youth Achiever by Indspire. For more information visit www.tedxtoronto.com In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Aboriginal and Northern Success Stories - From St. John's Newfoundland, to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia and Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Aboriginal, and Northern people and communities across Canada have success stories to share. 

Success Stories by Subject

• Aboriginal Peoples & Communities

• Acts, Agreements and Land Claims

• Arts, Culture & Heritage

• Benefits and Rights

• Economic Development

• Education

• Employment

• Environment and Natural Resources

• Infrastructure and Housing

• Social Programs

• The North

Bellegarde acknowledges sunny ways in Ottawa By Susana Mas, CBC News Posted: Dec 08, 2015 5:00 AM ET

Although this is a 'staged' public event, the feeling of optimism is present. Change is happening,- is it happening fast enough?

National Achievement Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the tools necessary for Aboriginal peoples, especially youth, to achieve their potential. As of 2015, Indspire, through its education program, has awarded scholarships and bursaries to more than 11,500 First Nations, Métis and Inuit students nationwide. The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards is an annual broadcast celebrating 14 achievers in a multitude of career areas. A complete list of award laureates and their biographies can be found on the Indspire website at http://indspire.ca/laureate/. 

The following people have made significant contributions to Canada and their communities and serve as positive role models for Aboriginal youth. This is by no means a definitive list. 

Activists 

Actors 

Architects 

Artists 

Athletes 

Business 

Filmmakers 

Historical Figures 

Law 

Medicine 

Musicians 

Politicians 

Writers 

Alberta Teachers’ Association (2002). Education is our buffalo: a teachers’ resource for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Education in Alberta. Edmonton: Alberta Teacher’s Association. (970.4123 Edu)

Go to the Key Issues Assignment. Remember that you will use your Google Docs account from Red Deer Catholic Schools (@rdcrs.ca account). All of your assignments need to be created using Google. Do not cut and paste your assignments from Word to Google! Google allows the teacher to see a time stamped revision history of all of your work; thus, this authenticates that it is your work.

This link will take you back to the page that explains how to submit an assignment. 

Go to the Recognizing Achievement Assignment. Remember that you will use your Google Docs account from Red Deer Catholic Schools (@rdcrs.ca account). All of your assignments need to be created using Google. Do not cut and paste your assignments from Word to Google! Google allows the teacher to see a time stamped revision history of all of your work; thus, this authenticates that it is your work.

This link will take you back to the page that explains how to submit an assignment.