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Aboriginal and Northern Profile

Related Links Community Profiles Aboriginal People in Manitoba 2000 Manitoba's Aboriginal Community: A 2001-2026 Population and Demographic Profile (pdf) Department of Indian and Northern Affairs: Search by First Nation First Nations Profiles

The Aboriginal and northern communities served by Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs include some of the most disadvantaged in the province as illustrated by numerous social and economic indicators.

The 2001 census reports 150,050 Aboriginal Manitobans. This represents 13.6% of all Manitobans and 15.4% of all the Aboriginal people in Canada. Winnipeg has a significantly larger Aboriginal population that any other Canadian city. Aboriginals are the fastest growing ethnic group. Relevant facts about the Aboriginal population include the following:

• The Aboriginal population is very young with 36% under 15 years (compared to 18.9% share of the non-Aboriginal population in Manitoba). In 2001 Aboriginal children accounted for one in four of all Manitoba children under 15 years. The median age for Aboriginal people is about 23 as compared to about 39 in the non-Aboriginal population. This difference has some serious and immediate labour market implications.
• The employed to population ratio for Aboriginal Manitoba's 15 years and older was reported at 47.8% in the 2001 census compared to 63.3% for all Manitoba's in that age group. This compares to the employed to population in 1996 at 40%.
• Unemployment has decreased by 25% (from 25.5% to 19%) between 1996 and 2001. Nonetheless Aboriginal people in Manitoba had an unemployment rate four times the non-Aboriginal unemployment rate (19.0% vs 4.7%) in 2001. At the same time Aboriginal people are increasingly entering the workforce (54% in 1996 compared to 59% in 2001) but their participation rate is still considerably lower than the non Aboriginal rate of 68.4%.
• There are higher hospital and medical utilization rates among the Aboriginal population. These rates are estimated to be two or three times the rates for other Manitobans.
• Aboriginal people are more likely to be victims of crime and represent a significant proportion of those involved with the justice system at all levels.
• Aboriginal children are more likely to live in poverty and are more likely to be in the child welfare system.
• Manitoba's north covers more than 560,000 square kilometers and includes 82 percent of Manitoba's total area. This is approximately the size of countries such as the United Kingdom and France with only a small fraction of their populations.
• Northern Manitoba reflects both new and traditional lifestyles, where businesses operate alongside activities such as fishing and trapping.
• Northern Manitoba has over 81,000 residents, of which 65% are Aboriginal.
• The Department of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs has responsibility for providing municipal services to 50 communities under The Northern Affairs Act, as well as general coordination of services to northern Manitoba.
• The fifty communities within The Northern Affairs Act have a total population of 7,166 according to the 2001 census.
• Issues of access to basic community infrastructure and service, adequate housing, formal education, skilled labour are common.
• 14 Northern Affairs communities are not served by all weather roads.
• A large number of these residents are not served by water and sewer lines.
• The total tax levy for 2002 for the 50 communities designated under the Northern Affairs Act was $2.17 million based on an assessed property value of $178,517,700.

Challenges for northern and Aboriginal communities include:

• Geographic isolation
• Transportation
• Communication
• Networking
• Access to basic essential services
• Employment opportunities
• Infrastructure
• Social conditions
• Access to education