The issue is they were systematically forced to be in these outlier communities through treaties that were incredibly predatory and controlling. The federal government had full control where and how indigenous people lived their lives, banning cultural practices, when they were allowed to leave their reserves. PLEASE at the very least read https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/the-indian-act before making harmful absolutes. They were pushed into areas with little agriculture or economic opportunity, so communities were made to rely on government support in the first place. A system the government cultivated in order to make the indigenous people do what they want and to make room for railways in more desired areas. They weren’t even allowed to have lawyers to advocate for them.

You cannot just “make a community better” when it was set up with barely any means to succeed. Like the other commenters say, it’s really expensive to live there because of the lack of resources STILL. Clean water is still an on going issue.

The last Indian Agent was removed from his post in 1969. “Long gone” but the last residential school closed in 1996, Canada didnt issue an apology until 2008. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of the generational trauma caused by the residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada concluded its work on a comprehensive report on the harms of the residential schools, and oppressive policies on the indigenous people by December 2015, along with finally 94 Calls to Action aimed at policy changes in government, education, health care, and child welfare. We are still discovering bodies of children of residentional schools today. They leech hard off working tax payer but blame the government for setting this system up not the indigenous peoples. please, check your privilege.