The recent ruling of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that the federal government discriminated against children on reserves in its funding of child welfare services, once again highlights this nation’s disgraceful treatment of its aboriginal peoples. This quasi-judicial body found that the federal government failed to provide First Nations children the same level of services that exist elsewhere. Child welfare was also among the central issues flagged in the recent report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which spent six years delving into the odious residential school system that operated from the 1870s to 1996.
Native peoples suffer more not only from poverty, but also from health problems, suicides, substance abuse, unemployment, lack of adequate housing, polluted water sources, substandard schooling, high levels of violence especially against aboriginal women, etc., etc., etc. There exists a huge socioeconomic gap between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples. The United Nations human development index rated Canada sixth-best place to live in the world. However, this shamefully doesn’t appear to apply to the quality of life of our indigenous peoples.
Other than simply apologizing for the residential school system implemented by past governments, the former Conservative government did little to resolve the problem of extensive native poverty. Instead, it attempted to blame the reserve bands for the mishandling of federal funding and lack of accountability. While there have no doubt been concerns in the bookkeeping practices of some bands, given that there are hundreds of them, the attempt to pass on the blame to the victims of the Indian Act of 1876 was reprehensible. Under the Act, we have a dysfunctional governance regime, which promotes permanent inter-generational inequality and misery along racial lines. We need to reform our relationship with First Nations, giving them more responsibility and capability to run their own lives. The days of ineffective institutional oversight are outdated and anachronistic. Hopefully, the current federal government, along with the provinces and in consultation with native representatives, can finally come to grips with developing a viable national strategy to deal with tragedies attributed to native poverty in Canada.
FROLITICKS 