Many of the First Nations children are greatly affected by the fact of their parents attending residential schools, so the parent’s don’t know how to raise their children. Residential schools were supposed to educate First Nation peoples but it was a false statement by the government. One of the sad truths of the state of Canada’s First Nations children is that 60% of them, on reserves, live in poverty! Another sad fact is that indigenous children, in Canada, are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than non-indigenous kids. Also, the poverty, on reserves, is fuelling a suicide crisis.

A reason why 60% of First Nations children live in poverty is because of family violence. That’s when family violence leads to educational failure which leads to poverty. Another reason is that many first nations children’s parents are not employed. Furthermore, poverty, on reserves, is causing the First Nations children and teens to commit suicide. Also, First Nations children and teens, living in poverty, are trying alcohol.

The mortality rate of first Nations Children, in Canada, is high. The mortality rate will keep growing, if millions of kilograms of toxic chemicals continue to be discharged into our air. The way First Nations children absorb these environmental exposures are through 3 different pathways: ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. Furthermore, children are at higher risk than adults, because of their immature organs and body systems.

We know that residential schools, back then, were government-sponsored religious schools, established to assimilate indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. The objective of the Canadian government and the administering churches was to “educate” Aboriginal children, to, explicitly, damage the Aboriginal culture.

Lastly, I believe the governments of all provinces should, at least, make an effort to stop poverty for the First Nations children living on reserves. That is what I believe. This is the sad truth. This is the state of First Nations children in Canada.