Aboriginal Peoples

Despite the billions of dollars spent annually on government programs for Aboriginals, the levels of poverty, adequate housing, educational participation, substance abuse and other indicators of community health remain at unacceptable levels. A failure to consider new approaches will have devastating consequences for Canada as a whole as well as for Aboriginal communities.

• While the right to Aboriginal self-government is firmly established, autonomy only increases the importance of good governance. The collective commitment of Canadians to investing in Aboriginal communities must be matched by a level of transparency and accountability comparable to that required of other levels of government.
• The emphasis of federal investment in Aboriginal communities should shift from the counting of inputs, the dollars being spent, to measurement of outcomes, the results that are actually achieved in improving the lives of Aboriginals and particularly in enabling Aboriginal youth to pursue levels of educational achievement sufficient to provide them with real economic opportunities in the years ahead.
• Federal and provincial governments must move ahead with expeditious settlement of native land claims. In addition to the resulting direct transfers to First Nations, such settlements help to create a more predictable and stable business environment. This, in turn, is essential to encouraging new investment in resource developments that will benefit all Canadians and provide new economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples.