Idle No More: A critical exploration of the six demands of Idle No More and the importance of meaningful action by the federal governmentOctober 15, 2013, Rapporteur United Nations Special Representative on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, issued a statement following his visit to Canada. In her statement, Anaya reveals that "from everything I have learned, I can only conclude that Canada is facing a crisis regarding the situation of the country's indigenous peoples" (2013: 8). Although Canada was one of the first countries to extend constitutional protection to the rights of Indigenous peoples, Indigenous Canadians experience a gap in well-being. Indigenous adolescents are more likely to commit suicide. Indigenous women are eight times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women. housing conditions on reserves are similar to those in third world countries and Indigenous people experience a disproportionate rate of incarceration (Anaya 2013). Amid Canada's wealth and prosperity, the gap between the quality of life of Indigenous Canadians and non-Indigenous Canadians is worrying. Residential schools, systemic racism, and the repression of Indigenous heritage and traditions led to deep-rooted distrust among Indigenous people. towards the government. Over the past decades, the Canadian government has attempted, through various initiatives and policies, to reconcile with Indigenous communities. The court victories and greater constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples suggest that the Canadian government has recognized its past mistreatment and has taken steps toward reconciliation. Even with federal policy geared toward recognizing past wrongdoing, victorious indigenous courts...... middle of paper ......er-American Court of Human Rights in light of the Declaration of United Nations on the rights of indigenous peoples. » Wisconsin International Law Journal. Flight. 7 No. 1. Retrieved November 28, 2013 from http://works.bepress.comRoyal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996. Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, Volume 1, Looking Forward, Looking Back, Ottawa: Minister of Procurement Services Scoffield, Heather. The pipeline industry led to changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act, documents show. The Star, February 2, 2013. United Nations A. 2008. Frequently Asked Questions: Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved November 29, 2013 from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/FAQsindigenousdeclaration.pdf United Nations B. 2008. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved November 29, 2013 from WWW.UN.Org