Aboriginal Peoples: Fact Sheet for Saskatchewan
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About the data sources
The 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) and the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) are the main data sources for this fact sheet. The 2011 NHS collected social and economic data about the Canadian population. The 2012 APS was a national survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit aged 6 and older. The data are for the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation. It was possible to report both single and multiple responses to the Aboriginal identity questions on the NHS and the APS. The NHS data in this fact sheet are based on single responses only. The APS data represent a combination of the single and multiple Aboriginal identity populations. Nearly all off-reserve First Nations, Métis, and Inuit respondents reported a single identity.
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One in ten Aboriginal people in Canada live in Saskatchewan
- Numbering 157,740,Note 1 11% of the Aboriginal identity population in Canada lived in Saskatchewan in 2011. They made up 16% of the total population of that province.
- Almost four in ten Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan resided in Saskatoon (15%), Regina (13%) and Prince Albert (10%). While they represented nearly 10% of the total populations living in each of Saskatoon and Regina, they made up 39% of the total population of Prince Albert and 22% of the population of North Battleford.
- Saskatchewan was home to 103,205 First Nations people, 52,450 Métis, and 290 Inuit,Note 2 with the rest reporting otherNote 3 Aboriginal identities (1,120) or more than one Aboriginal identity (670). From 2006 to 2011, the First Nations population in Saskatchewan increased by 13%, while the Métis population rose by 9%, and the Inuit population increased by 37%.Note 4
- Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2011, nine in ten (91% or 94,155) reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada. Over half (53% or 54,950) of all First Nations people (57% of First Nations people who were Treaty or Registered Indians, or 53,940 individuals) lived on a reserve.
Aboriginal population younger than non-Aboriginal
- Over half (54%) of Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan were under the age of 25, compared with 30% of the non-Aboriginal population. Six in ten First Nations people (58%) were in this age group (a percentage that was the same for both the on- and off-reserve populations), as were 45% of Métis.
- In 2011, the median age of First Nations people living on a reserve was 20.6, while that of the off-reserve population was 20.2. Métis had a median age of 28.0. Both groups were younger than the non-Aboriginal population, whose median age was 40.9.
Four in ten Aboriginal children live with both parents
- In Saskatchewan, 37% of First Nations children aged 14 and younger lived in a family with both their parents in 2011, as did 50% of Métis children. The corresponding percentage for non-Aboriginal children was 80%. At the same time, 44% of First Nations children and 38% of Métis children lived in a lone-parent family, rates that were higher than that for their non-Aboriginal peers (14%).
- In 2011, 3% of Aboriginal children aged 14 and younger were in foster care; at 5%, the percentage was highest for First Nations children living off reserve. Moreover, of all Saskatchewan children in foster care in 2011, 87% were Aboriginal children, the majority of whom (86%) were First Nations children.
Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | On reserve | Off reserve | ||||
percent | ||||||
Children of both parentsTable 1 Note 2 | 40.4 | 37.2 | 40.2 | 34.0 | 49.6 | 79.5 |
Stepchildren | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 5.6 |
Children of lone parent | 42.5 | 44.1 | 40.4 | 48.3 | 37.9 | 14.2 |
Grandchildren in skip-generation family | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
Foster children | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
Children living with other relativesTable 1 Note 3 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
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On-reserve First Nations people most likely to live in crowded homes and homes requiring major repairs
- In 2011, 36% of on-reserve and 16% of off-reserve First Nations people in Saskatchewan lived in crowded homes, that is, with more than one person per room. Among Métis, the percentage was 5%. The comparable figure for the non-Aboriginal population was 3%.
- One-third of First Nations people (33%) and 16% of Métis lived in homes in need of major repairs; the rate was highest for First Nations people living on a reserve (47%).
Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | On reserve | Off reserve | ||||
percent | ||||||
CrowdingTable 2 Note 2 | 19.3 | 26.7 | 36.5 | 15.6 | 5.0 | 2.7 |
Home in need of majorTable 2 Note 3 repairs | 26.7 | 32.6 | 47.2 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 8.8 |
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Ability to speak an Aboriginal language highest among on-reserve First Nations people
- In Saskatchewan, 43% of First Nations people living on a reserve reported the ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, a rate higher than among off-reserve First Nations people (20%) and Métis (9%). The Aboriginal languages spoken by the largest number of First Nations people were Cree languages, Dene, and Ojibway. Métis spoke mostly Cree languages, Dene, and Michif.
- The number who reported being able to converse in an Aboriginal language exceeded the number who reported an Aboriginal mother tongue, which suggests acquisition of an Aboriginal language as a second language.
- Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey,Note 5 76% of off-reserve First Nations people and 41% of Métis aged 6 and older reported that speaking and understanding an Aboriginal language was important to them.
Description for Chart 1
The title of the graph is "Chart 1 Ability to converse in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue, by selected Aboriginal identity groupChart 1 Note 1 and area of residence, Saskatchewan, 2011."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 5 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 50 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 2 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language."
The minimum value is 9.1 and it corresponds to "Métis single identity."
The maximum value is 43.0 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity (on reserve)."
The title of series 2 is "Aboriginal language as mother tongue."
The minimum value is 7.9 and it corresponds to "Métis single identity."
The maximum value is 37.9 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity (on reserve)."
Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language | Aboriginal language as mother tongue | |
---|---|---|
Total Aboriginal identity population | 24.3 | 20.8 |
First Nations single identity | 32.4 | 27.6 |
First Nations single identity (on reserve) | 43.0 | 37.9 |
First Nations single identity (off reserve) | 20.4 | 15.9 |
Métis single identity | 9.1 | 7.9 |
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Postsecondary qualifications vary by Aboriginal group
- In 2011, 42% of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 64 in Saskatchewan had a certificate, diploma or degree from a trade school, college or university: 38% of First Nations people and 49% of Métis. The comparable percentage for their non-Aboriginal counterparts was 60%.
- Among those with postsecondary credentials, First Nations people and Métis were more likely than non-Aboriginal graduates to have completed programs below the bachelor’s level (trades or college programs).
- There was also a difference in the proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with “no certificate, diploma or degree”. In 2011, 40% of First Nations people aged 25 to 64 and 23% of Métis did not have a certificate, diploma or degree. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 13%.
Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | On reserve | Off reserve | ||||
percent | ||||||
No certificate, diploma or degree | 33.5 | 40.0 | 49.1 | 29.9 | 23.5 | 12.8 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 24.3 | 22.3 | 19.6 | 25.4 | 27.3 | 27.7 |
Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree | 42.2 | 37.7 | 31.3 | 44.7 | 49.1 | 59.5 |
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma | 13.4 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 15.1 | 14.2 |
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma | 15.4 | 12.8 | 11.3 | 14.4 | 19.6 | 19.6 |
University certificate or diploma below bachelor levelTable 3 Note 2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 4.6 |
University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above | 9.5 | 8.6 | 4.5 | 13.0 | 10.7 | 21.1 |
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Employment rates and median total income increase with education
- In 2011, the employment rates of First Nations people and Métis aged 25 to 64 in Saskatchewan who did not have a certificate, diploma or degree were 31.1% and 50.2% respectively. Employment rates were higher for those with further education. For example, among those with postsecondary credentials, the employment rate of First Nations people was 68.2%, while that of Métis was 80.4%.
Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
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Total | On reserve | Off reserve | ||||
employment rate (percent) | ||||||
Total | 58.4 | 50.0 | 41.0 | 59.9 | 71.1 | 82.5 |
No certificate, diploma or degree | 36.6 | 31.1 | 27.2 | 38.4 | 50.2 | 71.2 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 61.6 | 52.9 | 42.7 | 61.6 | 72.2 | 81.3 |
Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree | 73.8 | 68.2 | 61.4 | 73.4 | 80.4 | 85.5 |
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- Median total incomeNote 6 was also higher for those with higher education levels. Among First Nations people aged 25 to 64, median total income (rounded to the nearest $1,000) ranged from $11,000 for those with no certificate, diploma or degree to $28,000 for those with postsecondary credentials. The range for Métis was from $21,000 to $41,000.
Just over half rated their health as excellent or very good
- Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, just over half (55%) the Aboriginal population aged 12 and older in Saskatchewan rated their health as excellent or very good in 2012: 51% of First Nations people living off reserve, and 57% of Métis.
- Off-reserve First Nation people and Métis aged 12 to 24 reported an overall health rating on par with that of their non-Aboriginal peers.Note 7
Description for Chart 2
The title of the graph is "Chart 2 Excellent or very good self-rated overall health of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity groupChart 2 Note 1 and age group, Saskatchewan, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 4 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 80 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 4 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Total."
The minimum value is 51.2 and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 58.5 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 2 is "12 to 24 years."
The minimum value is 68.3 and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 70.2 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 3 is "25 to 44 years."
The minimum value is 49.1 and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 68.6 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 4 is "45 years and over."
The minimum value is 30.6Chart 2 Note E: Use with caution and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 47.9 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
% | Total | 12 to 24 years | 25 to 44 years | 45 years and over |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | 54.5 | 69.1 | 56.9 | 37.3 |
Off-reserve First Nations people | 51.2 | 68.3 | 49.1 | 30.6Chart 2 Note E: Use with caution |
Métis | 57.0 | 69.9 | 63.2 | 41.1 |
Non-Aboriginal identity population | 58.5 | 70.2 | 68.6 | 47.9 |
E use with caution
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- The majority of off-reserve First Nations people (61%) and Métis (65%) aged 18 and older reported excellent or very good mental health.Note 8
- Just over half of off-reserve First Nations people (52%) and Métis (54%) aged 12 and older reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 56%.
- Among off-reserve First Nations people and Métis, commonly reported conditions included arthritis excluding fibromyalgia (16% and 15%, respectively), high blood pressure (14% and 13%), and asthma (11%Note E: Use with caution and 10%). In addition, 12% of off-reserve First Nations people and 10% of Métis reported being diagnosed with a mood disorder, and 11%Note E: Use with caution of off-reserve First Nations people and 10% of Métis reported an anxiety disorder.
Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
---|---|---|---|---|
percent | ||||
Total | 63.4 | 61.0 | 65.4 | 68.7 |
18 to 24 | 68.1 | 67.7 | 68.3 | 78.8 |
25 to 44 | 65.9 | 61.7 | 70.4 | 71.7 |
45 and over | 58.4 | 55.9 | 59.8 | 64.5 |
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Off-reserve First Nations people and Métis more likely to smoke daily
- In 2012, 34% of off-reserve First Nations people aged 12 and older in Saskatchewan reported that they smoked daily, as did 29% of Métis. The comparable percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 14%.
- First Nations people and Métis in all age groups in Table 6 had higher rates of daily smoking than did their non-Aboriginal counterparts.
Description for Chart 3
The title of the graph is "Chart 3 Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group,Note 1 Saskatchewan, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 3 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 45 with ticks every 5 points.
There are 4 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Health behaviours."
The title of series 1 is "Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves)."
The minimum value is 30.8 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 39.4 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinking.Chart 3 Note 2"
The title of series 2 is "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The minimum value is 33.6 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 40.1 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinkingChart 3 Note 2 and Non-drinking."
The title of series 3 is "Métis."
The minimum value is 25.8 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
The maximum value is 38.8 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinking.Chart 3 Note 2"
The title of series 4 is "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The minimum value is 13.5 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 22.1 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinking.Chart 3 Note 2"
Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Daily smoking | 30.8 | 33.6 | 28.8 | 13.5 |
Heavy drinkingNote 2 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 38.8 | 22.1 |
Non-drinking | 32.3 | 40.1 | 25.8 | 21.6 |
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- For those 12 and older, the rate of heavy drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the 12 months preceding the survey) was 40% for off-reserve First Nations people and 39% for Métis, compared with 22% for non-Aboriginal people. Almost half of off-reserve First Nations people (47%) and Métis (48%) and 40% of non-Aboriginal people aged 12 to 24 reported heavy drinking.
- At the same time, 40% of off-reserve First Nations people were non-drinkers (consumed no alcohol in the 12 months preceding the survey), compared with 22% of the non-Aboriginal population. The percentage for Métis was 26%. At ages 12 to 24, 44% of First Nations people were non-drinkers. The corresponding percentage for their non-Aboriginal peers was 34%; the same percentage reported by Métis in this age group. The percentage of non-drinkers was also high (56%) among First Nations people aged 45 and older.
Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
---|---|---|---|---|
percent | ||||
12 to 24 | ||||
Daily smoking | 20.9 | 20.7 | 21.3 | 7.2Table 6 Note E: Use with caution |
Heavy drinkingTable 6 Note 2 | 47.5 | 47.3 | 47.9 | 40.2 |
Non-drinking | 39.4 | 44.1 | 34.2 | 34.0 |
25 to 44 | ||||
Daily smoking | 38.4 | 45.1 | 33.2 | 14.1 |
Heavy drinking | 41.1 | 39.2 | 41.8 | 28.5 |
Non-drinking | 17.6 | 24.1 | 11.7Table 6 Note E: Use with caution | 9.2 |
45 and over | ||||
Daily smoking | 32.4 | 35.1Table 6 Note E: Use with caution | 30.8 | 15.5 |
Heavy drinking | 28.9Table 6 Note E: Use with caution | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 28.6Note E: Use with caution | 11.4 |
Non-drinking | 41.0 | 56.3 | 31.8 | 24.6 |
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
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This fact sheet was prepared by Karen Kelly-Scott of the Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division of Statistics Canada.
- Date modified: