With the recession creeping into full swing in Canada, the Assembly of First Nations recently commissioned a major new study on The State of the First Nation Economy and the results have just been released.
The study was prepared independently for the Assembly of First Nations by a panel of academics specializing in Aboriginal economic and social issues. The findings were released at Inter-Nation Trade and Economic Summit in Toronto on Monday, March 9.
National Chief Phil Fontaine expressed extreme concern for the Aboriginal people of Canada. Even though there are many success stories within the nation, Aboriginal individuals are still more vulnerable than the general population.
“Housing, clean water, and other infrastructure shortages abound, especially in the more isolated communities. This paper states that fragmentation and other shortcomings in federal policy and programs need to be addressed immediately,” said Fontaine.
