Current Issues
Mural in Comox, Canada
Overall, the social, health and economic conditions for Indigenous peoples from around the world and from varying historical, geographic and cultural contexts, are significantly below the national levels (Cooke, Mitrou, Lawrence, Guimond, & Beavon, 2007, p.2). Some of the concerning current health and social issues or conditions experienced at notably high rates by Indigenous peoples include:
It needs to be noted that overall high rates of these issues does not mean that they should be used to overgeneralize all Indigenous peoples as having such experiences. Recognition of these experiences is not meant to stereotype all Indigenous peoples. Rather, it is to create an awareness that there are significant issues that are being experienced at disproportionately higher rates amongst Indigenous populations in multicultural societies where cultural diversity is supposed to be respected and equity is to be strived for.
- Premature or infant mortality (Cass, 2004, p.597). In Canada, the infant mortality rate among Indigenous peoples is almost twice the rate of in the rest of the Canadian population and in Australia, Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders are 2.5 to 3.5 times more likely to die before their first birthday than non-Indigenous Australians (Kermode-Scott, 2009, p. b3179).
- Smoking, alcohol and substance abuse (Cooke et al., 2007, p.2; Cass, 2004, p.597).
- Poor nutrition, obesity and Type II diabetes (Cooke et al., 2007, p.2; Cass, 2004, p.597).
- Death by suicide (Cooke et al., 2007, p.2; Ringel, 2005, p.42). Indigenous peoples experience higher rates of suicide in comparison to the Canadian national average rate and Indigenous children in Canada are 5 to 6 times more likely to commit suicide than non-Indigenous children (Lynch, 2001, p.504).
- Poverty, unemployment, substandard housing and homelessness (Cooke et al., 2007, p.2; Ringel, 2005, p.41; Bombay, Matheson & Anisman, 2011, p.368).
- Child welfare interventions (Ringel, 2005, p.41). For example, while Indigenous children make up roughly only 2.7 percent of all Australian children, they comprise about 20 percent of the children who are placed in child welfare care and it is estimated that Indigenous children are up to 10 times more likely to be involved in the child welfare system than non-Indigenous children in Australia (Lynch, 2001, p.504).
- Incarceration (Ringel, 2005, p.42). For example, it has been found that Indigenous men in Canada are 11 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous men (Ringel, 2005, p.42).
- Shorter life expectancies when compared with non-Indigenous populations (Cooke et al., 2007, p.5).
- Experiences of racism and discrimination (Ringel, 2005, p.43).
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses (Bombay, Matheson & Hymie, 2009).
It needs to be noted that overall high rates of these issues does not mean that they should be used to overgeneralize all Indigenous peoples as having such experiences. Recognition of these experiences is not meant to stereotype all Indigenous peoples. Rather, it is to create an awareness that there are significant issues that are being experienced at disproportionately higher rates amongst Indigenous populations in multicultural societies where cultural diversity is supposed to be respected and equity is to be strived for.