Four Reasons Why

Aboriginal Worldviews
Matter
1. Canadas future potential depends on
Aboriginal people

Canadas future potential depends on
Aboriginal people
Aboriginal people are the youngest and fastest
growing segment of the Canadian population
with more than half under 25 years of age.
By 2026, 36% of the population 15-29 years
old in Saskatchewan is expected to be
Aboriginal.
In Manitoba, this proportion is projected to be
28%.

Canadas future potential depends on Aboriginal
people
Contrast this with Canadas aging population
(retirees over the next two decades are
expected to double) and you find a Canadian
future whose potential is interconnected with
Aboriginal wellbeing.

2. The world is in environmental crisis.
Indigenous knowledge is needed now more
than ever.

The world is in environmental crisis.
Indigenous knowledge is needed now more than ever
Indigenous people have always had a broad
knowledge of how to live sustainably on the
earth.
Renowned Tewa educator, Gregory Cajete,
asserts that one of the defining characteristics
of indigenous education is that it is inherently
environmental.
3. Education and policy development are
incomplete without Aboriginal worldviews.

Education and policy development are incomplete
without Aboriginal worldviews.

Understanding geography is incomplete
without knowledge of original peoples and
ways of relating to the land.
Understanding history is incomplete without
first stories and Aboriginal perspectives on key
moments.
Understanding environmental science should
include indigenous perspectives on eco-
systems and lives in relationship.
Education and policy development are incomplete
without Aboriginal worldviews.

How can we teach disciplinary subjects in schools
without Aboriginal perspectives on each of these
subjects?
Teaching is incomplete without consideration of
Aboriginal perspectives.
Similarly, developing policy or legislation that has
an impact on people or lands that doesnt consult
or accommodate Aboriginal perspectives is
incompletely researched or developed.

4. To uphold social justice.

To uphold social justice

Canada is recognized internationally as a
strong protector of human rights.
Unfortunately, our track record at home is not
held to the same high standards.

To uphold social justice

In fall 2012, the UN committee on the rights of
the child finished a 10-year review of how
Canada treats its children.
The committee repeatedly expressed concern
that Aboriginal children are dramatically
overrepresented in the criminal justice
system.
To uphold social justice

In fact, Aboriginal youth are more likely to be
jailed than graduate from high school.

Whats more, for Aboriginal people in Canada:

Life expectancy is lower. Among the Inuit in
Canada, life expectancy is almost 15 years
lower than the national average.
Suicide rates among First Nations are 5 times
higher than the general population. Among
Inuit, suicide rates are 11 times higher than
non-Aboriginal Canadians
For Aboriginal people in Canada
The homes on reserves are more often flimsy,
leaky and overcrowded.
In 2006, 50% of the on-reserve First Nations
population aged 25 to 64 did not complete high
school, compared with 15% for other Canadians.
In 2006, the median income for Aboriginal
peoples was $18,962 30% lower than the
$27,097 median income for the rest of
Canadians.

For Aboriginal people in Canada
A federal assessment has found that 39% of First
Nations water systems are at high risk of being
unsafe.
116 First Nations communities in Canada are
under a Drinking water advisory.*
*This stat does not include communities where
there is no access to water service or running
water at all. In Manitoba, this is about 10% of the
reserve communities in the province.
For Aboriginal people in Canada
Nearly 70% of Inuit preschoolers live in
households rated as food insecure.
41% of households in BC First Nations
experience food insecurity, and 25% of
households with children are affected.


For Aboriginal people in Canada
In 2006, the median income for Aboriginal
peoples was $18,962 30% lower than the
$27,097 median income for the rest of
Canadians.

Education disparity
In 2006, 50% of the on-reserve First Nations population
aged 25 to 64 did not complete high school, compared
with 15% for other Canadians.
Overall, 34% of the Aboriginal population, aged 25-64
years, did not have a high school leaving certificate.
8% of Aboriginal people have a Bachelor Degree or
higher, compared to 22% of non-Aboriginal Canadians.
In 2004, the Auditor General found that, at current
rates of progress, it would take 28 years for First
Nations on reserves to reach educational parity with
non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Four Reasons Why Aboriginal
Worldviews Matter NOW
1. Canadas future potential depends on
Aboriginal people.
2. The world is in environmental crisis.
Indigenous knowledge is needed now more
than ever.
3. Education and policy development are
incomplete without Aboriginal worldviews.
4. To uphold social justice, understanding
Aboriginal realities is necessary.