Canada’s aboriginal population growing fast
The results of the latest census show an overall greying of the country; seniors now outnumber children. For the first time in history, the number of Canadians over age 65 outnumbers those under 15.
This is not a surprise. Statistics Canada has predicted that the population will age as the baby boomers reach retirement age and the birthrate declines. Others predict that an aging population will mean higher health and social costs.
However, the situation is much different in Indian country. First Nations and Metis communities have a much younger population. The median age — the point where half are older and half are younger — is 24 for indigenous people while it is 40 for the non-aboriginal population. The median age for First Nations people in Saskatchewan is 20, the youngest in the country.
The census identified 1.4 million aboriginal people in Canada, with 22 per cent located in Ontario and 58 per cent in the four western provinces. Fully 80 per cent of aboriginal people live in these five provinces.
The aboriginal population is the fastest growing segment of Canada. In the period between 2006 and 2011, the aboriginal population increased by 20 per cent compared to five per cent for the rest of the country.
The education system reflects this shift. Reserve schools have growing student populations. This means increased capital costs and more funding to bring First Nations schools up to parity with the rest of the country.
Much of the future workforce will be First Nations and Metis, so steps have to be taken to improve education. Currently, about 44 per cent of working age adults have post-secondary education, including university and trade schools. This is a positive statistic and it’s growing steadily.
Nationally, Stats-Can reports that roughly half the First Nations population is located on reserves. This statistic is misleading, since the distribution of First Nations people varies widely depending on location.
The northern communities have a far greater retention rate, with 90 per cent or more remaining on reserves. In the south, the on-reserve population can run around 10 per cent. This means that many First Nations people in the south have moved to cities in search of work and an improved lifestyle. This is placing increased pressure on urban schools located in the inner city and other neighbourhoods with higher First Nations populations.
Treaty land entitlement has also allowed First Nations to purchase land within cities or close by. These reserves have the potential for commercial or residential development which will change the complexion of cities, particularly Regina and Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan has a First Nations population of about 130,000, which has grown in leaps and bounds over the past century. At the turn of the 20th century, the Department of Indian Affairs recorded about 11,000 status Indians in Saskatchewan and about 100,000 in the entire country. This number dropped following the flu epidemic of 1918. We were considered a vanishing race, so the department felt it could sell off Indian land, place the children in boarding schools and prepare for the eventual disappearance of First Nations people.
Following the Second World War, the economy picked up, our returning veterans demanded better treatment and public health and education gradually improved.
My reserve had a population of around 200 in 1960, but has now surpassed the 2,000 mark and is typical of the growth and development in Indian country.
Today we play an important part in the fabric of the province. Most First Nations people work off the reserve, so we pay all the taxes that any other citizen pays.
Our people are also holding public office as members of the provincial legislature and Parliament in Ottawa.
While Canada is aging, future population growth will come from immigration and the indigenous community. The face of the province is changing rapidly.