Make Poverty History for First Nations

1
Make Poverty History for First Nations
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES/BUILD ON SUCCESS
SUSTAINABILITY STRUCTURAL CHANGE UNDER FN
CONTROL

• Take Action
• Make Your Voice Count
• Write to Your Political Representative
• Strengthen Our Message

2
The Shocking Reality

• Our Children
• 1 in 4 First Nations children live in poverty
  compared to 1 in 6 Canadian children
• 1 in 8 are disabled double the rate among
  Canadian children
• 58.5 of First Nations children are overweight or
  obese
• Our Homes
• 1 Overcrowding double the Canadian rate
• 1 in 4 homes with children are overcrowded
• 1 in 3 First Nations feel their tap water is
  unsafe
• Our Communities
• First Nations ranked 68th according to United
  Nations Human Development Index vs. 8th for
  Canada
• 80 of First Nations peoples have personal
  incomes below 30,000 per year.
• More than half of First Nations peoples are not
  employed
• Life expectancy is 7.4 5.2 yrs less for First
  Nations men and women respectively
• Diabetes is 3-5 times and tuberculosis 8-10 times
  the Canadian average

3
Truth About Spending on First Nations

• Per capita spending on First Nations is half the
  amount for average Canadians (between
  7,000-8,000 compared to 15,000-16,000)
• From 1999-2004, the Auditor General found that
  Indian and Northern Affairs Canada funding
  increased by only 1.6, excluding inflation,
  while the status First Nation population
  increased by 11.2
• Since 2000, budgets have been impoverished by
  almost 13
• Canada Health and Social Transfers have grown at
  an average rate of 6.6 per year 
• By 2009-10, CHST will have increased by 33 over
  5 years
• If the same rate of growth had been applied to
  First Nations federal spending, the cumulative
  new dollars received over the ten year period
  would have been 14,5 billion.

4
Failure to Act

• Fastest growing population in Canada without
  equitable opportunities to contribute Canadas
  prosperity
• Cycle of poverty results in greater burden on all
  Canadians
• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples estimated
  that the cost of status quo will be 11B by 2016
• Royal Bank of Canada concluded that costs of
  implementing RCAP are more affordable in the
  long-run than maintaining the status quo, the
  truly daunting cost of doing nothing (1997)
• Failure to act on First Nations poverty is the
  most significant impediment to Canadas
  competitiveness in the global economy

5
Creating Opportunities/Building on Success

• By 2025, more Canadian citizens will be dependent
  on the social safety net than contributing to the
  tax base
• Immigration alone cannot compensate for Canadas
  population decline
• First Nations population on-reserve is growing at
  a rate nearly three times the Canadian average
• Over 50 of the First Nations population is under
  23 years old
• Harvard University has concluded that all
  sustained development involves Tribal Governments
  asserting their right and capacity to govern
  themselves
• Cultural continuity -- community level
  preservation of cultural past and future control
  is related to less youth suicide among First
  Nations
• Resources are not enough.
• Real self-sufficiency by stable First Nations
  governments is critical.

6
The First Nations Plan

• Supreme Court cases of Haida, Taku, and Mikisew
  establish that resource development projects
  require consultation and accommodation with First
  Nations governments
• Resource revenue sharing agreements and improved
  Impact Benefit Agreements provide a longer-term
  economic investment climate
• The Conference Board of Canadas study of
  business recommended
• Settling land claims and treaty negotiations
• Engaging First Nations-Crown approaches to
  economic development, capacity building,
  performance measurement and accountability
• Enhancing communication and collaboration between
  government, First Nations and private industry to
  match education to business needs
• Developing and implementing a process to meet the
  Crowns fiduciary duty to consult in the permit
  and approvals process

7
The First Nations Plan

• Creating opportunities and building on our
  successes for First Nations citizens to
  contribute to Canadas economic competitiveness.
• Achieve sustainability by ensuring that First
  Nations have adequate and equitable funding
  capacity to enable their citizens to reach their
  full potential
• Implement structural changes that facilitate
  First Nations control over the content, design,
  delivery, and management of all our programs and
  services.
• The First Nations Plan is reasonable, achievable
  and necessary to ensure a productive and
  competitive Canada for all Canadians.

8
Getting Involved

• Sign-up to the campaign at www.afn.ca.
• Write to your Member of Parliament.
• Host an event to raise awareness.
• Come to the national Make Poverty History for
  First Nations event on Friday, November 24th at
  the Rogers Centre Pow Wow in Toronto.
• Contact Bryan Hendry, A/AFN Communications
  Director
• 1-866-869-6789, extension 229
• bhendry_at_afn.ca