Abstract
Canada's first statistics on church-going children in the north reveal some striking contrasts. The rate of regular attendance, 44%, is among the highest in Canada, though relatively low in the Yukon (22%) and high in the Northwest Territories (50%). Rates are highest among the Inuit (61%), followed by the North American Indian (34%) and other ethnicities (32%). About the same percentage of Anglican children attend services regularly (56%) as Catholic (52%) and other faiths (53%).
Children exposed to religion (either attend church at least once during the year, or who have at least one parent who attended at least monthly) comprise 67% of the children in the territories as a whole, 75% in the Northwest Territories, 39% in the Yukon. Some 86% of the Inuit children are religiously exposed, and 62% of the North American Indian, and 50% of the non-native children. Some 9% of children with no religious affiliation have either a mother or father who attends church at least monthly.
After controlling for other factors, the children whose mothers received help from religious leaders are much more committed to religion than other children, for all of the groups examined. But children whose mothers received help from social service professionals were much less committed to religion than other children. Children with mothers who smoke are less committed to religion for all groups except the North American Indian.
In the north it is quite common for the mother to receive help from religious or spiritual leaders (26% did so in the year preceding the survey), especially if she attends church regularly (41%). The paper concludes with some policy implications for parents, religious and community leaders, and researchers.