Child Poverty Is A Tragedy

Whether it involves children on the rez or children of non-indians but I have to ask Marie Wadden where do the billions we allocate to indian affairs each year go, where does the money given to settle land claims go and where does the money generated by indian run casinos go. Also Marie and others like her milk the failures but we never hear about the success stories and accomplishments of indians.

Taking aim at aboriginal poverty
Nov. 24, 2006. 05:40 AM
LOUISE BROWN
EDUCATION REPORTER

Make Poverty History — the übercool global movement made famous by Bono, white wristbands and the Live-8 concerts for the world's poorest countries — is turning its spotlight on the poverty rampant among Canada's aboriginal communities.

At a national aboriginal festival today, Canada's Make Poverty History officials will join with the Assembly of First Nations to push Ottawa to end the despair for many of this country's 750,000 aboriginal people. "Internationally, Canada's reputation is damaged by the living conditions of aboriginal people, but it need not be that way," said co-ordinator Dennis Howlett.

The groups want Ottawa to follow up on suggestions made 10 years ago by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and the Liberal government's $5-billion pledge last year.

One in four aboriginal children in Canada is growing up poor, warns a report to be released today by another watchdog — and in Canada at large, it is one in six.

Unless Ottawa starts steering funds to child care, housing and support for native communities, the gap between rich and poor will continue to grow, says a Campaign 2000 report.

"It's outrageous that the government's GST cut is estimated to reduce federal revenue by about $5.3 billion... almost the entire cost of eliminating child poverty in Canada," said co-ordinator Laurel Rothman.

Rather than the tax measures unveiled yesterday by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Rothman said Canada's children need programs "that not only lift families out of poverty, but prevent them from being poor in the first place."

Decades of living on the edge have led to a cycle of addiction and suicide in the aboriginal community. Finding ways out is proving to be a hit-and-miss proposition. Marie Wadden, winner of the 2005 Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy, examines the issue in Saturday's Star.