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- One in four First Nations children live in poverty.
- Diabetes among First Nations people is at least three times the national average.
- Recent Census data shows that 23 per cent of Aboriginal people live in houses in need of major repairs, compared to just 7 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population.
- Overcrowding among First Nations families is double the rate of that for all Canadian families. A recent government study found that more than half of Inuit families live in overcrowded conditions. Some three-bedroom homes are known to house as many as 20 people.
- More than 100 First Nations communities are under boil water advisories right now, meaning they have little or no access to clean water for drinking and sanitation.
- First Nations people suffer from Third World diseases such as tuberculosis at eight to 10 times the rate of Canadians in general.
- More than half of First Nations people are not employed.
- One Aboriginal child in eight is disabled, double the rate of all children in Canada.
- Among First Nations children, 43 per cent lack basic dental care.
- Aboriginal children are drastically over-represented in the child welfare system.
- High school graduation rates for First Nations youth are half the Canadian rate.
- First Nations youth commit suicide at five to eight times the Canadian rate. The suicide rate for Inuit youth is six times as high as in the rest of the country.
(source – http://www.psac.com/what/humanrights/june21factsheet1-e.shtml)
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About Greg: Greg Hluska is an early 30s Regina guy. By day, he works in User Experience in a technology company and by night, he is an avid reader/writer who helps publish the Regina Streets Magazine. |
[...] With stats like this, is it any wonder that one in four Aboriginal children live in poverty? [...]