Journal of Sociology and Social Work

Domicide and Indigenous Homelessness1 in Canada
Mary Ellen Donnan

Abstract
The willful destruction of homes has been and continues to be a frequent practice of the federal government upon Indigenous people in Canada despite devastating harm this practices causes to people whose homes are lost. Not only are Indigenous Canadians removed from their homes and pushed off their lands, in cases like those of the James Bay Cree and the Lubicon Lake Cree the governments who were supposed to negotiate land surrenders have not negotiated with nor consulted about environmental destruction of the traditional homelands of those people. Indigenous people are bearing the consequences of environmental abuse with health problems and poverty. Data on housing conditions of Indigenous Canadians shows that both on reserves and in urban centers Indigenous people have more housing problems and higher levels of absolute homelessness than do other Canadians. Resolving these issues requires nation-to-nation negotiation between the Indigenous people and the various orders of government in Canada. United Nations standards from the International Covenant on the Rights of Indigenous People would suggest that fair compensations should be made to populations whose lands were taken.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v4n2a5