Urban Aboriginal Communities in Canada : Complexities, Challenges, Opportunities

The majority of Canada's Aboriginal peoples live in urban areas, yet scholarly work on Aboriginal issues continues to focus on reserve-based communities. In contrast, this collection of papers provides a comprehensive portrait of the country's urban Aboriginal population-a population defined by both great promise and great challenges.

Peter Dinsdale, an Anishnawbe and member of the Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario, is chief operating officer of the Assembly of First Nations. Peter has devoted his career to working with Aboriginal people in urban environments to improve their quality of life. Jerry White is a professor and the associate dean, Faculty of Social Science, at the University of Western Ontario. He is editor-in-chief of the International Indigenous Policy Journal, co-chairs the Aboriginal Policy Research Conference, and is director of the Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium (International). Jerry has won numerous teaching awards and has authored, co-authored, and edited seventeen books. Calvin Hanselmann, former director of research at the National Association of Friendship Centres, is now with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern-Development Canada. Throughout his career, Calvin has addressed urban Aboriginal issues in the public, private, not-for-profit, and university sectors, holding senior positions with such organizations as the Privy Council Office and the Canada West Foundation.