Enhancing Community Safety and Security for Urban First Nation Citizens International Indigenous Community Safety Seminar March 28, 2011
Urban Aboriginal Population, selected Census Metropolitan Areas, 2006 2
Number of First Nations with Registered Indian Populations of 10 or More Residing in Select Urban Areas, 1996 Source: Clatworthy 2001, 6 3
Selected Demographic Trends and Characteristics Urban Indigenous populations have been growing steadily and rapidly, quadrupling in some cities since the 1980s Urban Indigenous populations are considerably younger than the non-indigenous population in the same city There is a high degree of mobility -- First Nation citizens move more than the average Canadian city-dweller While faring better than First Nation citizens on reserve, the gap in academic achievement persists for urban First Nation citizens Compared to non-indigenous residents, urban First Nation citizens have lower rates of employment and lower average incomes 4
Community Safety and Urban First Nation Women Women are over-represented in urban First Nation populations across Canada This is a direct result of federal policies that have sought to disconnect First Nation citizens from their families, communities, and nations First Nation women are often faced with situations of extreme marginality and vulnerability due to poverty, homelessness, intergenerational impacts of residential schooling, impacts of the child welfare system, substance abuse Indigenous women suffer high levels of violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking NWAC s Sisters in Spirit Initiative documented close to 600 cases of Indigenous women who were murdered or went missing over the last two decades; most of the women lived in urban areas Young First Nation women are reported to experience the highest rates of mobility, and the highest rate of housing instability in urban areas 5
Community Safety and Urban First Nation Youth First Nation children and youth are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada 22% of all gang members in Canada are Aboriginal the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in gangs is particularly pronounced in the Prairie Provinces where we find the largest concentration of gang members in Canada Aboriginal overrepresentation in the prison system is directly connected to the increase in numbers and size of Aboriginal gangs in Canada A priority on safety and security through education and critical supports like recreational facilities and support networks is needed 6
Enhancing Safety for First Nation Citizens Implementation of National Action Plan to end violence against First Nations women Creation of First Nations Access to Justice Fund Firm agreements and protocols between federal government and all Provinces and Territories to ensure that Jordan's Principle is upheld Funding for transition services in urban centres that support First Nations citizens and protect against criminal involvement Development of a Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy Development of a sustainable housing strategy with guaranteed investments in housing for First Nations communities and targeted supports for the development of housing in urban areas Addressing the portability of Indigenous and treaty rights Making space for First Nation governments in order to strengthen good governance for urban First Nation citizens who often find themselves in a political and jurisdictional void 7
Selected References Amnesty International Canada. 2004. Canada: Stolen Sisters A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada. Ottawa: Amnesty International. Clatworthy, Stewart. 2001. First Nation Affiliation Among Registered Indians Residing in Select Urban Areas. Ottawa: Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Distasio, Jino, Gina Sylvestre and Susan Mulligan. 2005. An examination of hidden homelessness among Aboriginal peoples in Prairie cities. Winnipeg: Institute of Urban Studies in Partnership with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. First Nations Centre/ NAHO. 2009. Urban First Nations Health Discussion Paper. Ottawa: NAHO. Environics Institute. 2010 Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study. Main report. Toronto: Environics Institute. Grekul, J. and P. LaBoucane-Benson 2006. When You Have Nothing to Live For, You Have Nothing to Die For : An Investigation into the Formation and Recruitment Processes of Aboriginal Gangs in Western Canada. Ottawa: Public Safety Canada. Mercredi, Ovide W. 2000. Aboriginal Gangs: A Report to the Correctional Service of Canada on Aboriginal Youth Gang Members in the Federal Corrections System. Ottawa: Correctional Service Canada. Peters, Evelyn and David Newhouse. 2003. Not strangers in these parts: Urban Aboriginal peoples. Ottawa: Policy Research Initiative. Statistics Canada. 2008. The Urban Aboriginal Population. www41.statcan.gc.ca/2008/10000/ceb10000_002- eng.htm (accessed July 5, 2009). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Totten, Mark. 2009. Preventing Aboriginal Youth Gang Involvement in Canada: A Gendered Approach Paper Prepared for Aboriginal Policy Research Conference, March 2009. Wilson, Daniel and David Macdonald. 2010. The Income Gap Between Aboriginal Peoples and the Rest of Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 8