TABLE II.

Methods for identifying aboriginal populations and their limitations

Method	Description	Limitations
Residence on a reserve	There are specific postal (or other area) codes for reserves that are included on some files	■ Includes non-First Nations individuals living on reserve ■ Excludes First Nations individuals living off reserve
Health card number belongs to a First Nations individual	In some provinces, First Nations individuals can be identified by health card number	■ Not universally applicable across the provinces
Aboriginal ethnicity on death certificate	Some provinces collect this information at the time of death	■ Accuracy unknown ■ Based on next-of-kin report
Linkage with the SVS (Status Verification System)a	The SVS includes all registered First Nations individuals living on or off reserve who are eligible for federal benefits	■ Personal identifying data on the SVS does not use a unique lifetime number ■Might not be of high enough quality for accurate data linkage ■SVS might be out-of-date

^aMaintained by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.