RCAAQ - How we contribute through our actions

How we contribute through our actions

Who?

10 Native Friendship Centres in the cities of Montreal, Quebec City, La Tuque, Val-d’Or, Senneterre, Chibougamau, Joliette, Sept-Îles, Saguenay and Trois-Rivières, with the latter being a Centre under development.
4 Centres out of 10 receive no core funding from the Federal Government Native Friendship Centre Program.
Is intended to provide them with culturally-relevant services to the 108 430 Aboriginals in Québec, of which more than half are less 25 years old;

Offers quality and sustainable jobs to nearly 160 persons, mostly women and Aboriginals;
Mobilizes over one hundred volunteers in the realization of their mission;
Offers a continuum of over 40 services, from early childhood, to youth, health and social services, education, employment, and social, community and economic development;
Undertakes actions characterized by cost-efficiency and positive impacts on the improvement of the quality of life of urban Aboriginal citizens, their financial autonomy and their social inclusion.
Co-chairs an Alliance de recherche universités-communautés (ARUC), Les Autochtones et la ville au Québec : identité, mobilité, qualité de vie et gouvernance. We have also conducted various assessments of urban Aboriginals over the last few years;
Expresses its citizen involvement through the submission of briefs and advisory reports to the Government of Québec on homelessness, housing, youth protection, and sustainable development.

Mobilizes partners such as the ministries of the Government of Québec, the Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador (AFNQL), Native Women of Québec (NWQ), the Chantier de l’Économie sociale, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) and other civil and community organizations.

60% of Aboriginals now deal with the urban reality in Québec, which represents more than 65 000 persons;
There are 16 times more urban Aboriginals in Québec in 2008 than in 1980;
In keeping with the growth estimates for the Aboriginal population in Canada overall, we estimate a 42% increase in Québec's urban Aboriginal population by 2026.
The Aboriginal people in Canada form one of the poorest population groups in the country. We are engaged in a daily combat against poverty ans social exclusion in order to improve our quality of life, promote our culture and foster harmonious co-existence.