Statistics Canada Launches 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey

January 16, 2017 (Ottawa, ON)

Today, Statistics Canada announced the commencement of the 5th cycle of the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS). The survey collects information about First Nations people living off-reserve as well as Métis and Inuit people living throughout Canada.

This year’s theme, “Building Sustainable Futures,” focuses on the education and employment of Aboriginal people aged 15 years and over. Information will be gathered on health, language, income, housing, and mobility. Previous cycles of the APS collected data in 1991, 2001, 2006, and 2012 on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of Aboriginal populations.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada encourages Aboriginal women who are selected to take the survey to participate, as it provides valuable insights into the employment, skills and training, education, and health of Aboriginal women. This information helps inform policy and programming activities that are aimed at improving the well-being of Aboriginal peoples and is an important source of information for a variety of stakeholders including Aboriginal organizations, communities, service providers, researchers, governments, and the general public.

APS collection takes place between January and June 2017. A Statistics Canada interviewer will be contacting approximately 48,000 First Nations people living off-reserve, as well as Métis and Inuit people, either by telephone or in person. Selection is based on who identified themselves as an Aboriginal or as having Aboriginal ancestry in the 2016 Census of Population for Statistics Canada. The results of the survey will be available in the fall of 2018.

Interim NWAC President Francyne D. Joe describes the numbers resulting from these surveys as “a powerful tool for understanding the needs of individuals and communities. NWAC regularly employs statistics when providing recommendations to the House of Commons, to Committees, and anytime we’re asked to lend our expertise. I urge anyone who is given the opportunity to take the survey to help us get an idea of how existing programs are functioning and which new services, programs, community health and social services, and economic opportunities are necessary to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal women and their communities.”

The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations and Métis women within First Nation, Métis and Canadian societies. As a national organization representing Aboriginal women since 1974, NWAC's mandate is to achieve equality for all Aboriginal women in Canada.

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Media Contact:

For information, or to arrange an interview, contact:

Roselie LeBlanc
media@nwac-canada.ca

604-928-3233

Pour obtenir plus d’information ou prendre des dispositions pour une interview, contacter:

Roselie LeBlanc
media@nwac-canada.ca

604-928-3233