- Life expectancy
- Infant mortality
Life expectancy
Current performance and trends
Life expectancy is the number of years a person would expect to live at birth on the basis of the mortality
statistics for a given observation period.
The gap in life expectancy between First Nations people and the general Canadian population continues to decrease.
Life expectancy for First Nations men increased from 66.9 years in 1990 to 70.4 years in 2001, closing the gap with men
in the Canadian population to 6.7 years. (Health Canada, 2004)
Life expectancy for First Nations women increased from 74.0 years in 1990 to 75.5 years in 2001, closing the gap
with women in the Canadian population to 6.7 years. (Health Canada, 2004)
According to the latest available data, life expectancy for Inuit in Nunavut in 1999 has been estimated at 67.7
years for men and 70.2 years for women. (Health Canada, 2004)
Infant mortality
Current performance and trends
Infant mortality is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality rates for First Nations communities
have been declining steadily. The rate of deaths per 1,000 births dropped from 23.7 in 1980 to 12.3 in 1991, to 6.4 in
2000. Although declining, the infant mortality rate for First Nations communities continues to be higher than the
Canadian rate, which is currently at 5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. (Health Canada, 2004)
Educational attainment
Current performance and trends
From 1981 to 2001, the percentage of Aboriginal people who obtained college diplomas increased from 15.0 per cent to
22.0 per cent, while the percentage that obtained university degrees increased slightly from 4.0 per cent to 6.0 per
cent. This compares with increases of 20.0 per cent to 25.0 per cent for non-Aboriginal people obtaining college
diplomas (a narrowing of the gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population) and 15.0 per cent to 26.0 per
cent of non-Aboriginal people receiving university degrees (a widening of the gap by 9.0 percentage points).
The proportion of Aboriginal people with a high school education also rose. The percentage with less than high
school completed fell from 62.0 per cent to 43.0 per cent, while the percentage of those with less than high school in
the non-Aboriginal population decreased from 30.0 per cent to 15.0 per cent (a narrowing of the gap by 4.0 percentage
points).
Current performance and trends
As a whole, the number of people aged 25 to 34 who are out of school and who have a college or university degree
remained relatively stable for each Aboriginal group from 1996 to 2001. In 2001, Métis had the highest shares at
28.0 per cent, while on-reserve North American Indians were at 20.0 per cent, down from 21.0 per cent in 1996.
Those with a university degree increased by about 2 percentage points among North American Indians off-reserve and
for Métis, rising from 5.0 per cent to 7.0 per cent in the five years. It should be noted, however, that some of this
increase may have come from people who reported a change in their identity from non-Aboriginal to Aboriginal on their
census forms between 1996 and 2001, especially among the Métis.
The on-reserve population appears to have shown no change in the proportion with a university degree. Part of this
trend may be due to those gaining a degree not moving back to reserves and staying off reserves for jobs. (Statistics
Canada, 2001)
The percentage of Aboriginal youth aged 20 to 24 who had incomplete secondary school or less as their highest level
of schooling declined from 1996 to 2001. The North American Indian youth on reserves had the highest percentages with
less than high school (62.0 per cent in 1996 to 58.0 per cent in 2001), followed closely by Inuit youth, from 58.0 per
cent to 54.0 per cent. The percentage of North American Indians off-reserve with incomplete high school declined from
43.0 per cent to 41.0 per cent, and the percentage for Métis youth declined from 39.0 per cent to 32.0 per cent. Even
though there were improvements, there remains a large gap with non-Aboriginal youth, 15.0 per cent of whom had
incomplete high school or less in 2001.
Acceptable housing: First Nations communities
Current performance and trends
Adequacy and suitability standards help to assess the acceptability of housing in First Nations communities.(2)
The percentage of people on-reserve living in inadequate housing increased from 35.0 per cent in 1996 to 37.0 per
cent in 2001. The percentage of households on-reserve living in unsuitable dwellings decreased, however, from 27.0 per
cent in 1996 to 22.0 per cent in 2001.
(Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2004)
Acceptable housing: Core housing needs off-reserve
Current performance and trends
Between 1996 and 2001, housing for Aboriginal people in off-reserve areas improved. In 2001, 24.8 per cent of
Aboriginal households off-reserve were in core housing need, down from 31.6 per cent in 1996. A total of 31.9 per cent
of Inuit households were in core housing need, down from 32.7 per cent in 1996. Status and non-Status Indian households
in housing need totalled 27.3 per cent, down from 34.1 per cent. The percentage of Métis households in housing need was
20.6 per cent, down from 27.2 per cent. (Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation, 2004)
- Employment rate
- Median income
- Business Formation Rate
Employment rate
Current performance and trends
In 2001, 61.0 per cent of the Aboriginal population aged 25 to 54 years was employed, compared with 55.0 per cent in
1996 and 54.0 per cent in 1981. Although the gap between the rates of employed Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
decreased by 2.0 percentage points from 1981 to 2001, a disparity remains.
In 2001, the employment rates among Aboriginal groups varied significantly, with 70.0 per cent of Métis employed,
compared with 60.0 per cent of Inuit, 61.0 per cent of North American Indians off-reserve, and 50.0 per cent
on-reserve. (Statistics Canada, 2001 Census)
Median income
Current performance and trends
In 2000, the median income of Aboriginal individuals was $13,593, up from $12,010 in 1995. The Métis had the highest
median income ($16,347, up from $13,502 in 1995), followed by North American Indians off-reserve ($13,838, up from
$12,664), and the Inuit ($13,700 up from $12,089). The on-reserve North American Indian ($10,471, up from $9,665) and
on-reserve Aboriginal people ($10,502, up from $9,693) both had the lowest median incomes. In comparison, the
non-Aboriginal population had a median income of $22,431, up from $20,844. (Statistics Canada, 1996 Census and 2001
Census)
Business formation rate
Current Performance and Trends
Aboriginal entrepreneurship is on the rise in Canada. In 2001, there were more than 27,000 self-employed Aboriginal
people. Between 1996 and 2001, the increase in Aboriginal self-employment (31.0 per cent) was more than nine times that
of overall Canadian population.
In addition, almost two thirds of self-employed Aboriginal people live in western Canada, and the majority of
self-employed Aboriginal workers reside off-reserve (85.6 per cent) with more than half of these (52.1 per cent) living
in urban areas.
As a proportion of the working-age population, Aboriginal self-employment, at 4.2 per cent, is less than the
7.8-per-cent Canadian average for self-employment. Aboriginal self-employment is represented by 3.2 per cent North
American Indians, 6.1 per cent Métis, and 3.0 per cent Inuit. (Statistics Canada, 1996 and 2001 Census)
Additional information on Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal population
According to the 2001 Census, there are about 1 million people who self-identify as Aboriginal in Canada,
approximately 3.3 per cent of the total Canadian population. Among people who identify themselves as Aboriginal,
62.0 per cent are First Nations, 30.0 per cent Métis, and 5.0 per cent Inuit. About 3 per cent identified with more
than one Aboriginal group or declared that they were First Nations on-reserve or band members who did not identify as
being Aboriginal.
While the Aboriginal population is a small percentage of the Canadian population as a whole, it constitutes a
significant proportion in some provinces and territories. In Nunavut, for example, Inuit represent 85.0 per cent of the
territory's total population. Aboriginal peoples are more than half (51.0 per cent) of the population of the Northwest
Territories, almost one quarter (23.0 per cent) of the population of the Yukon, and about 14.0 per cent of the
populations of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Across Canada, the Aboriginal population is younger and has been growing more
quickly than the non-Aboriginal population. The 2001 Census reported that 69.0 per cent of the total Aboriginal
population in Canada lives off-reserve, with almost three quarters of these individuals living in urban areas.
Safe water treatment
According to a 2003 report released by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, National Assessment of Water and
Wastewater Systems in First Nations Communities, 29.0 per cent of
the 740 community water systems posed a possible high risk to water quality and 46.0 per cent a medium risk. For
wastewater systems, the assessment indicated that 16.0 per cent posed a possible high risk and 44.0 per cent a medium
risk.
To address the safety of the drinking water on reserves, the 2003 Budget allocated $600.0 million over five years to
upgrade, maintain, and monitor water and wastewater systems in First Nations communities.
Water quality is a major concern for the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. When surveyed, a total of 34.0 per cent of
Inuit said there were times of the year when their water was contaminated. The percentage of residents who claimed that
their water was contaminated at certain times of the year was 74.0 per cent of residents of Nunavik in northern Quebec,
29.0 per cent of residents of Labrador, and 21.0 per cent of residents in Nunavut. (Statistics Canada, Aboriginal
Peoples Survey, 2001) Water contamination is strongly linked to a host of health problems, both
short-- and long-term. Furthermore, environmental contaminants that have bio-accumulated in Arctic wildlife also
threaten the health and culture of the Inuit.
Justice practices
The Government of Canada is working with Aboriginal communities to develop their capacity to prevent crime and use
restorative justice processes. Restorative justice is a systematic response to wrongdoing that emphasizes healing the
wounds of victims, offenders, and communities caused or revealed by the criminal behaviour. Practices and programs
reflecting restorative purposes will respond to crime by identifying and taking steps to repair harm, involving all
stakeholders, and transforming the traditional relationship between communities and their governments in responding to
crime. An example of federal departments using restorative justice practices is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
which serves approximately 600 Aboriginal communities and has facilitated Community Justice Forum training sessions in
many Aboriginal communities since 1997. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2004)
The Aboriginal Justice Strategy
To better serve the needs of Aboriginal offenders, the Government of Canada is also working in partnership with
Aboriginal communities to draw on traditional Aboriginal justice practices that have generally taken a holistic
approach emphasizing healing and the importance of community involvement in the justice process. Through the Aboriginal
Justice Strategy, the federal government, in partnership with provinces and territories, provides funding to
community-based justice programs aimed at reducing crime among Aboriginal people. (Department of Justice Canada, 2004)
There are currently 89 agreements serving 451 Aboriginal communities, on- and off-reserve, that enable them to develop
Aboriginal community-based justice programs and approaches that reflect their particular cultures and values.
(Department of Justice Canada, 2004) One example of work done with Aboriginal communities was the creation of nine
Aboriginal healing lodges across Canada, to which 246 Aboriginal offenders have been transferred since 2000. In
addition, the proportion of Aboriginal offenders serving their sentence in the community has increased from 28.5 per
cent in 1998 to 32.0 per cent in 2004. (Correctional Services Canada, 2004)
Incarceration rate
There is an increasing over-representation of Aboriginal offenders in the Canadian justice system. While Aboriginal
people represent 3.3 per cent of the Canadian population, they account for 18.0 per cent of the federally incarcerated
population and 16.0 per cent of people sentenced. (Correctional Services Canada, 2004)
On-reserve housing policy
The introduction of the on-reserve housing policy in 1996, accompanied by one-time funding through Indian and
Northern Affairs Canada, has given First Nations communities that have voluntarily adopted the policy (over 500
communities, approximately 80 per cent of First Nations communities) greater flexibility and control over housing
policies and programs in their communities.
In addition to long-term funding for existing housing in the territories, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador, the
Government of Canada provides $10.0 million annually
for the construction of housing units in Nunavik and Quebec and provides another $10.0 million annually for operating
expenses. In Nunavut, the Government of Canada has approved a one-time contribution of $20.0 million for the
construction of social housing through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
Aboriginal peoples in metropolitan areas
According to the 2001 Census, the Aboriginal population more than doubled in most cities across Canada. Almost 3 out
of every 10 people who identified themselves as members of at least one Aboriginal group in the 2001 Census lived in an
urban centre. Between 1981 and 2001, the Aboriginal population more than doubled in most city centres (such as
Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver) and, in
many cases, the Aboriginal population more than tripled. The most dramatic increase in population occurred in
Saskatoon, where the Aboriginal population increased almost fivefold from about 4,200 in 1981 to more than 20,000 in
2001. (Statistics Canada, "Study: Aboriginal people living in metropolitan areas," The Daily,
June 23, 2005)
Comprehensive Land Claims Policy
The Comprehensive Land Claims Policy was established in 1973 to achieve certainty with respect to lands and
resources in areas of Canada where Aboriginal rights were not resolved by treaty or other lawful means. The policy was
designed to obtain a full and final settlement of all Aboriginal land rights, including Aboriginal title through the
negotiation of modern treaties (comprehensive land claims agreements) that exchange "undefined" Aboriginal rights for
"defined" property rights.
Since the policy was established, 19 comprehensive land claims agreements have been negotiated and brought into
effect and 1 is currently in ratification. These modern treaties (mostly in Quebec and the three territories) cover
approximately 40 per cent of Canada's land mass and involve over 100 Aboriginal communities with over 80,000 members.
Under these agreements, the Aboriginal parties have secured ownership rights to over 600,000 square kilometres of land,
over $2.8 billion (in 2005$) in fiscal transfers, protections for their traditional way of life, access to benefits
from future resource development, and participation in land resource management decisions. (INAC, 2005)
Self-government
As with comprehensive land claims, views on the nature of Aboriginal self-government and its place within Canada's
constitutional framework have evolved dramatically since 1982. While existing Aboriginal and treaty rights were
recognized and affirmed in The Constitution Act, 1982, no consensus was reached to specifically recognize
self-government as a constitutional right. The implementation of the inherent right of self-government requires new
approaches to address governance capacity, issues of aggregation, and financial resources. (INAC, Renewal of
Policies and Processes for Addressing Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, Federal Background Paper for the Negotiations
Sectoral Roundtable, 2005)
Historic treaties
Historic treaties refer to those treaties concluded between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples prior to 1973. There
are approximately 70 recognized historic treaties, involving 369 First Nations. They are not uniform in nature and
reflect the times and circumstances in which they were negotiated and the differing objectives of the parties. (INAC,
Renewal of Policies and Processes for Addressing Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, Federal Background Paper for the
Negotiations Sectoral Roundtable, 2005)
The First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act
The First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, which received Royal Assent in 2005, established a
suite of four national institutions: First Nations Finance Authority, First Nations Tax Commission, First Nations
Financial Management Board, and First Nations Statistical Institute. These institutions will enhance the tools
available to First Nations to support good governance, economic development, and an improved quality of life in First
Nations communities. It is anticipated that these institutions will become fully operational in 2006.
(1) COSEWIC uses the following status categories for assessments and reassessments of
species at risk: extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern, and not at risk.[ Return ]
(2) Affordability cannot be assessed for on-reserve dwellings because shelter costs
are not collected by the census for on-reserve households, whose housing costs are paid through band housing
arrangements.[ Return ]
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