‘The foundation of our community’: cultural restoration, reclaiming children and youth in an indigenous community

Abstract

Ongoing impacts of colonialism and displacement, cultural erasure and economic marginalization have contributed to the reality of indigenous youth in Canada being pushed into activities that place them at high risk for contact with the criminal justice system (Samuelson and Monture-Angus 2002). This is through actual engagement in criminal activities, including involvement with gangs, drug abuse and interpersonal violence. It also relates to the extensive policing of indigenous communities and the fact that, in Canada, indigenous youths are more likely than non-indigenous youths to be incarcerated and for longer periods for their offences (Roberts and Melchers 2003; O'Grady 2007). The chances that a 16-year-old treaty-status indigenous boy will wind up in prison at least once by age 25 is 70%, while likelihood of the same for a non-native youth is 8% (Collis 2005, Samuelson and Monture-Angus 2002). Even more, indigenous youth are being arrested earlier than non-indigenous youth (Smandych et al. 1995; O'Grady 2007). In addition, the recidivism rates among indigenous groups are higher than among non-indigenous communities (Proulx 2000). The combined impact of suicide, early deaths and imprisonment mean that many indigenous, especially Northern, communities are left to exist virtually childless. The pain and havoc such experiences leave in their wake cannot even begin to be quantified.

Keywords:

• indigenous and non-indigenous youth
• criminality
• arrest and imprisonment rates
• suicide
• community childlessness