Canadian Aboriginal Housing

Title:    Canadian Aboriginal Housing
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Thesis statement
The purpose of this paper is to view the history of housing for the Aboriginal Canadians both Off- Reserve and On -Reserve and how it is relevant to the current Aboriginal housing policy.
History of the Aboriginal housing in Canada
Urban native housing: off-reserve
After the end of the Second World War, many of the returning aboriginal solders chose to stay in urban areas reason being that a good number of First Nation men had given up their status so that they could join the Canadian forces. Moreover, in 1951 changes were made to the Indian act so as to enable the indigenous Indians to obtain a pass to leave their reserves without asking for permission. This was a main factor together with the changing economies on reserves that contributed to the relocation of more and more Indians from the reserve areas into urban and non-reserve areas in search of better opportunities such as; employment, housing and education. As a result of linguistics, social, cultural, economic differences and racism majority of the indigenous people ended up being relegated to the housing conditions that were worse in the cities.
According to Lange & Skelton majority of the elderly people of the aboriginal origin often found themselves displaced due to their movements from the rural reserves to urban settings (2010,P.71). Majority of them often moved to urban settings for the purpose of medical checkups but became the victims` of already existing fragile support systems. Responsibilities for their needs were not catered for properly in relation to housing as it was not assigned clearly to governments or band organizations within the current neoliberal climate policy. Some of the elderly people moved in with their families or friends while others secured for themselves units in non-profits areas whereas others resided in single roomed occupancy hotels or rooming houses. From the preliminary research carried out, it has been concluded that many of those who moved to off reserve areas always lived in unhealthy and unsafe environments.
According to Fallis (2010), the significance of adequate, suitable and affordable housing often represents a basis on which the wellbeing of an individual is built. Even though many people residing in Canada enjoy the comfort of high housing standards, several groups are still in dire housing need.
On- Reserve Housing
Until the late1940s and early 1950s, indigenous people were self-sufficient in terms of housing and making their living at large. Due to the scarcity and contamination of game and fish reserves, families in remote areas were forced to settle in villages, which resulted to inadequacy of housin...