Indigenous peoples of Canada: key indicators of the current stage of socioeconomic development

Abstract

The subject of this research is the socioeconomic situation of the indigenous peoples of Canada at the present stage of their development. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of such key socioeconomic indicators as life expectancy of the representatives of indigenous population, employment and unemployment rate, average annual income, level of secondary and higher education, command of native language, etc. An attempt is made to determine the major factors of socioeconomic development, measures of state support, as well as the existing problems and future prospects. The author notes correlation between the modernization of education of indigenous peoples and preservation of their languages and cultural traditions. Since the early 2000s, the socioeconomic situation of indigenous peoples of Canada has somewhat improved, considering high rate of population growth, as well as slight minimization of the gap with nonindigenous Canadians such key indicators as life expectancy, employment rate, level of education, and average annual income. First and foremost, it pertains to the indigenous peoples outside Indian reservations and Mestizo. The situation with indigenous peoples in Indian reservations and the Inuit remains complicated. Majority of the problems that slow down the pace of socioeconomic development are associated namely with these groups of indigenous peoples. In economic terms, there is a noticeable increase of self-employment among the indigenous population, the development of aboriginal tourism. Positive changes are associated with popularization of the indigenous culture, which ultimately leads to the fact that more and more of the indigenous people in the country seek to legitimize their descent. Considering a significant share of young representatives of indigenous population, the government of Canada takes measures on the development of new programs in the sphere of education and employment, which are aimed not only at improving the quality of life of the indigenous peoples, but also at preserving their ethnocultural heritage.