2006 Aboriginal Population Profile for Sept-Îles

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by Lori Hohban

Introduction

This report examines the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Aboriginal population living in the census agglomeration (CA) of Sept-Îles.¹ The census agglomeration of Sept-Îles includes Uashat and Maliotenam reserves. The 2006 Census and 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), which provide an extensive set of data about Aboriginal people, are the data sources.

The report focuses on the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to those people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, 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.

The term 'First Nations' is used throughout the report to refer to people who identified as North American Indian. The term 'Aboriginal population' is used to refer to the Aboriginal identity population.

Setting the context

There were 1,172,790 Aboriginal people in Canada in 2006, accounting for 3.8% of Canada's total population.

In 2006, a total of 108,430 Aboriginal people lived in the province of Quebec, representing 1% of the provincial population.

There were 3,830 Aboriginal people living in Sept-Îles in 2006, making up 14% of its total population. Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Sept-Îles grew by 35%, from 2,835 to 3,830 people. The First Nations population of Sept-Îles grew by 22% over this time period, while the Métis population grew at nearly six times that rate (122%).

First Nations—largest Aboriginal group in Sept-Îles

In 2006, 2,905 persons living in Sept-Îles identified as First Nations people, accounting for three-quarters (76%) of the CA's Aboriginal population. Another 865 identified as Métis and 40 as Inuit. The Métis population accounted for nearly one-quarter (23%) of Aboriginal people while the Inuit accounted for 1%. Another 1% reported multiple or other Aboriginal responses.²

Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2006, the majority (97%) reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada.

A young population

The Aboriginal population living in Sept-Îles was much younger than the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, the median age³ of the Aboriginal population in Sept-Îles was 27 years, compared to 41 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

In 2006, almost half (48%) of the Aboriginal population was under the age of 25, compared to 29% of non-Aboriginal people. Furthermore, only 6% of Aboriginal people were 65 years and over, compared to 12% of the non-Aboriginal population. Almost three in 10 (29%) Aboriginal people in Sept-Îles were children under the age of 15, compared to 18% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts (see chart 1). For more details on the age distribution (see table 1 in the appendix).

Aboriginal children aged 14 years and under represented about 21% of the census agglomeration's children. Nearly one-third (32%) of First Nations people in Sept-Îles were 14 years of age and under. For the Métis population, 20% were aged 14 and under.

Chart 1 Population pyramid for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations, Sept-Îles, 2006

Aboriginal children more likely than non-Aboriginal children to live with a lone parent

In 2006, less than half of Aboriginal children aged 14 and under (45%) lived with both parents. Compared with their non-Aboriginal peers, Aboriginal children were more likely to live with a lone mother (42% versus 18%), or a lone father (6% versus 3%) (see table 2 in the appendix).

Aboriginal youth less likely to be attending school

Overall, in 2006, Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in Sept-Îles had lower school attendance rates than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (59% versus 70%). Aboriginal adults, however, had a tendency to attend school in later years similar to non-Aboriginal adults. For example, 6% of Aboriginal adults aged 35 years and over were attending school in 2006, compared to 8% of non-Aboriginal adults in the same age group (see table 3 in the appendix).⁴

Four in 10 Aboriginal adults have completed postsecondary education

In 2006, over four in 10 Aboriginal men (42%) and almost four in 10 Aboriginal women (35%) aged 25 to 64 had completed postsecondary education, compared to about six in 10 (62% and 56%, respectively) of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Postsecondary education includes a trades certificate, a college diploma or a university certificate, diploma or degree. Aboriginal men were more likely than Aboriginal women to have completed their schooling with a trades credential. Aboriginal women were more likely to have college and university credentials than their male counterparts (see text table 1).

In 2006, close to half (47%) of Aboriginal men and more than half (53%) of Aboriginal women 25 to 64 years of age had less than a high school education, compared to 19% and 21%, respectively, of their non-Aboriginal male and female counterparts.

Text table1 Highest level of educational attainment of people aged 25 to 64 years, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Sept-Îles, 2006

Higher unemployment rates

In 2006, the unemployment rate⁵ for the Aboriginal core working age population (aged 25 to 54) in Sept-Îles was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population (20.0% compared to 5.5%) (see chart 2). Unemployment rates were higher for men than they were for women.

Chart 2 Unemployment rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people aged 25 to 54 years, by sex, Sept-Îles, 2006

While unemployment rates were higher for Sept-Îles' young people (those aged 15 to 24 years) across all population groups, the proportion of Aboriginal youth who were unemployed was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population. Close to one-third (32.2%) of Aboriginal youth were unemployed in Sept-Îles, compared to 10.0% of the non-Aboriginal population (see table 4 in the appendix).

Employment rate lower among Aboriginal people

Another measure of labour market performance is the employment rate⁶. In 2006, the employment rate for First Nations people aged 25 to 54 living in Sept-Îles was 46.7%. Métis adults had an employment rate of 80.0%. These rates were both lower than that of the non-Aboriginal population (83.0%).

Overall, men were more likely than women to be employed, regardless of group. Among First Nations people, men had an employment rate of 53.2% compared to 41.7% for First Nations women. For the Métis in Sept-Îles, the employment rate for men was 90.9% compared to 71.4% for women. Similar differences were found among non-Aboriginal men and women, with employment rates of 86.9% and 79.0%, respectively (see table 5 in the appendix).

Men and women just as likely to be full-time full-year workers within the Aboriginal population

The proportion for First Nations people living in Sept-Îles who worked full time full year⁷ in 2005 was about one in five (18%), while the proportion of Métis adults working full time full year was about one in three (35%). These proportions were lower than that of the non-Aboriginal population (39%).

Aboriginal men and women were equally likely to be full-time full-year workers in Sept-Îles in 2005. However, this was not the case from within the non-Aboriginal population. Among Aboriginal people in Sept-Îles, 24% of men and 22% of women worked full time full year, while among the non-Aboriginal population there was a greater difference (45% and 33%, respectively) (see text table 2).

Text table 2 Percentage of full-time full-year workers, by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Sept-Îles, 2005

Occupations in 'sales and services' most prevalent

In studying the labour market of a given area, it is helpful to examine its occupational⁸. make-up. In 2006, the most common occupational category⁹ for both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal experienced labour forces in Sept-Îles was 'sales and service'.

In 2006, Aboriginal people were more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to work in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (27% versus 21%). Aboriginal people were less likely than non-Aboriginal people to work in business, finance and administrative occupations (9% versus 15%) (see table 6 in the appendix).

Earnings declined among Aboriginal people

Between 2000 and 2005, the median earnings¹⁰ of full-time full-year Aboriginal earners in Sept-Îles (measured in 2005 dollars) decreased from about $33,600 to $31,000. However, among the non-Aboriginal population median earnings stayed roughly the same. In 2000, the median earnings of the non-Aboriginal population were approximately $44,900, compared to about $44,500 in 2005. Aboriginal people earned 75% of what their non-Aboriginal counterparts did in 2000, while in 2005 they earned 70% of what non-Aboriginal people did (see table 7 in the appendix).

Total income lower for Aboriginal people

The census collects a number of measures of income that help in understanding the economic situation of a population. Earnings data have been provided for the population working full time full year in 2005. It is also useful to look at total income¹¹ as sources of income go beyond that of employment. In 2005, 14% of Aboriginal people with income in Sept-Îles had a total income of $40,000 or over, compared to 33% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In 2005, Aboriginal women had the lowest median income ($14,700), whether compared to Aboriginal men ($15,100), to men ($36,500) or to non-Aboriginal women ($20,000) (see table 8 in the appendix).

Additionally, in Sept-Îles, 9% of the Aboriginal population aged 15 years and over and 4% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts reported having no income in 2005 (data not shown).

Three in 10 Aboriginal people in Sept-Îles living below the low income cut-off

Statistics Canada uses the concept of low income cut-off (LICO)¹²) to indicate an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family. In 2005, in Sept-Îles about three in 10 (31%) Aboriginal people were living under the LICO, compared to 9% of non-Aboriginal people. In addition, 51% of Aboriginal children (aged 14 years and under) in Sept-Îles were living under the LICO, compared to 10% of non-Aboriginal children (data not shown). These data are based on the before-taxLICO (see chart 3).

Chart 3 Proportion of persons living below the before-tax low income cut-off by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Sept-Îles, 2005

One-third of Sept-Îles' Aboriginal population moved at least once between 2001 and 2006

On May 16, 2006 (the date of the 2006 Census) there were 3,830 Aboriginal people living in the census agglomeration of Sept-Îles. This count does not include all of the Aboriginal people who may have lived in Sept-Îles at some point during the year, but only those who were living in Sept-Îles on that particular day.¹³

Moreover, census population counts may not reflect the possibility that people move between communities—for example, someone might move from a reserve community to a large city and back again within the same year. In Sept-Îles, in 2006, 68% of the Aboriginal population had lived at the same address five years ago, compared to 65% of the non-Aboriginal population. From 2001 to 2006, one in five (20%) Aboriginal people had moved at least once within Sept-Îles, and 12% had moved to Sept-Îles from another community. A community may refer to another municipality, or a reserve, or a rural area (see table 9 in the appendix).

One in five live in homes needing major repairs

In Sept-Îles, about one in five (18%) Aboriginal people lived in homes requiring major repairs¹⁴ in 2006, with about the same percentage reported in 2001 (21%). In comparison, the share of Sept-Îles' non-Aboriginal population living in dwellings in need of major repairs was 11% in both 2006 and 2001 (see table 10 in the appendix)

The share of Aboriginal people living in crowded¹⁵ homes was 10% in 2006, down from 13% reported in 2001. The comparable rates for the non-Aboriginal population were 1% in both 2006 and 2001

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Notes :

1. The geographic area covered in this report is the census agglomeration (CA) of Sept-Îles. A census agglomeration must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. For maps, see: map.
2. Includes people who reported more than one Aboriginal identity group and those who reported being a registered or Treaty Indian and/or member of an Indian band or First Nation without reporting an Aboriginal identity.
3. The median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older and the other half is younger.
4. A new version of the school attendance question was used in the 2006 Census. Studies on data certification showed important variations with previous censuses and with the Labour Force Survey. It appears that the 2006 Census could have overestimated the school attendance for the population aged 45 years and over. We recommend users of the attendance at school variable interpret the 2006 Census results with caution. For more details on the changes to the questionnaire for the Education module, see: Census questions on education: Some important changes.
5. The unemployment rate for a particular group is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).
6. The employment rate refers to the number of employed people, in a given group, as a percentage of the total population in that group.
7. The term 'full-time full-year workers' refers to persons 15 years of age and over who worked 49 to 52 weeks (mostly full time) in 2005 for pay or in self-employment.
8. Occupation refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration, the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.
9. Occupations contained within the categories can cover a broad range of skill levels. For example, the business and finance occupation category includes professional occupations requiring a university degree, as well as clerical occupations that require a high school diploma or equivalent.
10. Median earnings are earnings levels that divide the population into two halves, i.e., half of the population receiving less than this amount, and half, more. Earnings or employment income refers to the income received by persons 15 years of age and over during calendar year 2005 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income.
11. Total income refers to the total money income received from the following sources during calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over: wages and salaries (total), net farm income, net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice, child benefits, Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, benefits from Canada or Quebec Pension Plan, benefits from Employment Insurance, other income from government sources, dividends, interest on bonds, deposits and savings certificates, and other investment income, retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities, including those from registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) and registered retirement income funds (RRIFs), other money income.
12. The low income cut-off is a statistical measure of the income threshold level below which Canadians are estimated to devote at least one-fifth more of their income than the average family to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. For the 2005 matrix of low income before-tax cut-offs and additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-X.
13. For example, studentswho return to live with their parents during the year are included at their parents' address, even if they lived elsewhere while attending school or working at a summer job.
14. Dwellings in need of major repairs are those that, in the judgment of the respondent, require major repairs to such things as defective plumbing or electrical wiring, and/or structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings, etc.
15. Crowding is defined as more than one person per room. Not counted as rooms are bathrooms, halls, vestibules and rooms used solely for business purposes.
16. Data on health is not available for Sept-Îles so provincial level data has been provided.
17. Chronic conditions were those that had lasted or were expected to last six months or more and had been diagnosed by a health professional.
18. Respiratory problems include asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.