Canadians Say Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is Possible

But almost half think the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has been a failure so far.

Vancouver, BC [March 14, 2019] – A majority of Canadians are hopeful about renewing the country’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 52% of Canadians think a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations peoples can be achieved in the country.

“Perceptions about attaining a true reconciliation vary widely according to age,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “While 63% of Canadians aged 18-to-34 think the nation-to-nation goal is achievable, the proportion of believers drops to 54% among those aged 35-to-54 and 44% among those aged 55 and over.”

The Government of Canada launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016. 

Across the country, 47% of Canadians say they have followed stories related to the inquiry “very closely” or “moderately closely”, including 59% in British Columbia, 52% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and 51% in Quebec.

Almost half of Canadians (46%) consider the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to be “a failure” so far, while 27% believe it has been “a success.”

Residents of Alberta (51%), Manitoba and Saskatchewan (49%) and British Columbia (48%) are more likely to brand the inquiry as “a failure” so far.

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 21 to February 24, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Find our full data set here and download the press release here. 

Photo Credit: Archkris 

For more information on this poll, please contact:

Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca