BEYOND THE HEADLINES: A smoke screen? - Vernon Morning Star

8.8.14

BEYOND THE HEADLINES: A smoke screen? - Vernon Morning Star: Consider that at the same time that chiefs ands councils are conforming to the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, there is a very real crisis on reserves across the country.

A recent article in Maclean’s indicates that half of First Nations children in Canada are impacted by poverty, and that jumps to 64 per in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The article also goes on to say that nine out of the 10 most violent communities in the country are native as are 92 of Canada’s 100 poorest communities.

“Compared to non-native Canadians, aboriginal youth are seven times more likely to be victims of homicide, five times more likely to commit suicide and twice as likely to die an alcohol-related death,” writes Maclean’s reporter Tamsin McMahon.