ABOUT UAS OVERVIEW

The Federal Government developed the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) in 1997 to help respond to the needs facing urban Aboriginal people living in key cities. In 2007, the federal Government made a long-term commitment to urban Aboriginal issues in order to more effectively address the needs of urban Aboriginal people. It is projected that the Aboriginal population will remain the fastest-growing segment of the Canadian population and it is a population which is increasingly becoming concentrated in urban centres across Canada.

The UAS is a community-government partnership designed to support projects that respond to national and local priorities in order to improve the social and economic opportunities of Aboriginal people living in urban centres. It is a partnership between the Government of Canada, the Aboriginal community, local organizations, municipal and provincial governments, and the private sector. The partners are working together to support projects that respond to local priorities and advance the three UAS national priorities:

  1. Improving Life Skills;
  2. Promoting Job Training, Skills and Entrepreneurship; and
  3. Supporting Aboriginal Women, Children and Families.

Through focusing on these priorities, the UAS aims to increase the life choices for urban Aboriginal people living in key centres across Canada.