Nearly half of First Nations people off-reserve say rising prices impact ability to meet expenses

In a new Statistics Canada survey, 49 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve, 44 per cent of Métis and 44 per cent of Inuit who responded reported rising prices affected their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. 

The data from the Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit, collected from Aug. 30 to Sept. 22, 2024 focused on the impacts of rising prices on Indigenous people aged 15 and older. The voluntary online survey had 801 respondents who were First Nations people living off-reserve, 672 Métis, 404 Inuit, and 27 respondents who identified with more than one group.

Betsy Kennedy, acting grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said in a statement last Friday that the findings confirmed what they already knew.

"Our people are being left behind as the cost of living surges; First Nations families are struggling to afford food, housing, and transportation," she said in the statement.

"This is unacceptable, and immediate, First Nations-led solutions are needed."

The report says close to half of First Nations people living off-reserve (45 per cent) and Métis (44 per cent), and more than half of Inuit (54 per cent) reported that it was "difficult" or "very difficult" in the past year to meet their financial expenses.

Younger people were more likely to report that rising prices were affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses "a lot" than their older counterparts: 58 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve ages 24-44 versus 25 per cent of people living off-reserve 65 and older, and 51 per cent of Métis ages 24-44 versus 26 per cent of those 65 and older.

The report said younger adults tend to be disproportionately impacted because they face increased living costs compared to older households, such as housing and child care.

Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said it provides services for its senior citizens, like trying to help cover medical transportation, ambulance, medical accommodation and pharmacy costs.

"It's the bits and pieces here and there, from different sectorial fields. It takes away the end cost for them. So they can actually buy more food, buy more personal needs," Chartrand said.

Rising prices mean added stress

Almost half of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, (49 per cent) reported rising prices were affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses, compared to 39 per cent of Inuit living outside Inuit Nunangat. 

Nearly one-fifth of respondents reported their household was "very likely" to rely on community organizations for food, meals or grocery vouchers in the next six months: 18 per cent of off-reserve First Nations respondents, 18 per cent of Metis and 22 per cent of Inuit. 

Kevin Walker, executive director of Bear Clan Patrol Inc., a community organization in Winnipeg, says he sees the growing need in the city's neighbourhoods.

"Even when we had our food hamper program running, we were able to get out donations at the door, there was always easily 400 to 500 people a day coming to the door," he said.

"I can imagine all these other organizations that give out hampers or food or resources like that are probably maxed all out."

Around 60 per cent of First Nations off-reserve, Métis and Inuit respondents reported rising prices added to the amount of stress in their household and relationships during the past six months.

Fourteen per cent of Métis respondents, 17 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve, and 32 per cent of Inuit reported rising costs of things like gasoline, ammunition, or equipment hindered their ability to collect food by trapping, hunting, or fishing.

Over half of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat (52 per cent) reported that rising prices limited their ability to hunt, trap and fish, compared to Inuit living outside Inuit Nunangat (12 per cent).

The Manitoba Inuit Association and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami did not respond to requests for comment by time of publishing.