Challenges for First Nation Communities
The Chiefs in Ontario (CIO) recognizes 133 First Nation communities within the province. One in four of 
these communities is accessible only by air year-round, or by air and ice road in the winter. Life in these communities is very different from what other Canadians may be used to.
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Poverty reduces the ability of some Aboriginal people to fulfill their basic needs. That ability plummets further when disaster strikes (such as flooding or forest fires). An estimated 80% of Aboriginal people living on reserves have an income of less than $30,000 per year.
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The child poverty rate for non-Aboriginal children in Canada is 15%. The poverty rate for Aboriginal children is almost 30%. Living in poverty has shown to result in poorer health conditions, over-crowded housing, lower educational attainment, increased risk of deviant behaviour, depression and other emotional problems and a higher instance of family dysfunction.
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Injuries are the greatest single cause of death for Aboriginal people under 45 in Canada, a much higher rate than in the general Canadian population.
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Drowning is the second most common cause of death among all Aboriginal people. In some communities boating-related drownings exceed the number of motor vehicle fatalities.
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First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth are disproportionately vulnerable to abuse. Nearly 40% of First Nations children living on reserve had experienced exposure to family violence.
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The overall suicide rate among First Nation communities is about twice that of the Canadian population. Aboriginal youth are 5 to 6 times more likely to die of suicide than their peers in the general population.
The Canadian Red Cross has expertise in many of these areas - including Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness, Violence and Abuse Prevention, Swimming and Water Safety and First Aid & CPR.
