UBC Wiki - User contributions [en]

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-02T00:32:05Z

XiYuanPang: /* Socio-economic Barriers */

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination. <ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. The question instead, is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that "communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health,<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities. Furthermore, the lack of these four categories of essential services prevents the ability of Indigenous peoples to be involved within the policy and the governance making of the Canadian state to the extent that they wish to do so.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people.<ref name=":1" /> It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the combined use of statistics, economic standards, and Indigenous conceptions of well-being. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-01T23:28:35Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination. <ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. The question instead, is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that "communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-01T23:28:08Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination. <ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that "communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-01T23:27:46Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency, paths to self-determination, and opportunities of social mobility within the Canadian state <ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that "communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-01T23:25:06Z

XiYuanPang: /* Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model[6] */

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that "communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-12-01T22:46:54Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> This is also a term referenced by the Canadian government in statistical reports.
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

Talk:Fetishization of Asian Women

2018-12-01T19:00:54Z

XiYuanPang: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:Talk:Fetishization of Asian Women/Thoughts

2018-12-01T19:00:54Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Thoughts

As a Chinese woman, reading this was both very knowledgeable and harrowing.

I learned a lot more and learning music history for piano in highschool, I had to analyze Madama Butterfly. However, I had only focused on its musical composition and how it related to the story line. I completely forgot about it until today when reading your entry and realizing how the plot has many racial implications.

I started reading a bit more and yeah, wow this wiki made me really think more about some of the popular films I've watched and analyzing them.

I came across this article which really speaks to some of the things you've mentioned which I found very interesting: https://www.yomyomf.com/an-open-letter-to-white-people-on-their-love-for-madama-butterfly/

Thread:Talk:GRSJ224/proportionalrepresentation/Thoughts

2018-12-01T18:00:27Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Thoughts

Yes like others mentioned this is a great topic to highlight due to the referendum on electoral reform. I think what would provide to be more beneficial is including why there are proponents of the FPTP system. As you mention the history of the FPTP but I think briefly mentioning its pro's would provide more context of why it's remained in the system for so long.

What I guess I'm trying to say is that often wiki pages are quite neutral and though there are a lot of problems with FPTP, I think the phrasing here "First Past the Post is a system that does not fairly represent the riding as fairly due to its method of majority votes" is one of subjective rather than objective claims because of the use of the word "fairly". To be clear, I'm not saying that this point isn't valid! It's true, that votes are not proportional to the voters and representation of citizens but I think you will have to define what "fair" means in the context of democracy.

What does being fair within the electoral system mean? I think that would give more a firm foundational base to your ideas as well as having more sources because it can sound more like thoughts. The point is there but having examples to back it up and to explain it would be amazing!

Talk:Indigenous Representation in the Politics of Energy and Resources in British Columbia

2018-11-29T02:42:44Z

XiYuanPang: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:Talk:Indigenous Representation in the Politics of Energy and Resources in British Columbia/Thoughts and Advice!

2018-11-29T02:42:44Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Thoughts and Advice!

This is a really cool topic you're investigating. You could also add to the residential schools section that many had their culture stripped from them. In the book we read in this class The Kiss of the Fur Queen, Highway references the cutting of hair for Jeremiah and Gabriel. Other things like sexual assault happened at the schools too. I find this website to be great in its research and content: https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/

As well since you focus more on the representation of Indigenous people through the politics of energy and resources, I highly suggest as you are putting the last part of your wiki together to take a look at the Idle No More movement: http://www.idlenomore.ca/ as well as the work of Leanne Simpson: https://www.leannesimpson.ca/ Simpson has some great youtube videos and poems about extractivism and the representation as well as view of Indigenous peoples as resources (their land, their cultures, and ultimate the people).

Hope this helps!!

Thread:Talk:Masculinity Portrayed Advertisements through the Male Gaze/Thoughts!

2018-11-29T02:42:05Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Thoughts!

This topic is one that I am also passionate about and volunteering the YWCA has meant that I've been lucky to learn through some of their resources about hypermasculinity and hypersexualitzation of women in media. In particular, here is a research report that might be helpful in further your analysis:
https://ywcavan.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/Culture-Shift-Research-Report-Final-WEB.pdf

I think you talk about a lot of points in quite a thorough way such as the concept of the male gaze. I do want to point out towards the end you also mention how some belief in sexual objectification empowering women but I think there is also another viewpoint (for the sake of neutrality in expressing views) is that some women feel that by choosing what they show on social media in terms of less or more conservative clothing or less/more suggestive poses is powerful because it is their decision. I know recently Ariana Grande through some tweets and some other celebrities were mentioning how women shouldn't be shamed for showing cleavage etc because they felt beautiful for doing so or more empowered from it. Not sure if that would be relevant to consider!

User talk:XiYuanPang

2018-11-29T02:22:10Z

XiYuanPang: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:XiYuanPang/Comments and Advice for Sources!

2018-11-29T02:22:10Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Comments and Advice for Sources!

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T07:20:10Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].
[[File:Decrease_in_Canadian_Crime_Rates.png|thumb|From 1999 to 2014 there has been a decrease in total crime incidents reported by Canadians.]]
Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.htm|title=Criminal victimization in Canada, 2014|last=Perreault|first=Samuel|date=2014|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples within the justice system. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. While only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

File:Decrease in Canadian Crime Rates.png

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XiYuanPang: User created page with UploadWizard

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GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T07:12:10Z

XiYuanPang:

''<small>a wiki project by Cecilia Pang</small>''

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].

Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. Only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T07:10:27Z

XiYuanPang: /* Indigenous representation in the media */

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].

Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. Only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. But policies that would better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, would need to be shaped by bringing in interdisciplinary approaches to research and understandings. Furthermore, power must be given to marginalized voices because the domination of economic and statistical terms must not and cannot be definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T07:07:19Z

XiYuanPang:

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination.<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref> <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

In regards to mental well-being, the access to educational opportunities that align with Indigenous pedagogy are minimal. Furthermore, within the Canadian educational system, 47% of Indigenous peoples are without a high school diploma as compared to the 28% off reserve and 12% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> The reasonings behind this are complex and not always causally linked but the lack of a high school diploma poses a difficulty for Indigenous workers who seek employment for upward mobility. This is seen through the 25.2% unemployment rate of Indigenous peoples that live on the reserve, 17.8% that live of the reserve and 7.5% of non Indigenous peoples.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas Non-Indigenous people on average earn twice the annual income than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3 times than Indigenous people off reserves.<ref name=":3" />
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
The affects of spiritual well-being for Indigenous peoples comes from the problematic issues of food insecurity. With the highest rates of food insecurity for Indigenous women who are three times more likely to be without access to nutritious food or food in general compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. And for Indigenous men, who are two times more likely than non-Indigenous men.<ref name=":3" />

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
The emotional feelings of safety and emotional security come from many variables such as access to housing, shelter from violence, and belief in the justice system. For around half of First Nations living on the reserve, they lived in unacceptable housing conditions which meant that they were either unaffordable, not large enough to accommodate family side, or lacked adequate safety conditions. For a third of the households, they did not have the economic means to re-locate or to move into a more accommodating house space.<ref name=":3" />

In terms of violence and crime, as many as 30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous. Where for every thousand people, there were 160 Indigenous victims as opposed to only 74 non-Indigenous victims. An example can be drawn to the high concentrations of victimization and violence where in particular, the disappearance of many Indigenous women<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-missing-women-police-data-1.4449073|title=Still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year|last=McDiarmid|first=Margo|date=20 December 2017|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFIgF_OHlM&t=64s testament to the perpetual remnants of colonialism].

Furthermore the failings of the Canadian justice system for Indigenous peoples means that even younger children fear the police due to racialization. Whereas around 80% of Indigenous students are more likely to “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that their racial group are viewed positively by police compared to 15% of non-Indigenous students responding the same way.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/|title=Canada’s prisons are the ‘new residential schools’|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=18 February 2018|website=Macleans|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Increasing restrictions on bail and a highly concentrated number of Indigenous prisoners in Canadian prisons highlights a systematically rooted bias against Indigenous peoples. As crime declined overall and the rates of incarceration for Canadians fell, Indigenous incarceration instead skyrocketed with an increase by 112% for women. Only making up 4% of the total Canadian population, 36% of Indigenous women and 25% of Indigenous men are currently sentenced to provincial and territorial custody.<ref name=":6" />

''*'''Physical'''''

''The analysis of environmental and economic base factors are the foundation of which emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being is explored. In the context of settler colonialism, the effects of the environment that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with are a result of land dispossession, extractivism, stolen land, residential schools, intentional biological warfare, displacement, genocide, assimilation and more.''

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

The implications of these statistics by [https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start Statistics Canada] within the context of the Four Directions Model, concludes that there is a disconnect between having a base to upward mobility which would allow easier processes towards [http://caid.ca/Dself_det_canada.html self-determination] and self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Some argue like Leanne Simpson argue for the collective understandings and acknowledgements by the mainstream society on how their qualities of life can continue to perpetuate the poverty cycle for Indigenous peoples. Where the consumeristic tendencies and need for linear economic growth can stifle natural ecosystems and force Indigenous communities out of negotiations regarding their natural resources or land.<ref name=":1" /> In particular, Simpson demands for an understanding of Indigenous peoples as people as opposed to resources. Others argue, that shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism.<ref name=":0" /> Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs have the potential to benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. Policies can be shaped to better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, but it must always be taken with a grain of salt that these economic and statistical terms are not definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T04:25:56Z

XiYuanPang:

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>. Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref>. <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>
[[File:Average_Community_Well-being_Scores.png|thumb|A chart of well-being scores compiled by the Government of Canada regarding First Nation, Inuit, and Non-Indigenous Communities from 1981 to 2011]]
In the context of the '''Four Directions Model,''' the '''Well-Being Index''' developed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada explores a broader measure of current socio-economic living circumstances for Indigenous communities. The Community Well-being Index incorporates dimensions of education, housing security, and the labour market that are aggregated to the community level. There has been improvement with a narrowing of the well-being gap between 1981 and 2011 (20 percentage points) however, the data demonstrates a constant and consistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.<ref>Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. (2015). ''The Community Well-Being Index: Well-Being in First Nations Communities, 1981-2011.'' Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.</ref>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

pg 14 without high school diploma

47% of Indigenous on reserve

28% of Indigenous off reserve

12% of non Indigenous

pg 15 unemployment rate (2011)

25.2 % Indigenous on reserve

17.8% Indigenous off reserve

7.5% non Indigenous

Non-Indigenous on average earn 2x more than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3x than Indigenous people off reserve.
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
pg 29

Higher rates of food insecurity in Indigenous women with Indigenous women having 3x more problems with food security compared to non-Indigenous women, and Indigenous men having 2x more problems than non-Indigenous.

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
pg 25- > 50% of First Nations living on reserves (2011) lived in housing below acceptable housing (affordable, large enough to accommodate family size, and adequate condition)

1/3 of households requires repairs or dealt with over-housing could not afford to relocate

pg 30

30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous.

Indigenous victims 160/1000 people | non Indigenous victims 74/ 1000 people

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism. Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs can greatly benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. Policies can be shaped to better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, but it must always be taken with a grain of salt that these economic and statistical terms are not definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

File:Average Community Well-being Scores.png

2018-11-27T04:24:17Z

XiYuanPang: User created page with UploadWizard

=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
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|date=2015
|source=Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
|author=Government of Canada
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{cr-cdn-gov}}

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-27T04:13:40Z

XiYuanPang:

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>. Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref>. <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref name=":3">A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref name=":4">Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

''*When and if the phrasing of '''poverty''' is used, it will refer to the limited access of essential services that impacts the basic human sufficiency levels to survive.<ref name=":4" />''

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency.<ref name=":1" /> These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
Identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.<ref name=":3" /> As of recent demographic trends, Indigenous populations are rapidly growing due to higher fertility rates and at a growth rate of four times that of non Indigenous populations.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3823772/canadas-growing-indigenous-population/|title=Canada's Growing Indigenous Population|last=Kirkup|first=Kristy|date=25 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> As the most poverty stricken and vulnerable group in Canada, the growth in population poses a risk to new mothers and babies growing up in non-optimal conditions. Nonetheless, large increases of population in recent years since 2004 can be accounted to more Indigenous people embracing their identities and coming to terms with formal recognition of their ethnicity and ancestry through reporting.<ref name=":5" />

Because absolute and relative poverty are key social determinants of health.<ref name=":4" /> the bleak living conditions and constraints imposed to accessing essential services for some Indigenous communities, negatively impact mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. However, this is not to say that Indigenous communities that have lower economic activity or financial resources cannot live healthy and meaningful lives. Relatively speaking, many Indigenous communities engage in activities that are subsisted at a much lower cost than their non Indigenous counterparts.<ref name=":4" />

====Mental | Education and Employment ====

pg 14 without high school diploma

47% of Indigenous on reserve

28% of Indigenous off reserve

12% of non Indigenous

pg 15 unemployment rate (2011)

25.2 % Indigenous on reserve

17.8% Indigenous off reserve

7.5% non Indigenous

Non-Indigenous on average earn 2x more than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3x than Indigenous people off reserve.
=====Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
pg 29

Higher rates of food insecurity in Indigenous women with Indigenous women having 3x more problems with food security compared to non-Indigenous women, and Indigenous men having 2x more problems than non-Indigenous.

======Emotional | Safety and Security ======
pg 25- > 50% of First Nations living on reserves (2011) lived in housing below acceptable housing (affordable, large enough to accommodate family size, and adequate condition)

1/3 of households requires repairs or dealt with over-housing could not afford to relocate

pg 30

30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous.

Indigenous victims 160/1000 people | non Indigenous victims 74/ 1000 people

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous leaders and scholars recognize the poverty that exists and advocate for the prevalent bleak living conditions within their communities. <ref name=":4" /> Shifting money towards social welfare programs would help alleviate systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism. Though not the only and most prominent factor to closing the gap but it would be a small and beneficial step. Social programs can greatly benefit people's well-being by providing emotional and physical security.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. Policies can be shaped to better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, but it must always be taken with a grain of salt that these economic and statistical terms are not definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-26T07:19:47Z

XiYuanPang: /* Indigenous representation in the media */

[https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Democracy] is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Canadian Regime 6th Ed.|last=Malcolmson|first=Patrick|last2=Myers, Richard|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. At the individual level, democracy is seen through voter participation. In order for political, economic, and social changes to be in accordance with the will of the people, citizens have a responsibility to vote for elected officials that they believe will best represent them within all three levels of government.

Because the course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country, the implications of [https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/ settler colonialism] cannot be ignored in a democratic analysis. Consistently throughout this history, Indigenous communities in particular have seen their exclusion from democracy within Canada<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>. Beyond the discussion of treaties or the definitions surrounding citizenship, the implications of democracy for Indigenous people regarding their own conceptions of rights, freedoms, and well-being do not exist to the same extent as non-Indigenous Canadians within a Western economic framework of socio-economic living standards. Though some Indigenous people choose not to identify as Canadians or want part in the Canadian state, policies that are drafted within government affect Indigenous communities substantially, whether this is through [http://www.idlenomore.ca/ economic development], social welfare programs, or [https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-prisons-are-the-new-residential-schools/ security enforcements]. In particular, socio-economic barriers such as extreme poverty pose the greatest threat to certain Indigenous communities for their self-sufficiency and paths to self-determination<ref name=":0">Poverty Action Research Project, Pursuing Well-being: Lessons from the First Nation Poverty Action Research Project, Halifax: Dalhousie University, 2018</ref>. <blockquote>"The question is not how we make sure that the average Indigenous person has the same opportunities and advantages as the average non-Indigenous person has. the question instead is how we rebuild Indigenous nations that can provide their people with the opportunity to lead satisfying, productive lives without having to give up the land, the language, the culture, the kin relationships, that make them who they are." <ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Terminology ==

==== Indigenous vs. First Nations ====
[https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/ The term Indigenous is meant to encompass a range of Aboriginal groups] within Canada while recognizing its limitations as it conflates very unique communities under a singular umbrella term. Due to the lack of a foundation of consistent data and research done on Indigenous communities or put forth by the Government of Canada, studies around Indigenous barriers are drawn at a general and over-encompassing conclusion<ref>A Background on Poverty in Canada (October 2016) Publi Centre (Government of Canada). of Canada, Government. A Backgrounder on Poverty in Canada. ISBN: 9780660063874. Ottawa, ON, CA.</ref>.

The term First Nations is used in accordance to communities that identify as First Nations, which are those that are not ethnically Inuit or Métis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/terminology/|title=Terminology|last=|first=|date=2009|website=Indigenous Foundations|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
=====Poverty Gap and the Four Directions Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firstnationspedagogy.com/fourdirections.html|title=Theory of Four Directions Model|last=|first=|date=2013|website=First Nations Pedagogy|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> =====
[[File:Four_Directions_Visual_Model.png|thumb|A visual graph of the Four Directions model of well-being.]]

Investigating the lack of essential services for Indigenous communities within Canada is a topic recognized not only by Canadian policy regulators but also Chiefs of First Nation communities such as the [https://sipeknekatik.ca/ Sipekne'katik First Nation], [http://www.opitciwan.ca/ Opitciwan Atikamekw First Nation], [http://www.eabametoong.firstnation.ca/ Eabametoong First Nation], [https://misipawistik.com/ Misipawistik Cree Nation], and [http://bcafn.ca/community/titqet/ Ti'it'q'et].<ref name=":0" /> The systemic roots of inequality continue to prevail and it is addressed through Indigenous scholars such as [https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson] that investigations of the poverty gap must be done in a method that is reflective of both the truth and the beauty of Indigenous communities.

She states that communities are continually shamed in the mainstream media and by state governments and by Canadian society for being poor. Shaming the victim is part of that extractivist thinking. We need to understand why these communities are economically poor in the first place—and they are poor so that Canadians can enjoy the standard of living they do. I say “economically poor” because while these communities have less material wealth, they are rich in other ways—they have their homelands, their languages, their cultures, and relationships with each other that make their communities strong and resilient." <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/dancing-the-world-into-being-a-conversation-with-idle-no-more-leanne-simpson|title=Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson|last=Klein|first=Naomi|date=5 March 2013|website=Yes Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref>

It is with this acknowledgement, that it must be mentioned that the terms of poverty are discouraged and many Indigenous communities are uncomfortable with focusing on the "poor" aspects of their community. <ref name=":0" /> This is due to an effort to de-stigmatize members of parts of the community and to draw away from targeting any individual. Furthermore the term "'''poverty'''" does not exist in Indigenous languages,<ref name=":0" /> it is imperative to investigate the immense gap of essential services between Indigenous and non Indigenous people within Canada through the understandings used within Indigenous communities. Culturally, Indigenous communities do not often relay information to an economic standard<ref>Wien, F. (2017). ''Tackling Poverty in Indigenous Communities in Canada.'' Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.</ref> as the concept of a good life entails an emphasis on harmony and balance where efforts are focused on holistic and multi-dimensional aspects of community life rather than economic metrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indigenous-peoples-worldviews-vs-western-worldviews|title=Indigenous Worldviews|last=|first=|date=26 January 2016|website=Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> For mainstream society, well-being and poverty is centralized around income or real income. Due to its materialistic nature and because the term poverty does not exist or is as heavily emphasized, conversations regarding the socio-economic barriers that Indigenous communities face are discussed with respect to the dimensions of well-being as illustrated through the '''Four Directions Model.'''<ref name=":0" />
* ''Spiritual: culture and ceremonies''
* ''Physical: environment and economy''
* ''Emotional: social support and safety support''
* ''Mental: governance and education''

The Four Directions Model is intersectional and multi-dimensional. It focuses on marrying individual actions with the larger community in the context of the well-being sectors. To support the well-being sectors in the Four Directions model and to understand the implications, some policy researchers and Indigenous scholars have done their best to bridge their varying cultural understandings of poverty. This framework model is capable of being substantiated through economic and statistical reports as well as providing a contextual base for Canadians and Indigenous peoples to work together on addressing the lack of essential resources in Indigenous communities.

== Indigenous Communities Today ==
There are many Indigenous communities that have been able to reconstruct an economic base to support their independence and self-determination efforts. However, there are communities that struggle due to the remnants of settler colonialism and the difficulties that confront remote and rapidly urbanized communities. <ref name=":0" />

For 80% of the Indigenous population within Canada that live on reserves, they tackle the challenges of living below the median poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3795083/reserves-poverty-line-census/|title=Over 80% of reserves have median income below poverty line, census data shows|last=Press|first=Jordan|date=10 October 2017|website=Global News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Regardless of pure income, essential living requirements such as access to clean water is unpredictable. As a whole, 400 out of 614 First Nations communities faced water sanitation problems between 2004 through 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bad-water-third-world-conditions-on-first-nations-in-canada-1.3269500|title=Bad water: 'Third World' conditions on First Nations in Canada|last=Levasseur|first=Joanne|last2=Jacques Marcoux|date=14 October 2015|website=CBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Many of the issues involved come from bad sanitation, piping issues, or improper disinfection of water systems. For the [http://community.matawa.on.ca/community/neskantaga-first-nation/ Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario], residents have been boiling their water for 20 years.<ref name=":2" /> Issues arise in various places within Canada. For BC, the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite wide with inequality. 33% of Indigenous children currently live in poverty within Vancouver compared to 52% for those who live on reserve.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klein|first=Seth|last2=Ivanova|first2=Iglika|last3=Leyland|first3=Andrew|date=Winter 2017|title=Long Overdue: Why BC Needs a Poverty Reduction Plan|url=https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2017/01/ccpa-bc_long-overdue-poverty-plan_web.pdf|journal=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives|volume=1|pages=44|via=JSTOR}}</ref> There are also higher concentrations of at risk Indigenous people within the [https://604now.com/vancouver-downtown-eastside/ Downtown Eastside] who lack access to secure housing and are more likely to have or are susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1068636/vancouvers-indigenous-people-are-again-heavily-overrepresented-among-citys-homeless|title=Vancouver's Indigenous People are Again Heavily Overrepresented Among the City's Homeless|last=Lupick|first=Travis|date=1 May 2018|website=Straight|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

Without the economic capacity to defend their rights and the barriers to essential living conditions, many communities find it difficult to re-build a foundation on which they can strive for self-determination and self-sufficiency. These communities are often forced to make a decision of agreeing to economic development on their land, which goes against their values, or facing tremendous risk of necessity insecurities such as food, water, or jobs. <blockquote>“Indigenous communities, particularly in places where there is significant pressure to develop natural resources, face tremendous imposed economic poverty. Billions of dollars of natural resources have been extracted from their territories, without their permission and without compensation. That’s the reality. We have not had the right to say no to development, because ultimately those communities are not seen as people, they are seen as resources. There is a huge need to clearly articulate alternative visions of how to build healthy, sustainable, local indigenous economies that benefit indigenous communities and respect our fundamental philosophies and values. The hyper-exploitation of natural resources is not the only approach. The first step to that is to stop seeing indigenous peoples and our homelands as free resources to be used at will however colonial society sees fit. If Canada is not interested in dismantling the system that forces poverty onto indigenous peoples, then I’m not sure Canadians, who directly benefit from indigenous poverty, get to judge the decisions indigenous peoples make, particularly when very few alternatives are present. Indigenous peoples do not have control over our homelands. We do not have the ability to say no to development on our homelands,"<ref name=":1" />-[https://www.leannesimpson.ca/about/ Leanne Simpson ''is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation.'']</blockquote>

=== Socio-economic Barriers ===
As identified by the Government of Canada as a vulnerable group, Indigenous people face numerous challenges relating to their socio-economic conditions that impact their ability to flourish within the Four Directions model.

==== Mental | Education and Employment ====
pg 14 without high school diploma

47% of Indigenous on reserve

28% of Indigenous off reserve

12% of non Indigenous

pg 15 unemployment rate (2011)

25.2 % Indigenous on reserve

17.8% Indigenous off reserve

7.5% non Indigenous

Non-Indigenous on average earn 2x more than Indigenous people on reserve and 1.3x than Indigenous people off reserve.
===== Spiritual | Health: Physical and Mental Well-being =====
pg 29

Higher rates of food insecurity in Indigenous women with Indigenous women having 3x more problems with food security compared to non-Indigenous women, and Indigenous men having 2x more problems than non-Indigenous.

====== Emotional | Safety and Security ======
pg 25- > 50% of First Nations living on reserves (2011) lived in housing below acceptable housing (affordable, large enough to accommodate family size, and adequate condition)

1/3 of households requires repairs or dealt with over-housing could not afford to relocate

pg 30

30% of Indigenous people report that they themselves or their household were victims of crime as compared to 19% of non-Indigenous.

Indigenous victims 160/1000 people | non Indigenous victims 74/ 1000 people

The cycle of health and well-being are tied to low income levels. Negative feedback look where mental health issues like depression and other risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and doing drugs are reinforced.

=== Potential Take Aways ===
There is a general consensus of First Nations Chiefs and Canadian policy researchers on improving health and well-being of community members as opposed to just improving "economic means" through pure money.<ref name=":0" /> Though shifting money towards social welfare programs that help alleviate the systemic injustices that are rooted in settler colonialism would be heavily beneficial as a small but beginning step. Social programs can greatly benefit and are proven to improve health and well-being outcomes.

=== Indigenous representation in the media ===
Prioritizing actions to increase well-being of Indigenous peoples through providing access to essential services and helping self-sufficiency efforts, are about closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, it is also about addressing the mainstream focus on the negative aspects of Indigenous communities. This wiki has been focused on addressing the lack of essential services and poverty within Indigenous communities but there is an acknowledgement to the reader to contextualize these understandings within the broader realms of varying Indigenous cultures, languages, arts, and histories. Due to the scope of the wiki and it's narrow focus, it can be difficult to showcase Indigenous communities in a completely nuanced and more broadened perspective but it must be addressed that poverty is not the norm and is not the defining factor of these communities. Indigenous communities are a lot more than statistics that are drawn up through a report. The overemphasis of negative representation of Indigenous communities is problematic as it can normalize understandings that are dangerous; in particular, stereotypical and racist beliefs towards Indigenous people. It is important to understand where opportunities fall short for Indigenous well-being through the use of statistics and economic standards. Policies can be shaped to better reflect the needs and desires of Indigenous communities, but it must always be taken with a grain of salt that these economic and statistical terms are not definitive; they are only one side to a very multi-dimensional story.

== Notes ==
<references />

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-26T06:32:28Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-26T05:47:28Z

XiYuanPang:

File:Four Directions Visual Model.png

2018-11-26T05:45:31Z

XiYuanPang: User created page with UploadWizard

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|date=2018-11-25
|source={{own}}
|author=[[User:XiYuanPang|XiYuanPang]]
|permission=
|other versions=
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=={{int:license-header}}==
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T18:36:48Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T18:20:03Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T07:40:36Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T07:00:51Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T06:39:36Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T05:59:09Z

XiYuanPang:

Democracy is a form of government regulation where rule is by the many.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Canadian Democracy 8th Ed.|last=Brooks|first=Stephen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> As a democratic state, Canada runs its political processes at three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal, with representation at each level of government striving to reflect the will of the majority of the people. The course of Canadian history has greatly shaped the methods in which citizens interact with the state and contribute to the policies of the country. In particular, the impacts of settler colonialism have

I will be identifying exclusion of Indigenous participation in Canadian democracy through specifically investigating the socio-economic factors of Indigenous communities. And how a lack of literal translation of these undeniable and human rights are missing for Indigenous people. How are the implications of participation limited through a lack of socio-economic stability? How does the systematic growth of factors that led to the creation of our nation, still create barriers for Indigenous people to have the same quality of life as other Canadians.

# What is democracy in Canada and how has it looked like?
# What are its implications in the colonial project?
# How does that manifest within Indigenous communities today?
# Closing the gap?

User talk:JayveeOng

2018-11-25T01:33:21Z

XiYuanPang: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:JayveeOng/Thoughts and comments on Neoliberalism and Inequality Page

2018-11-25T01:33:21Z

XiYuanPang: New thread: Thoughts and comments on Neoliberalism and Inequality Page

Dear Jayvee,

Your wiki contribution is extremely in depth and you bring a lot of great sources such as economists and examples like the Occupy movement to illustrate your points.

Though I took an economics course on inequality and love to read books about inequality, I definitely learned a bit more through your contribution. Furthermore, I like how well you connect the ideas of neoliberalism and inequality. You make it extremely effective for the reader to connect the dots through a very smooth transition between the different categories you highlight on your wiki page. You provided great context for your points and by setting up the historical significances of certain thinkers and how that impacts the economy/ inequalities, it's very clear and concise.

I'm not sure what I could provide to be constructive, but the graphs are wonderful examples for visual thinkers and I think they add more depth to your wiki contribution as well. I think the only thing I could say is that there are certain areas in the beginning where you could be more concise when introducing what inequality is. But other than that, this was such an interesting and intellectual read!

Thread:Talk:GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications/Narrowing down the topic/reply

2018-11-25T01:18:12Z

XiYuanPang: Reply to Narrowing down the topic

Dear Antonia,

Thanks so much for the feedback! I realized that I haven't been updating on here as much and instead working on a google doc but I definitely will be narrowing it down to looking at well-being in Indigenous communities instead of the previously broad topic above. I really appreciate the link and will be checking it out too!

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-25T01:16:34Z

XiYuanPang:

Cecilia Pang:

I will be identifying exclusion of Indigenous participation in Canadian democracy through specifically investigating the socio-economic factors of Indigenous communities. And how a lack of literal translation of these undeniable and human rights are missing for Indigenous people. How are the implications of participation limited through a lack of socio-economic stability? How does the systematic growth of factors that led to the creation of our nation, still create barriers for Indigenous people to have the same quality of life as other Canadians.

# What is democracy in Canada and how has it looked like?
# What are its implications in the colonial project?
# How does that manifest within Indigenous communities today?
# Closing the gap?

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-13T01:16:02Z

XiYuanPang:

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-10T21:11:36Z

XiYuanPang:

Cecilia Pang:

I will be identifying exclusion of Indigenous participation in Canadian democracy through specifically investigating the socio-economic factors of Indigenous communities. And how a lack of literal translation of these undeniable and human rights are missing for Indigenous people. How are the implications of participation limited through a lack of socio-economic stability? How does the systematic growth of factors that led to the creation of our nation, still create barriers for Indigenous people to have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as other Canadians.

GRSJ224

2018-11-10T21:08:04Z

XiYuanPang:

=== INTRODUCTION ===

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/xid-16358571_1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|+
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/Democracy_and_Indigenous_Implications Democracy and Indigenous Implications]

*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>
* [[Grsj224/neoliberalismandincomeinequality|Neoliberalism and Income Inequality]]

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>
* [[UBC Wiki:GRSJ224/disabilitiesanddesignerbabies|Disabilities and Designer Babies]]
* [[GRSJ224PoliticsinAbortion|The Politics Behind Abortion]]
* [[GRSJ224/AbortionInEasternEurope|Abortion In Eastern Europe]]
* [[Abortion Stigma]]

*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>
* * [[GRSJ224/Canadapointsystem]]

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>[https://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:GRSJ224/FeministPoliticalEcology Feminist Political Ecology]

[[GRSJ224/WomenintheSportsIndustry]]

[[GRSJ224/Women in ski jumping|GRSJ224/Women in Ski Jumping]]

[[GRSJ224/Feminist Archival Practice|Feminist Archival Practice]]

[[Female Protest Against the Sexual Violence]]

[[Public/social responses to sexual violence against women in North America]]

[[GRSJ224/Menstruation: Perspectives from India]]

*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>
* [[GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination|Racial Discrimination]]
* [[GRSJ224/sexualitydiscrimination]]
* [[User:VikramjeetSandhu|Immigrant Discrimination in Canada]]
* [[Discrimination Based on Colour]]
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
* [http://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/popularandpoliticalnarratives]Popular and Political Narratives

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

==== <span style="color:white">'''Medicalization'''</span> ====

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
|-
|Masculinity portrayed in the North American Media
* Impact of American Cultural Masculinity
|
* [[GRSJ224/medicalization of female sexuality|Medicalization of Female Sexuality]]
* [[GRSJ224/Medicalization of Female Ageing|Medicalization of Female Ageing]]
* Medicalization of Mental Health
|[[GRSJ224LGBTINISRAEL|LGBT in Israel]]
|
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]

GRSJ224/Democracy and Indigenous Implications

2018-11-10T21:02:29Z

XiYuanPang: Created page with " socio-economic factors within Indigenous communities the creation of a nation + democracy -> implications of participation by Indigenous people (in the sense of their abil..."

socio-economic factors within Indigenous communities

the creation of a nation + democracy -> implications of participation by Indigenous people (in the sense of their abilities to participate in democracy)