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The incarceration rate of Indigenous peoples in Canada should be labelled a national crisis. The flaws in the justice system are insidious and perpetuate the cycle of poverty and marginalization that is the reality for far too many Indigenous people. The situation is of such enormity that of 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 18 are devoted to Justice, plus another three aimed at Equity in the Legal System - more than double those committed to any other issue.
Indigenous people are the fastest-growing and youngest segment of the Canadian population. And have been for decades. Based on the 2020 Canada Census there are now 1.8 million Indigenous people in Canada.
There is a direct link between education and employment. Historically, Indigenous peoples have experienced higher unemployment rates than other Canadians. Why? Because historically, they have been offered inferior education, beginning with the cataclysmic residential school system, followed by decades of underfunding for on-reserve schools. Poor education over generations begets chronic unemployment over generations.
Indigenous Canadians earn about 70 cents for every dollar made by non-Indigenous Canadians, according to Canada's income data. This is a very frequent occurrence in metropolitan areas, where Indigenous employees earn 34% less than non-Indigenous workers doing the same job. The situation is much worse in remote reservations* where non-Indigenous individuals earn up to 88 percent more than Indigenous people. [1]
Indigenous Peoples believe they have held title to their traditional lands or territories from the moment their Creators placed them on that land (time immemorial) and bestowed them with the responsibility to care for it... forever. But then European explorers arrived, planted flags, and laid claim to all they saw. How was that possible?
The Doctrine of Discovery was used by European monarchies, beginning in the mid-fifteenth century, as a means of legitimizing the colonization of lands outside of Europe. It was issued in 1493, the year after Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of what is now known as North America. The Doctrine of Discovery continues to impact Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.
We first met Trevor, Supervisor of Donations Processing for Covenant House Vancouver, when he attended one of our Training Weeks. Trevor took the time to tell us about Covenant House, what they stood for, their goals and what he personally was doing to support reconciliation. Trevor left a lasting impression on our team and was a tireless advocate for truth and reconciliation and for supporting Indigenous initiatives.
On June 21, 2021, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) received Royal Assent and immediately came into force. In doing so, Canada took a substantive step towards ensuring federal laws reflect the standards set out in DRIPA. There are many questions about DRIPA, so we answer the most common ones in this article.
Indigenous People face the worst housing outcomes in the country.
Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations [1]
To understand the complexities of the housing situation, some basic information on the reserve system, created in 1876, is required. The two articles linked below provide an overview of on-reserve housing.
A First Nation reserve is a tract of land set aside under the Indian Act and treaty agreements for the exclusive use of an Indian band (First Nation). Earliest examples of reserves date back to attempts by French missionaries in 1637 to encourage Aboriginal Peoples to settle in one spot and embrace both agriculture and Christianity. As more and more Europeans settled in Canada and on the traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples, it became apparent to the authorities that an effective means to ensure the most fertile land was available to European farmers was needed. The development of the reserve system met this need.
This is the second part of our series on best outreach practices for the recruitment of Indigenous Peoples. In the first part, Community Engagement for Indigenous Recruitment, we shared a few tips and suggestions on some activities an organization should consider before initial contact with the community/ies. Due diligence activities such as researching the history, culture, issues, challenges and protocols of the community/ies you want to engage for recruitment will prepare you well and help you avoid embarrassing engagement mistakes. By taking the time to do this, you will be aware of cultural protocol for meetings, and you will be aware that the protocol for one community may be different from that of another. Recognize that relationships with Indigenous communities take time to build, and efforts must be made to maintain them.
Education is considered a human right in Canada. Yet, while Canada has one of the world's highest levels of educational attainment, the graduation rate for Indigenous students remains far lower than that of non-Indigenous students. How is that possible? The answer lies in the history of Canada.
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