Yellowknife (Dec 06/04) - South Slave chiefs say they're disappointed to hear that only 22 per cent of Northern non-aboriginals consider improving aboriginal quality of life to be a top priority.

The number comes from a survey conducted by the Canadian Unity Council.

It asked 300 people in the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut if improving the quality of life for aboriginal people should be a high, medium, or low priority for the federal government.

Seventy-three per cent of Northern aboriginals surveyed believe it should be a high priority.

The combined results from northern aboriginals and non-aboriginals is 43 per cent. Across Canada, the figure was 29 per cent.

Chief Jim Schaefer of Salt River First Nation in Fort Smith is surprised by the results, noting there's a long way to go to improve the lives of aboriginal people.

Schaefer believes some non-aboriginals are not concerned about the quality of life for aboriginals.

"Regardless of how bad it got, they still wouldn't care."

Chief Robert Sayine of Deninu Ku'e First Nation in Fort Resolution is also concerned about the survey findings.

"I would say I'm really surprised and very disappointed," Sayine says.

The chief says aboriginal people should be getting more support from other Canadians, adding he doesn't think many non-aboriginal people understand issues facing First Nations.

However, Chief Charlie Furlong of the Aklavik Gwich'in Band says "I'm not that surprised there's not that much support."

Furlong says it's in Canada's best interest to promote a higher quality of life for aboriginal people.

Michele Stanners, regional director for the Prairies and the North with the Canadian Unity Council, suggests people not just look at the 'high priority' responses to the question about quality of life for Aboriginals.

She notes 56 per cent of non-aboriginals in the North consider it a medium priority for the federal government.

"It doesn't mean it's off the radar screen for them," she says.

The survey was conducted in September and October of this year.

One hundred people in each of the three territories were surveyed. It was part of Portraits of Canada, an annual national tracking poll conducted by the Centre for Research and Information on Canada.

Among the survey's other findings are:

0/00 Almost one in two Canadians (49 per cent) say the situation of aboriginals is about the same or better than that of other Canadians. Forty-four per cent say it is worse.

0/00 Improving aboriginal quality of life is in second-last place on a list of 11 items Canadians said should be a high priority for the federal government. In the North, it ranked seventh.

The highest priority in the North is protecting the environment.