Mr. Speaker, as a testament to the commitment toward reconciliation which the Prime Minister made in his historic statement of apology for Indian residential schools, this government continues to make key investments in mental health and addictions programs for all first nations and Inuit. We have taken clear action to help aboriginal children and their families in areas of priority concern, such as youth suicide and addictions treatment and prevention.
Canadians enjoy a relatively high standard of health and well-being, but this is too often not the reality for aboriginal communities. Many of the small communities are remote and isolated and have populations of less than 1,000. Some are accessible only by air. Aboriginal communities are also dealing with socio-economic realities, such as poverty and high unemployment rates.
On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister made a historic apology before the House and all Canadians for the sad reality that for more than a century very young children were often forcibly removed from their homes and placed in Indian residential schools in order to isolate them from what was thought to be inferior influences of their families, traditions and cultures.
These children were not allowed to practise their culture or speak their language. Some were physically and sexually abused and many were inadequately fed, clothed and housed. All were deprived of the care and nurturing of their parents and communities.
Not surprisingly, such tragic social disruption coupled with considerable socio-economic challenges have had negative impacts on the health and mental well-being of communities and their members, particularly the youth. Some aboriginal people have higher rates of binge drinking, alcohol-related hospitalization and almost double the number of deaths.
Even more distressing are the aboriginal suicide rates which are among the highest in the world. First nations rates are three to six times the national average and Inuit rates 11 times higher. Unlike suicide rates for non-aboriginal people, rates of aboriginal suicide are highest among youth. Indeed, injury and suicide are the leading causes of death for aboriginal youth.
Helping young people and preventing aboriginal youth suicide continues to be a priority. Aboriginal youth under 20 years of age account for over 40% of the aboriginal population and this percentage is rising. The health of these youth very literally represent the future health of aboriginal communities.
In the House less than one month ago, the hon. Minister of Finance tabled a budget which included nearly $1 billion in investments for aboriginal people. This included $285 million over two years to renew critical aboriginal health programs, including the national aboriginal youth prevention strategy.
Through this investment, over 200 community-based aboriginal youth suicide prevention projects will continue to be funded. Communities will be able to better respond to crises and important research will take place in order that we can better understand how to respond to this complex health and social challenge.
We understand that traumatic events exact an enormous physiological and psychological toll on the people who experience them and often have ramifications that must be endured for decades. That is why we continue to invest in programs that are critical to the long-term health and well-being of first nations and Inuit.
This government funds over $200 million annually to support a range of first nations and Inuit mental health and addictions programs, from mental health promotion to addictions and suicide prevention, to counselling and other crisis response services, treatment and after-care programs.
The national native alcohol and drug abuse program is another example of a community-based and locally controlled program. The national native alcohol and drug abuse program is also recognized as a leader in incorporating community, cultural and holistic approaches into addictions prevention and treatment programming.
Under Canada's national anti-drug strategy, our government is investing $30.5 million over five years in addiction services for first nations and Inuit, and $9.1 million ongoing to increase service effectiveness, to serve more people through new investments in outreach, outpatient and innovative approaches such as mental wellness teams and to improve service quality.
This work to increase effectiveness of addiction services to serve more people and to improve service quality, with an emphasis on services for first nations youth and their families, is being led by a partnership between Health Canada, the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, and the Assembly of First Nations.
It is being driven from the ground up. Communities, families and individuals are having a direct say in what improvements need to be made to the national native alcohol and drug abuse program. Recognizing the diversity among first nations communities, this process is not taking a one-size-fits-all approach but is allowing communities to identify their needs, build on their unique strengths, and have access to the best knowledge and local, national and international evidence to influence the programs they run.
This government takes seriously its responsibilities to support aboriginal communities to address their mental health and addictions priorities. Whether it be by funding important youth aboriginal suicide prevention projects in communities in every province and territory or providing funding to make long-standing services more responsive to current needs and better aligned with the best evidence, this government understands that ongoing action is required.
Canada is also considered a world leader in terms of some innovative and proven aboriginal programs. Take, for instance, the national youth solvent abuse program, which is recognized internationally as an extremely effective and holistic interdisciplinary treatment program. These youth-only treatment centres have established success rates of between 75% and 85%, which is uncharacteristically high even among the world's best treatment programs.
Research clearly points to a number of serious mental health and addictions challenges faced by Canada's aboriginal people. The lasting negative impacts of the experience that many aboriginal people had with Indian residential schools continues to affect many former students, their children and grandchildren.
That is why we continue to invest in first nations and Inuit mental health and addictions programs, supporting communities, families and individuals to recover from the traumas they have suffered, in order to support their full participation in Canadian society.
