You Count - Census Report

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Aboriginal organizations responded quickly to the release of Statistics Canada's 2001 census results last month, which show a 22.2 per cent increase over five years in the number of people identifying themselves as having some Aboriginal ancestry. Aboriginal people now account for 4.4 per cent of Canada's population.

The census shows 976,300 people identified as a North American Indian, Metis or Inuit in 2001. Practically all Aboriginal groups stressed that all levels of government need to step up their timetable to meet the social and economic needs of Aboriginal youth under 25, in particular, which the census shows account for more than half the Aboriginal population.

The median age for non-Aboriginal people in 2001 was 37.7 years, compared to 23.5 for First Nations, and 20.6 for Inuit.

The city of Winnipeg reported the highest Aboriginal population, 55,760 out of a total of 661,730 residents. Edmonton was second, with 40,930 Aboriginal people in a city of 927,020. Vancouver was third, reporting 38,855 Aboriginal people in a population of 1,967,480.

Inuit people, representing five per cent of the Aboriginal total, number 45,070, a 12 per cent increase from the last census in 1996. In contrast, Canada's non-Aboriginal population grew 3.4 per cent.

One half of the Inuit live in Nunavut, where they represent 85 per cent of the total population.

Statistics Canada attributes the significant Aboriginal population increase partly to improvements in health, a longer lifespan, and more births occurring than deaths, according to Andy Siggner, senior advisor on Aboriginal statistics for Statistics Canada.

Siggner pointed out there also has been an improvement in census participation over the years.

In 1986, he said, 136 reserves did not participate; in 1996 it was 77 reserves, and by 2001, only 30 of more than 1,170 inhabited reserves did not complete the census. He said Stats Canada "maybe missed 144,000" Aboriginal people.

The biggest surprise was the number of Metis enumerated. That population grew by 43 per cent and represents 30 per cent of the total Aboriginal number. One third of this group are under the age of 14 and one-third of Metis children live in single-parent families. In urban centres, where two-thirds of Metis live, 42 per cent of Metis children live with one parent.

Audrey Poitras, interim president of the Metis National Council, stated in a release, "These latest numbers are beginning to present a more realistic portrait of the Metis Nation in Canada," which she said were previously under-reported, and she called on provincial and federal governments to increase funds for Metis programs and services.

Tony Belcourt, president of the Metis Nation of Ontario, also called for the government to provide a seat for the Metis National Council at this month's First Ministers' Conference on Health.

"Attention must be paid to the rights of children. The Metis Nation in Canada must be given the capacity to deal with Child and Family Services," said Belcourt. He stressed urgent needs in housing, nutrition, child care and health services, as well as education. With respect to health and education, said Belcourt, "Virtually no attention is paid to these issues and we cannot let governments ignore them any longer."

Siggner attributes part of the increase in Metis numbers to "fertility rate," but a bigger portion he indicated is likely attributed to a rising "cultural consciousness" resulting in a significant increase in people who identify as Metis. In Ontario, he said the number of Metis increased 124 per cent in five years.

Vancouver's many nations

Of the three Canadian cities with the highest Aboriginal populations, Vancouver was the only one whose mayor responded to Windspeaker's query about how the city is working towards ensuring that Aboriginal people have the same opportunities to achieve a decent standard of living.

Mayor Larry W. Campbell said many Native people in Vancouver are trapped in inner-ciy poverty, suffer from loss of self-esteem and culture, "and are seen not to have the advantages" of other areas of the city, which is of particular concern to the school board.

"So the school board is actively looking at ways of initiating programs. And we have some programs, mainly dealing with role models success stories, helping people . . . connect with their culture."

The difference between Vancouver and some other places he's visited, Campbell said, is that First Nations people are not isolated on their reserves.

"They're very much part of the community."

With that in mind, his city "has a number of initiatives that are ongoing with the First Nations." In particular, the police board, school board and parks board are interested in building relationships, he said.

The city wants to formalize its relationship with First Nations, and that presents some difficulty "because we have so many different nations," but "that should not be a reason to not go forward.

"During the election, I had a number of meetings with First Nations, and in fact my first event after getting sworn in was to go down to the friendship centre. We had a great evening."

Campbell said Vancouver has a large Cree population from Saskatchewan and a number of Cree from Alberta.

"Their problems are different from each nation, depending on funding, depending on status."

And there are problems that the mayor refuses to turn a blind eye to.

The intravenous drug problem affects many First Nations people in his city and "the HIV rate here among First Nations is quite shocking."

Campbell is firmly promoting a "four pillars project" that includes "trying to get safe injection sites in the city." It's controversial, but Campbell said, "I'm not too worried about opposition."

He added the city aims to have special programs for First Nations, eventually providing "special places for sex-trade workers," many of whom are First Nations, to get them involved in creating solutions.

"I think we are inthe process of being on the cutting edge of that."

"There's a want in society to roll all this into one, so it's the same for everybody; my position is to try to show people that these are many nations. As any other nation, there are difficulties that are endemic to that nation. I sort of treat it as it comes along, and see how we can make a difference."

Campbell's wife is a Saskatchewan Metis. He said Vancouver has a "significant population of Metis," but other than meeting with them "around the drug issue" he hasn't had the opportunity to be in formal dialogue with them yet.