ABSTRACT
This chapter describes and assesses the current state of research on the subjective wellbeing of Aboriginal peoples of Canada, and suggests future research directions. The Holistic Lifelong Learning Models of First Nation, Métis and Inuit are discussed first, as they provide an endogenous view of the conceptualization of wellbeing of these Aboriginal nations of Canada. These models serve as a basis for developing new ways of measuring wellbeing of these communities and assessing the fidelity of prior attempts to measure their wellbeing. We divide the research to assess the subjective wellbeing of Aboriginal peoples of Canada into three categories – subjective wellbeing expressed in terms of some indicators such as psychological distress and self-esteem; subjective wellbeing measured as the overall wellbeing or general life satisfaction; and subjective wellbeing assessed by means of a composite of satisfaction with different domains of life. The current state of research for each category is discussed. Recommendations are made for future directions of research on subjective wellbeing.
