The head of the Assembly of First Nations says the high prison incarceration rates of Indigenous people are a direct result of the under funding of Aboriginal education.
Shawn Atleo was speaking before the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples in Ottawa last week.
He says one way to reduce high Aboriginal incarceration rates would be for the federal government to fund First Nations students living on-reserve at levels equal to what students in provincial educational systems receive.
“It is more cost effective to open the door to a school than close the door to a jail cell,” he says. “Right now, we have higher incarceration rates among our young people in some cases than we do graduation rates. It’s been acknowledged and well regarded and understood that First Nations young learners are under funded compared to learners in mainstream Canadian society.”
Atleo also told the committee the federal government needs to allow First Nations people to take control of their own justice systems.
The topic of discussion was the federal government’s constitutional and legal responsibilities to Aboriginal people.