Ted Hughes is a retired judge who has led numerous child welfare inquiries.
There are reasons why aboriginal children are taken into the care of welfare agencies in grossly disproportionate numbers. That is a Canada-wide trend. In the past year in Manitoba, the percentage of children in care who are aboriginal has risen from 80 to 87 per cent. It's an alarming statistic.
There are reasons why aboriginal women and girls are much more likely to experience violence than their non-aboriginal counterparts, why they are substantially overrepresented among the ranks of the missing and murdered across the country.
There are reasons why aboriginal people are hugely overrepresented in Canada's prison population.
There are reasons why aboriginal people attain such lower rates of educational and employment achievement and why they lack opportunities for economic development.
It's time that Canadians, including their political leaders, come to appreciate what those reasons are, what results flow from them and what would realistically help bring the scales into balance, in order to give aboriginal people an equal chance to participate and succeed in mainstream society.
The reasons for the conditions above are rooted in the imposition of a foreign way of life on aboriginal people at the time of European occupation, commonly known as colonization. Another component was the residential school program, which brought misery to so many. There was also cultural dislocation and loss of identity, and segregation on what became known as reserves.
What have been the results? Widespread, large-scale poverty tops the list, associated with poor and inadequate housing conditions. Families struggle because attaining an acceptable standard of living simply isn't economically viable. Educational opportunities are often deficient. Addictions can take hold. Social exclusion and isolation frequently follow.
What is the solution? There must be a sensible and achievable one, otherwise life will become increasingly uncomfortable for those of us who owe our presence on these lands to our immigrant forebears. The goal that must eventually be met is equality of opportunity for those disadvantaged by colonization and its results. To make that possible, the leaders of our national government, the provinces and territories and national aboriginal organizations must come together in the spirit of goodwill.
Indeed, that process has already begun.
First, last summer, the premiers named NWT Premier Bob McLeod and Manitoba Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross (assisted by B.C. Premier Christy Clark) to take the lead in seeking solutions to the disproportionate number of aboriginal children in care. Appropriate provincial and territorial ministers have agreed to participate, as have representatives of five national aboriginal organizations. Three working groups have been formed. Having reviewed and reported publicly on child welfare issues in British Columbia and Manitoba in recent years, I am encouraged by these events.
Secondly, a roundtable is being convened in Ottawa on Feb. 27 to discuss murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls. This initiative is also an outgrowth of discussions at the premiers' meeting last year. Attending will be representatives from national aboriginal organizations, provincial and territorial leaders and families of victims. Federal ministers have been invited, too, and their participation and commitment is imperative. Mr. McLeod will chair the meeting. A steering committee to ensure a successful day is being led by national aboriginal organizations.
A successful day will be one that takes significant steps toward the ultimate achievement goal of equality of opportunity. That will entail the formulation of a strategy to bring an end to the poverty, inadequate housing, deficiency of educational opportunity and lack of economic viability mentioned above.
Only then will the overrepresentation of murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls and the violence they suffer be brought into balance. There is much at stake for all Canadians on Feb. 27.