Speaking Notes for Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
National Chief Patrick Brazeau
At the United Nations expert group meeting on urban Indigenous peoples and migration.
Santiago, Chile
March 2007
(Check Against Delivery)
Hola, kwey, hello et bonjour,
Au nom du congres des peuples autochtones, nous voulons remercier les organisateurs pour la mise en oeuvre de ce forum sur les peuples autochtones vivant en milieu urbain.
Lors du forum permanent en mai dernier, nous avons fait la demande publique pour la tenue d’une telle rencontre vu la croissance de ce phenomene qui devient de plus en plus une réalité.
Le congres des peuples autochtones est une organisation nationale politique qui defend les droits et interets des autochtones au canada qui se trouve hors du contexte des reserves et dans les milieux urbains depuis 1971.
I would like to share some facts as it pertains to the off-reserve Indigenous peoples in Canada.
There are approximately 1.3 million Indigenous peoples in Canada. Of that number 79% live off-reserve.
For every $8 the federal government spends for on-reserve Indigenous peoples, only $1 is spent off reserves so there is an unequal distribution of resources despite the fact that the majority of the Indigenous population live in urban areas.
There is a harsh reality in Canada that life in many reserve communities offer very little hope for Indigenous peoples: poor socio-economic conditions, including lack of housing, high rates of unemployment, suicide, education and a lack of economic opportunities to name a few.
It is true that many Indigenous peoples in Canada relocate to urban settings because they believe life will be better. Many choose to leave their reserve communities with the hopes of finding employment or
To pursue post secondary studies. Hence, relocation is occuring as part of the normal trend of globalization.
Unfortunately, many Indigenous peoples who relocated with the hopes of finding a better life continue to face poor social conditions. I would like however, to concentrate on the increasing number of success stories because it is these successes that will create hope and opportunity.
There are an abundance of advantages for urban Indigenous peoples to utilize for their overall benefit because of the fact that there are more employment opportunities, educational institutions and better access to a number of programs and services and I personally know many young Indigenous members of our nations willing to benefit from those opportunities.
In Canada, there are many organizations that provide services to urban indigenous peoples, including federal and provincial governments, regional indigenous organizations and service delivery organizations. Because there are many service delivery organizations, this often leads to duplication of services. To be fully effective we must focus on developing a province-by-province handbook and outreach strategy on existing support systems to assist indigenous peoples in urban areas.
Aboriginal peoples in Canada should be entitled to mobility of rights. One’s right to Aboriginal programs and services ends at the reserve border, thus making status Indians one of the only groups in Canadian society who are not entitled to the freedom of mobility promised by the constitution, and enjoyed by virtually all other citizens in the country.
In conclusion, I would like to offer some recommendations for consideration.
First, states and municipal governments should support and fund urban Indigenous governance initiatives.
States shall adequately fund Indigenous political organizations aimed at promoting the rights and interests of urban Indigenous peoples.
In light of the large numbers of Indigenous peoples living in urban centers states should take effective measures in the area of data collection. Special attention should be given in national census surveys to identify Indigenous persons living in the cities, as well as their economic and social conditions.
Lands should be set aside in urban areas dedicated to Indigenous cultural, spiritual and economic needs.
Children, living outside their communities should have access where possible to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language.
We believe that states should take effective measures to provide affirmative action programs and services to address economic and social disadvantage affecting urban indigenous peoples.
States should accord higher priority to youth programming, particularly leadership development, sport and recreation.
States and municipal governments should support, fund and actively provide services and programs for urban Indigenous youth.
Indigenous youth should be closely involved in the design, development and delivery of youth services.
And finally, Indigenous women shall have the right to give indigenous and non-indigenous service agencies direction and guidance in formulating policy and developing services that may be used by indigenous women and children and participate fully in the delivery of programs and services established specifically to meet the needs of urban Indigenous women.
Those are some recommendations from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. We respectfully submit them and invite this distinguished forum to consider them in the final report.
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples recommendations at the expert group meeting on urban indigenous peoples and migration, Santiago Chile, March 2007
Acknowledging that the charter of the United Nations, the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights affirm the fundamental importance of the right of self-determination of all peoples, by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development,
Convinced that the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples will enhance harmonious and cooperative relations between the state and indigenous peoples, based on principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and good faith,
Indigenous governance
Where indigenous urban residents, as a form of their right to self-determination, wish to pursue self-government based on an urban community of interest, states and municipal governments should support and fund urban indigenous governance initiatives.
States shall fund indigenous political organizations aimed at promoting the rights and interests of urban indigenous peoples.
Data collection
In view of the large numbers of indigenous peoples living in urban centers, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, states should take effective measures in the area of data collection, in particular, special attention should be given in national census surveys to identify indigenous members or persons living in the cities, as well as their economic and social conditions.
Indigenous cultural areas
States, municipal governments and indigenous peoples should cooperate together in order to set aside lands in urban areas dedicated to indigenous cultural and spiritual needs.
Indigenous cultural centers and education
States shall fund national urban indigenous cultural education programs designed by and for indigenous peoples in large urban centres, to be administered generally by urban indigenous organizations.
States shall, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language.
Programs and services for urban indigenous peoples
In conjunction with indigenous peoples, states should take measures so that affirmative action programs and services to address economic and social disadvantage affecting urban indigenous peoples are available.
Indigenous peoples shall be directly involved in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of all services provided to urban indigenous peoples by non-indigenous agencies.
Staff of non-indigenous services agencies directly involved in indigenous service delivery shall be given cross-cultural training delivered by indigenous peoples and organizations and that states funding agreements reflect this obligation.
Indigenous youth
States should accord higher priority to youth programming, particularly leadership development, sport and recreation.
States and municipal governments should support, fund and actively provide services and programs for urban indigenous youth.
Indigenous youth should be closely involved in the design, development and delivery of youth services.
Indigenous women
Indigenous women shall have the right to give indigenous and non-indigenous service agencies direction and guidance in formulating policy and developing services that may be used by indigenous women and children and participate fully in the delivery of programs and services established specifically to meet the needs of urban indigenous women.
Indigenous participation in decision-making within municipal governments
Municipal councils and school boards in municipalities with a large indigenous population should establish indigenous affairs committees to provide advice and guidance on indigenous issues.
- 30 -
For further information, please contact:
Al Fleming
Director
Public Affairs
613-747-6022 (office)
613-867-8696 (mobile)
al@abo-peoples.org
