Aboriginal Education & Health in Canada

It is well understood that Aboriginal people living in Canada are burdened with health disparities relative to non-Aboriginal Canadians on most measures of health and well-being (McNally & Martin, 2017). From experiencing higher rates of infant mortality, injuries and suicide as youth, along with mental illness, addictions, and chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes as adults, Canada's Aboriginal population is vulnerable across the lifespan (Greenwood & de Leeuw, 2012; Key Health Inequalities in Canada, 2018). Of the 94 Calls to Action from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015), seven fall under the category of health. While progressing on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) health oriented calls to action is likely to improve the healthcare Canada's Aboriginal population receives along with its overall health, focusing on the seven calls alone will not close the gap in health between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Fortunately, progress in other TRC priorities such as education-based calls to action will also help to close the Aboriginal health gap. The fact that Aboriginal Canadians experience higher levels of morbidity and mortality on a declining socioeconomic gradient highlights the significant impact that social determinants of health have on Aboriginal peoples (Government of Canada, 2018a). Take education attainment for example – a key ingredient in the recipe for socioeconomic status. Among 25-34 year olds, high school attainment rates are considerably lower for Aboriginals at 72% compared to 92% for non-Aboriginal Canadians (The Conference Board of Canada, n.d.). The Government of Canada (2018b) reports that 48.4% of Aboriginal peoples have a post-secondary qualification compared to 64.7% of Canada's non-Aboriginal population. A closer look at post-secondary qualifications shows that attainment of trades certifications, college diplomas, and university certificates and diplomas are similar between the two populations; whereas, attainment of a bachelor level university degree is considerably lower among Aboriginal peoples, at 9.8 %, compared to 26.5% for non-Aboriginals. While efforts are required to close the educational gap across all levels of learning, it is clear that priority areas within this body of work are high school and bachelor level university degree attainment.

Intentional efforts to improve Aboriginal education attainment rates is a high impact TRC call to action. Along with narrowing the Aboriginal education gap, improved Aboriginal education attainment rates will help to address the population's socioeconomic and overall health related vulnerabilities. Further, progress made in education attainment may also serve as a catalyst for increasing Aboriginal representation in health-related post-secondary programming and ultimately the health sector, another priority area in the TRC's calls to action.

References:

Government of Canada. (2018, November 14a). Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait – Executive Summary - Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/science-research-data/key-health-inequalities-canada-national-portrait-executive-summary.html

Government of Canada. (2018, July 25b). The educational attainment of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/99-012-x2011003_3-eng.cfm

Greenwood M.L., & de Leeuw S.N. (2012). Social determinants of health and the future well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada. Pediatric Child Health; 17(7): 381–84. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3448539/

Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait – Executive Summary - Canada.ca. (2018). https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/science-research-data/key-health-inequalities-canada-national-portrait-executive-summary.html

McNally, M., & Martin, D. (2017). First Nations, Inuit and Métis health: Considerations for Canadian health leaders in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report. Healthcare management forum, 30(2), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0840470416680445

The Conference Board of Canada. (n.d.). High School Attainment. https://conferenceboard.ca/hcp/provincial/education/highschool.aspx#:~:text=Among%2025%E2%80%9334%20year%20olds%20who%20identified%20as%20Aboriginal%2C,was%20recorded%20for%20Manitoba%2C%20at%2064%20per%20cent.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 94 Calls to Action. https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf