Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous is a collective term that encompasses the diversity of cultures within First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) Peoples in Canada, the original Peoples of the land now known as Canada. The term “Indigenous” acknowledges both commonalities and the diversity of cultures, histories, teachings, languages, and experiences between each group and nation. Indigenous Peoples experience homelessness at a hugely disproportionate rate. While making up only 5% of the Canadian population according to the 2021 census, 35% of homeless individuals identified as Indigenous during the 2020-2022 national Point-in-Time count. Because Indigenous people are also more likely to experience unsheltered and hidden homelessness, the actual rate of Indigenous homelessness is likely higher, as they are less likely to be counted. Other, older estimates place the rate of Indigenous homelessness in urban areas as high as 20-50% or even 11-96%!

Concepts of home and homelessness in Indigenous and settler cultures tend to be quite different, yet understandings and approaches to addressing homelessness in Canada often overlook this and draw solely on dominant settler definitions. Jesse Thistle, for example, states that, “Indigenous homelessness is not defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews. These include: individuals, families and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages and identities.” This means that responding to Indigenous homelessness strictly in terms of housing without addressing the need for cultural and spiritual connection can be inadequate and may even reproduce colonial dynamics and harms.

Housing conditions on reserves and in Metis and Inuit communities are often substandard, which puts pressure on people to leave their communities to secure housing and increases the risk of homelessness. According to a 2022 Statistics Canada report, 37.4% of First Nations people living on reserve are in housing that is in need of major repairs.

Homelessness among Indigenous Peoples can be traced back to historical trauma, oppression, racism, and discrimination. It should be considered as a consequence of the European colonization of North America and all the violence and exploitation that went with it. 

To give just two examples, significant abuse and cultural trauma occurred through the use of residential schools, which removed children from their families with the goal of erasing their language and culture. The last of these schools did not close until the 1990s. As well, the 60s Scoop – which saw 11,000 to 20,000 Indigenous children apprehended by the child welfare system and places with white families – broke up Indigenous families, resulting in lasting harm. These are just recent examples, but they occurred in a context where mass displacements, the destruction of whole communities, wars of subjugation and other atrocities had already been carried out in the centuries prior. Residential schools, the 60s Scoop, and other events led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada to describe Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples as not only cultural genocide but actual genocide.

Individual and community issues (including familial dysfunction, substance use, addictions, health issues, and violence) are some of the causes of homelessness, which can be directly linked to these historical traumas. Indigenous Peoples also face structural factors that can lead to homelessness, such as structural racism, migration from on-reserve to urban centres, racism, landlord discrimination, low educational attainment, criminalization, and unemployment. The third cause of homelessness is systems failures, which affect Indigenous Peoples in many ways, including through overrepresentation in the criminal justice and prison systems and child welfare systems. Involvement in both of these systems are risk factors for homelessness.

Preventing homelessness among Indigenous Peoples in Canada necessitates a holistic and culturally sensitive approach that recognizes the deep-rooted historical traumas, systemic inequities, and unique cultural perspectives that shape their experiences. Crucial to this effort is ensuring access to safe and affordable housing in Indigenous communities and addressing the substandard housing conditions on reserves and in Métis and Inuit communities. Additionally, it requires initiatives that empower Indigenous communities to develop culturally appropriate support systems, such as healing and wellness programs, to address the impacts of historical trauma and promote mental and emotional well-being. Equitable educational opportunities, job training, and employment support are vital in reducing the structural barriers that contribute to homelessness. Moreover, measures to combat systemic racism, discrimination, and overrepresentation in the criminal justice and child welfare systems are essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples is a key principle in the prevention of homelessness, as is recognizing the importance of restoring connections to land, culture, and communityin achieving housing stability for Indigenous individuals and families.