Author Description

The purpose of this report is to examine patterns of mortality among Canadian First Nations peoples through the mortality data base maintained by Health Canada's Medical Services Branch. Information is presented through figures and tables for the following topics: crude, age-specific, and age-standardized mortality; infant mortality; major causes of death, including intentional and non-intentional injury; leading causes of potential years of life lost; and contributions to improvements in mortality rates. The variables of age, gender, and to a lesser extent geographic location, are examined for their relationships to mortality trends. All regions of Canada except the Northwest Territories are represented in the data. Comparisons are made throughout to overall Canadian mortality data.