The list of challenges to Aboriginal literacy programs across the country is daunting indeed. The major themes identified above are but some of the obstacles strewn deliberately or benignly in the path of Aboriginal educators and literacy practitioners who struggle daily in conditions not significantly different from those which any Canadian can encounter in impoverished developing countries. With no surprise, the challenges tend to mirror the obstacles to growth and development encountered by the vast majority of Aboriginal communities across Canada. A paucity of financial resources for operational support, training and capacity-building. Limited access to technical support systems and information technology that would significantly enhance their ability to deliver holistic programming. Yet, year after year, in kitchens or classrooms, "after-hours or on Sundays," the magical combination of an individual’s desire to improve her prospects in life and that of her family, coupled with the passionate dedication of literacy coordinators to the concept of personal and community empowerment makes it all happen in hundreds of Aboriginal communities across this country. The poignant words of a literacy volunteer captures the essence of the current situation:
“If I were a Christian, I would have to say that we have taken a few loaves and fishes and, somehow, managed to allow the multitudes to nourish themselves. But I am not a Christian. And we have no loaves and fewer fish.”