historical and scientific perspectives on the health of canada's first ...

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine affords a relatively recent summary of
the status of the health transfer process which has been occurring among first nations.
Nearly half of First Nation communities now control <strong>and</strong> deliver their own health
services under the Federal Health Transfer Policy. There are successful
community-based projects aimed at improving the integration of health services.
Provinces such as Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta <strong>and</strong> New Brunswick are reaching
out to include First Nations in establishing electronic health records <strong>and</strong> telehealth
networks to provide timely access to patient information <strong>and</strong> care…During
the historic Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable of April 19, 2004… I stated
that our vision for improved health revolves around a First Nations controlled
<strong>and</strong> sustainable health system that builds effective capacity <strong>and</strong> asserts First
Nations jurisdiction in health, aligned with a holistic <strong>and</strong> culturally appropriate
approach… The role of research in further informing First Nations’ united efforts
to improve the health <strong>and</strong> well-being of our peoples cannot be underestimated. 62
1.10 INTERMINABLE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES
Although throughout the 20 th century there have been gradual socio-economic improvements in
virtually Aboriginal communities in Canada leading to improved living conditions, at mid-point
in the first decade of the 21 st century there still remain significant infrastructural deficiencies in
many Aboriginal communities. These deficiencies clearly contribute to continuing unacceptable
health levels. As of 2005, across Canada in First Nation communities there is a “housing shortage
of between 20,000 <strong>and</strong> 35,000 units. The shortfall is growing by an estimated 2,200 units a year.”
The limited supply of housing leads to “overcrowded conditions… [that]
affects the health <strong>and</strong> well-being of Aboriginal people living on-reserve.”
New Federal commitments over the next five years, combined with
Canada Mortgage <strong>and</strong> Housing Corporation (CMHC) will fall short
of even keeping up with the estimated new unit requirements. In
Canada’s North, 16.8 percent of Inuit households were “overcrowded
<strong>and</strong> in core housing need compared with 1.9 percent for non-Aboriginal
households. The Inuit population’s young average age <strong>and</strong> high birth
rate mean numbers of families <strong>and</strong> households are growing rapidly,
putting increasing pressure on the current housing stock.” 63
The annual Report of the Commissioner of the Environment <strong>and</strong> Sustainable Development to
Parliament (2005) found that when it comes to potable water, First Nation communities do not
have the same level of protection as does the rest of Canada. Federal assessments in 1995
indicated that about 25% of all First Nations' water systems were at “high risk” to contamination
<strong>and</strong> pose a “high risk” to human health. An more recent assessment in 2003 found that almost
30% of systems were at high risk, indicating that the situation is worsening. Currently, more than
100 First Nations communities are under “boil water” advisories. The report notes that the
problems in the current system range from the lack of technical capacity <strong>and</strong> training in First
Nations communities to absent or poorly maintained infrastructure systems. One of the
underlying problems is the lack of any federal laws or regulatory framework to ensure the
provision of safe drinking water. The question that we must ask is what should be the real
priorities for public sector investment, which will with effectiveness enhance the lives <strong>and</strong> health
of Aboriginal peoples. 64
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