Source: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Summary: Considerations for Engagement with Indigenous People
It is important to acknowledge the experience of Indigenous People in Canada if we are to truly end youth homelessness, particularly in light of their consistent overrepresentation in vulnerable populations. Indigenous homelessness is notably different; the structural and systemic determinants associated with colonialism, the Indian Act, treaty making, residential schools, and the Sixties Scoop have resulted in considerable discriminatory impacts that are in fact intergenerational.
A sense of being homeless can be experienced from diverse perspectives: cultural, spiritual or emotional. It is more than a loss of housing. The impact of colonization, residential schooling, intergenerational trauma, ongoing discrimination and racism in Canadian society has contributed to the ongoing systematic marginalization of Indigenous People, including Indigenous youth.