Public Opinion on Aboriginal Issues

A large majority of Canadians continue to feel there has been little or no progress in addressing the concerns of Canada's aboriginal peoples since the Oka crisis five years ago. In terms of specific aboriginal issues, the general public tends to single out land claims as the most important issue currently facing aboriginal Canadians.

These findings were yielded by a National Angus Reid Poll conducted among a random and representative cross-section of 1503 adult Canadians between September 21st and 24th, 1995.

Furthermore, by more than a two to one margin, Canadians view the recent incidents at Gustafsen Lake and Ipperwash as a reflection of growing discontent among aboriginals in this country rather than as isolated protests staged by radicals within the native community.

Most Serious Issues Perceived to be Facing Aboriginal Canadians Today

Canadians participating in this late-September survey were presented with an "open-ended" question which asked them to name the most serious issues or problems that they believe are currently facing aboriginals in this country. The same line of questioning was included in previous Angus Reid Group polls taken in 1990, 1992 and 1994. The "top-of-mind" responses emerging from this question are highlighted below, in descending order of the total mentions recorded for each issue in this latest poll:

• Land Claims
  Four in ten (39%) of those polled cited land claims as the most important issue for aboriginal Canadians today, making this by far the dominant item on the general public's aboriginal issues agenda. This level of mentions is more than twice the number recorded in the Angus Reid Group readings taken in 1994 and 1992 and is certainly the biggest shift recorded since then; land claims' current presence on this list echoes the 38 percent of Canadians who considered this to be the pre-eminent issue facing aboriginals in the fall of 1990, shortly after the Oka crisis was defused.
• Unemployment
  The lack of employment opportunities for aboriginals was cited by roughly one in six (16%) respondents.
• Integration/Adapting
  Problems concerning aboriginals' integration and assimilation into mainstream Canadian society were also pinpointed by 16 percent of those surveyed.
• Racism/Discrimination
  A similar number (15%) said that the racism and discrimination directed towards Canada's first peoples is this community's most acute problem today.
• Alcohol/Substance Abuse
  Fifteen percent mentioned alcohol and substance abuse as the aboriginal community's most pressing problem.
• Self-Government
  Just as many (14%) cited self-government as the central issue currently facing native peoples in this country, double the level of unaided mentions recorded five years ago.
• Education
  Issues concerning education were named by 12 percent.
• Poverty
  One in ten (10%) singled out problems associated with poverty, with this figure doubling among respondents from Manitoba/Saskatchewan.
• Culture/Traditions
  Threats to aboriginal culture and traditions were also cited by about one in ten (8%) surveyed Canadians as the most serious issue currently facing this country's native peoples.
• Amount of Progress Perceived to Have Been Made on Aboriginals' Concerns
  • Most surveyed Canadians said they believe there has been "not much" (50%) or "no progress at all" (21%) in addressing aboriginals' concerns since the native demonstrations, including the blockade at Oka, Quebec, that occurred five years ago. This compares to one in four (25%) who felt there has been at least some positive movement on this front over the past five years (4% "substantial progress", 21% "a fair amount"). Very similar findings emerged when the Angus Reid Group first asked this question in July of 1991, one year after the aboriginal protests during the summer of 1990.
  • A solid majority of respondents from all major regions of the country perceived there has been little or no progress in addressing the concerns of aboriginal Canadians during the past five years. Residents of Manitoba/Saskatchewan and Quebec have become more likely to believe that some progress has been made -- although this is still only a minority view in these two regions. Albertans, meanwhile, are the least inclined to feel that there has been a substantial or fair amount of progress on this front (17%, down from 24% in 1991).
• Canadians' Perspectives on the Significance of Recent Aboriginal Protests
  • In terms of the recent aboriginal protests in Gustafsen Lake, B.C. and Ipperwash, Ontario, two-thirds (67%) of Canadians subscribe to the broad view that "these incidents are not isolated, but are a sign of growing discontent and anger among Canadian aboriginals". This is more than twice as many (30%) as feel that "these are really just isolated incidents caused by radicals in the aboriginal community, and that they shouldn't be viewed as anything bigger than that".
  • A solid majority of at least six in ten Canadians from all major segments of the population view the recent incidents at Gustafsen Lake and Ipperwash as a reflection of growing frustration among Canada's aboriginals. This perspective on the recent conflicts is most prevalent among residents of Alberta, Manitoba/Saskatchewan and Ontario, younger Canadians, women, and the university-educated (roughly 70% in each case).

This National Angus Reid Poll was conducted by telephone between September 21st and 24th, 1995 among a representative cross-section of 1503 Canadian adults . The actual number of completed interviews in each region was as follows: B.C. - 200; Alberta - 137; Manitoba/Saskatchewan - 119; Ontario - 525; Quebec - 400; Atlantic - 122. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1991 Census data. With a national sample of 1503, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within 1772.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

For further information, contact:

Darrel Bricker
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(613) 241-5802

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900