The need for healing and reconciliation

First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada today boast 1.3 million members, and that population is increasing. Aboriginal youth is the fastest growing demographic in the country. But Canada’s oldest cultural groups face many challenges, including the legacy of harmful assimilation policies imposed over the last centuries.

Removal from lands to remote reserves and communities, and from families to residential schools caused a rupture with traditional life and a breakdown in family and community structure. For many Aboriginal communities, the effects of this breakdown are ongoing, through the intergenerational effects of poverty, abuse and addiction. All standard-of-living indicators for Aboriginal people lag behind the Canadian average.

Many Aboriginal youth are caught in a cycle of hopelessness. Their communities are aware that the patterns of pain and loss must be broken. Aboriginal youth need to believe in a bright future, discover richness in their lives and find ways they can contribute meaningfully. These are the elusive ingredients of hope that the rest of Canada takes for granted.

Through strong leadership and effective local and national programs, some communities have already made great strides. But more consistent funding for such programs can help people break intergenerational cycles for good and pursue meaningful opportunities.

Today, in the words of National Chief Fontaine, “we are in this together.” Working together, we can help balance out the wrongs of history and move forward into a more promising future.