First Nations poverty, Attawapiskat school, suicides, water

Summary

The transcript highlights the severe poverty and challenges faced by First Nations communities, including inadequate housing, healthcare disparities, high suicide rates, and substandard education. It emphasizes the need for transformative change, respect for indigenous rights, and equitable treatment. The speaker, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, calls for fair funding, preservation of languages and culture, and the recognition of First Nations' legitimacy in government dealings.

Takeaways

• 🏡 The script highlights the severe housing crisis in First Nations communities, as identified by the Auditor General Sheila Fraser.
• 🚑 Inequality in healthcare access is underscored, with a lack of facilities for mothers to give birth in certain communities, necessitating flights out for medical care.
• 🔝 The script mentions alarmingly high suicide rates among First Nations, particularly young men, with specific numbers cited for certain regions.
• 📚 It points out the poor state of education in these communities, with schools in terrible condition or lacking altogether, affecting the future of the youth.
• 💧 The issue of unsafe drinking water is raised, with over 100 communities under boil water advisories, affecting the health and safety of community members.
• 💼 Unemployment is noted as a significant problem among First Nations people, which is a manifestation of the broader issue of poverty.
• 🏆 Despite these challenges, the script acknowledges the success stories within First Nations communities, including professionals in various fields and small business owners.
• 💰 The National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations discusses the need for more funding to create transformative change for First Nations people, similar to the military's budget.
• 🗣️ The legitimacy and validity of the Assembly of First Nations as a representative body for First Nations people is emphasized, along with the challenges faced in advocating for their rights.
• 📉 The script discusses the reduction in funding for the Assembly of First Nations, which is disproportionate to the expectations placed on the organization.
• 🌐 The importance of language and culture preservation is highlighted, with the previous government's commitment to funding for indigenous languages being cut due to budget reallocations.

Q & A

What is the primary challenge faced by First Nations communities as described in the transcript?

The primary challenge faced by First Nations communities is poverty, which manifests in various forms such as inadequate housing, lack of access to healthcare, and high suicide rates.

What did Auditor General Sheila Fraser highlight as a crisis in First Nation communities?

Sheila Fraser highlighted a housing crisis in First Nation communities, emphasizing its severity and the need for action.

Why must mothers in northeastern Manitoba be flown out of their communities to give birth?

Mothers in northeastern Manitoba must be flown out of their communities to give birth due to the lack of healthcare facilities for childbirth within their communities.

What are some of the consequences of poverty in First Nations communities mentioned in the transcript?

Consequences of poverty in First Nations communities include poor schools, unemployment, unsafe drinking water, and a lack of basic infrastructure and services.

How does the transcript describe the current state of schools in some First Nations communities?

The transcript describes the schools in some First Nations communities as being in terrible shape, with some schools having been condemned and lacking the prospect of new ones being built for many years.

What is the significance of the high suicide rate among young people in First Nations communities?

The high suicide rate among young people in First Nations communities is indicative of the despair and lack of hope experienced by the youth, which is a direct consequence of the poverty and lack of opportunities in these communities.

What is the issue with safe drinking water in First Nations communities as mentioned in the transcript?

The issue with safe drinking water in First Nations communities is that over 100 communities operate under boil water advisories, indicating a lack of clean and safe drinking water.

What is the role of the National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations as described in the transcript?

The role of the National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations is to represent First Nations people, advocate for their rights, and work with governments to improve the living conditions and opportunities for First Nations communities.

How does the transcript address the issue of funding for the Assembly of First Nations?

The transcript mentions that the Assembly of First Nations faces a reduction in funding by five million dollars over the next five years, while the expectations placed on them remain the same or increase.

What is the importance of preserving and enhancing indigenous languages as per the transcript?

Preserving and enhancing indigenous languages is important as it is tied to the cultural identity and heritage of First Nations people. The previous government had committed to funding for this purpose, but it was cut due to budget reallocations.

What is the transcript's stance on the repeal of section 67 and the treatment of First Nations by the government?

The transcript emphasizes that First Nations leaders are not opposed to the repeal of section 67, but they seek fair treatment and the same consideration as other governments, ensuring that human rights provisions are available to all First Nation citizens.

Outlines

00:00

🏡 First Nations Poverty and Inequality

The speaker addresses the severe poverty and inequality faced by First Nations communities, emphasizing the lack of access to basic services like adequate housing, healthcare, and education. They highlight the Auditor General's remarks on the housing crisis and the dire state of healthcare, with the example of mothers having to be flown out for childbirth due to a lack of facilities. The high suicide rates, particularly among young men, are cited as a sign of despair. The speaker also discusses the poor condition of schools, the rising costs of building new ones, and the lack of safe drinking water, all of which contribute to the overall poverty and challenges faced by these communities, despite some success stories in education and business.

05:01

💰 Funding and Respect for First Nations

This paragraph delves into the financial and political challenges faced by the Assembly of First Nations. The speaker, as the National Chief, discusses the struggle to secure fair funding and recognition from the federal government, which is crucial for improving the living conditions and rights of First Nations people. They mention the potential reduction in funding and the unfair expectations placed on their organization, comparing their legitimacy to other government institutions. The speaker also touches on the importance of language and culture preservation, expressing disappointment over funding cuts for indigenous language programs. They argue for the need to respect the human rights of all citizens and criticize the government for not providing the same considerations to First Nations as it does to other entities, particularly in the context of the repeal of section 67 and the application of the Charter.

Keywords

💡First Nations

First Nations refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. They are a group with unique rights and distinct from other indigenous populations. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the challenges faced by First Nations, such as poverty and lack of access to basic services, highlighting the need for recognition and improvement of their living conditions.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, lacking the necessities of life. The script discusses the widespread poverty among First Nations communities, with the speaker pointing out the lack of access to proper housing, healthcare, and education as manifestations of this poverty.

💡Housing crisis

A housing crisis refers to a situation where there is a severe shortage of affordable and adequate housing. The Auditor General Sheila Fraser is quoted mentioning the housing crisis in First Nation communities, indicating a serious issue that requires immediate attention and action.

💡Healthcare access

Healthcare access refers to the availability and affordability of healthcare services for individuals or communities. The script points out the disparity in healthcare access for First Nations people, with examples such as mothers having to be flown out of their communities to give birth due to the lack of local facilities.

💡Suicide rates

Suicide rates are the number of suicide deaths per a certain population size over a year. The speaker mentions the alarmingly high suicide rates in First Nations communities, particularly among young people, as a tragic consequence of the despair and lack of hope in these communities.

💡Education

Education in this context refers to the quality and availability of schooling for First Nations children. The script describes poor school conditions and the lack of educational facilities, such as a school being condemned and the long wait for a replacement, illustrating the educational challenges faced by these communities.

💡Safe drinking water

Safe drinking water is water that is free from harmful contaminants and is suitable for human consumption. The script raises the issue of over 100 First Nations communities operating under boil water advisories, indicating a severe lack of clean water, which is a basic necessity for health and well-being.

💡Unemployment

Unemployment refers to the state of being without a job while actively seeking work. The speaker notes high unemployment rates among First Nations people, which is a significant factor contributing to the overall poverty and lack of economic opportunity in these communities.

💡Indigenous languages

Indigenous languages are the original languages spoken by the First Nations people before European contact. The script discusses the importance of preserving and enhancing these languages, which are integral to cultural identity and heritage, and the challenges faced in doing so due to funding cuts.

💡Human rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The speaker argues for the recognition and respect of the human rights of First Nations people, emphasizing that they should not be less valued or chosen selectively by the government.

💡Legitimacy

Legitimacy in this context refers to the recognition of the authority and validity of the First Nations' representative organizations. The speaker discusses the need to continually prove the legitimacy of their community and organization to the federal government, which is a challenge in itself.

Highlights

The country faces a significant challenge of poverty among the First Nations, with a lack of access to adequate housing, healthcare, and other basic services.

Auditor General Sheila Fraser identified a housing crisis in First Nation communities, highlighting the urgent need for action.

Limited access to healthcare, with mothers having to be flown out of their communities for childbirth due to a lack of facilities.

High suicide rates among the youth in First Nation communities, with a focus on young men and increasingly younger children.

Poor school conditions and lack of educational facilities, with one community's school condemned and no new school expected for years.

The escalating costs of building new schools, with a price tag increasing from 17 million to 30 million dollars over time.

Communities under boil water advisories due to unsafe drinking water, with the government's first response being to blame Chief and Council.

The expectation for First Nation communities to fix water contamination issues caused by others, without the necessary resources.

Despite poverty, there are success stories among First Nations people, including small business owners and professionals in various fields.

The need for transformative change in the treatment of First Nations people to ensure fairness and respect.

The Assembly of First Nations represents distinct peoples with unique rights, yet must continually prove their legitimacy to the federal government.

Funding for the Assembly of First Nations is threatened to be reduced by five million dollars over the next five years, with no change in expectations.

The importance of language and culture preservation, with previous commitments being cut due to budget reallocations.

The unfairness of budget cuts affecting indigenous language preservation while large sums are applied against the national debt.

The Assembly of First Nations seeks fair treatment and the same consideration as other governments for the repeal of section 67.

The challenge faced by Chiefs and councils in being painted as the enemy while they seek fair treatment for their citizens.

The call for the Canadian government to respect the human rights of all its citizens, including First Nations people.

Transcripts

the biggest challenge that this country

faces in my view is First Nations

poverty our people are too poor simply

put if one were to ask me what well what

do you mean to poor I would point to

them that as the Auditor General Sheila

Fraser said just a few years ago there's

a there's a housing crisis in First

Nation communities it's a serious crisis

and we need to do something about that I

would point to them that we don't enjoy

the same kind of access that the

ordinary Canadians have to call it to

healthcare just one example for

commuters in the northeastern part of

Manitoba ten ten thousand people every

mother that gives birth has to be flown

out of it out of the community because

there are no facilities for mothers to

have their babies in those four

communities I would point to you the the

some of the highest suicide rates

anywhere in the world I just went to

visit metalic Tribal Council and one of

the Chiefs told me very small community

palade that 26 suicides in the last

number of years 278 in that part of the

province in Northern Ontario 278 fart

we're losing far too many of our young

people and usually young men between the

ages of 24 and 14 but in Manitoba now we

have kids killing themselves two

brothers 8 and 11 that committed suicide

and all that speaks to is the despair in

our communities particularly among our

young too many of our communities have

poor schools I went to out of office cat

just a couple months ago

1200 people there are four four hundred

plus school-aged children there their

school was condemned eight years ago and

they've just been told that not to

expect a new school for at least another

five years if not longer

and one day when the government first

condemned the school the price tag put

to building a new school was 17 million

dollars today it's 30 million what will

it be

five years and Beyond forty million and

so when I was at that community was the

kids there came to me where I was at the

band office pleading with me to get them

a new school so when I came South I

called the departmental officials and

told them of my desert and what I had

just witnessed and they told me as bad

as that community was there are many

many more in the Ontario region that are

worse off than this community right and

so here we are talking about children

these these children represent our

future and of course the expectations

that are placed on those kids are the

same as we place on kids that go to

school in Ottawa Toronto and in any city

of the country but they're expected to

do as well as kids in in the urban

communities not a chance

and of course if they fail we will hold

them responsible and we will hold their

communities responsible so completely

unfair I talked about safe drinking

water and the fact that there are over

100 communities for station communities

that often that operate under boil water

advisories so what is the response to

that well one first response is to blame

Chief and Council right well we didn't

pollute and contaminate our water source

is someone else that did that but we're

expected to fix that we're expected to

fix that we're expected to make sure

that we have trained plant operators

that we have a regulatory regime in

place that we have capacity within our

communities make sure that we have safe

drinking water we're talking here about

the health and safety of kids and

moms and dads and grandparents community

people we can't give that kind of

assurance to to tour people because the

housing is so bad the provision of

health care services has sued erratic

the schools are are in terrible shape

we don't have safe drinking water and so

many of our people are unemployed right

and that's those are the manifestations

of poverty right but in spite of that we

have tremendous success stories right in

20,000 small businesses owned and

managed by our people close to 30,000

people about our bar people in

universities we have doctors lawyers you

name the profession and discipline we

have people there and doing good work

making a real contribution to Canada's

prosperity but we can we can do more we

can do more and I and I realize that

it's not simply about more money but

that is one of the answers look at the

military here right we could have argued

that um that it's not simply more money

but that's the argument take put and we

bought that we should try and create the

same kind of transformative change when

it comes to Aboriginal people in First

Nations people so that can all Canadians

can be proud of us so all Canadians can

know that we're being treated fairly and

that all Canadians will know that we're

being treated with respect and here I

come to you here this evening I'm the

National chief for the Assembly of First

Nations representing First Nations

people distinct peoples with rights that

are unique to us were the only peoples

in this land and have treaties with the

Federal crown yet I have to convince the

federal government year after year on

the legitimacy of the community I

represent the legitimacy and validity of

this organization to represent all First

Nations people and if I speak out a turn

I'll get punished

I'll get punished right

and so what I face now this organization

that is as legitimate and as valid as

you hear senators representing the

Senate or the opposition parties or the

government members of parliament and our

public institutions here just as a

legitimate I've been told maybe because

I haven't been good right or good enough

that our funding will be reduced over

the next five years by five million

dollars right but the expectations that

will be placed on us will just will be

just as owners as they are now right and

why should we have to operate in this

kind of environment look at languages

and culture important to all people's

right if you lose your language you'll

lose suma on much of what you are we had

a commitment from the previous

government for a hundred and seventy two

million dollars to preserve and enhance

indigenous languages over ten years that

was the leaders of this with a stroke of

a pen because the money was needed

elsewhere

right and the elsewhere was the 37

billion dollars that's been now applied

against the debt in the last three

budgets I don't think that's fair I

simply am unfair and I don't want to

fight that with governments senators

eagle and other senators here that's not

my job I'm national chief not to fight

with governments and national chief to

work with governments regardless of

political stripe to make a better life

for the people I represent to make

Canada a better place to remind

Canadians in Canada that it has to

respect the human rights of all of its

citizens that it can't pick and choose

on the human rights that it will support

why are you our human rights of less

value why our government people saying

to Canadians that the Chiefs and

councils the Assembly of First Nations

don't believe in human rights because

now we're trying to delay

the repeal of section 67 not true all of

you asked for sir is that we be given

the same kind of consideration as all

governments were given here when the

Charter was was brought into force three

years three years we were offered six

months yet we have less capacity than

any government in the land to deliver on

the requirements and the provisions of

the Charter and look at us here and so

who is being painted as the enemy our

Chiefs and councils we have a hundred

and nine women Chiefs approximately 800

women counselors do you think those

women chiefs and councilors are opposed

to the repeal of section 67 of course

not

but they also want their governments to

be treated fairly fairly so that these

provisions will be available to all of

our First Nation citizens in in in in in

the best possible way so that's a

challenge we have together here we don't

want more right then then ordinary

Canadians huh

but we certainly want to receive what

ordinary Canadians expect and in fact

receive from from their governments