A dancer dressed in detailed beadwork gets ready to take part in the 2024 Competition Pow Wow at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, held at Madahoki Farm in Ottawa on Sunday, June 23. The Canadian Press
A new poll shows most Canadians believe the country is making progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The survey was done online between June 20 and 22. It had 1,580 people taking part, including 47 who identified as Indigenous.
Jack Jedwab, who leads the group that ordered the poll, says these opinions help show how Canadians feel about their country and their relationship with Indigenous communities.
Different Views Across Age Groups
Overall, 55% of people said Canada is making good progress. But opinions change a lot with age. Only 40% of young people aged 18 to 24 feel the same. In contrast, 67% of people aged 65 and up believe Canada is moving in the right direction.
Jedwab said he was surprised by the number of people who saw progress. Despite many unsolved problems between the government and Indigenous Peoples, the survey gives hope. “The survey suggests there’s something to build on,” he said.
Trust in Fellow Canadians
The poll also asked if Canadians trust each other. Most do. Young adults between 18 and 24 trust others the most, with 77% saying so. Adults between 35 and 44 trust the least, at just 52%.
When asked about trust in Indigenous people, about six in ten non-Indigenous respondents said they do. Trust is highest in Nova Scotia at 71% and Ontario at 64.3%. Saskatchewan had the lowest trust level at 38.3%, followed by Prince Edward Island at 43.8%, and Manitoba at 44.8%.
Pride in Canada’s History Tied to Reconciliation Views
The poll found that those who are proud of Canada’s history are more likely to say reconciliation is going well. About 68% of proud respondents see progress. But among those not proud of Canada’s past, only 39.3% agree.
Age also affects feelings of pride. Just 36% of people aged 18 to 24 feel proud of Canada’s history. That number jumps to 78% among those 65 and older.
An interesting result showed Francophone youth are more likely to feel proud of Canada’s history than Anglophone youth. About 59% of Francophones aged 18 to 24 felt pride, compared to only 35% of their English-speaking peers. Jedwab found this surprising, especially because Quebec has a strong separatist history.
Indigenous Voices Need More Attention
While most Indigenous respondents in the survey said they were proud of Canadian history, Jedwab warned not to rely too heavily on those numbers. With only 47 Indigenous people taking part, it’s hard to draw strong conclusions.
“There’s a need to actually pursue further research in this area,” Jedwab said. He believes more in-depth studies should be done to truly understand how Indigenous Peoples feel.
He stressed that Canada needs to listen to the many different voices within Indigenous communities. “We do need to better understand what the nature of the relationship is right now,” he said. “How people feel about whether progress is being achieved or not and how we go forward together.”
