Jobs a priority for native affairs ministers and leaders

Federal, territorial and provincial native affairs ministers met last week in Ottawa with the leaders of five national native groups to discuss ways of lowering native unemployment rates.

The ministers and leaders reviewed a report from the recent national aboriginal youth conference, and they promised to:

• Establish a working group to study the report and develop an action plan based on it;

• Find new ways to get native women and youth into the labour force; and

• Plan for a national business summit of government, native and private sector representatives aimed at strengthening native participation in the economy.

The priorities of the National Inuit Youth Council include maintaining Inuit culture and language, having better access to education and preventing suicide and other social ills.

But the native affairs ministers and leaders have decided to concentrate on ways to lower native youth unemployment rates first.

Natives aged 15 to 24 are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-native youth.

“We’re not trying to steer away from particular issues, we’re just tackling them one at a time, trying to make progress,” said Indian Affairs Minister Bob Nault.

The ministers and leaders also discussed how to improve the overall employment rates for native people.

They announced Toronto will host a major business bash in 2002. The summit will showcase investment opportunities on Canada’s 600 First Nations, promote native business success stories and encourage employers to hire more native workers.

The ministers plan to meet again by June 2002 in Iqaluit.

According to the federal government, however, Quebec won’t sign on to the federal approach taken by the ministers and leaders.

“Quebec intends to find solutions to the problems faced by young Aboriginals within its own policy directions and mechanisms,” a press release said.