National Awareness of Indigenous Issues Reaches All Time High: Canadians Call on Federal Government to Award Indigenous Peoples Increased Autonomy and Compensation for Generations of Injustice
TORONTO, June 17, 2021 /CNW/ - As Canadians look forward to marking National Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, INNOVATIVE Research Group is releasing new findings that general awareness of Indigenous issues has jumped from 42% to 75%. Fifty-three percent (53%) also agree that Indigenous peoples deserve compensation for the injustices they have faced over generations.
"Speaking as someone who has been involved in tracking awareness of Indigenous issues across Canada since the early 1990s, I can say that the recent jump in awareness is unprecedented", said Greg Lyle, President of INNOVATIVE Research Group. "Canadians are looking for action, with 68% currently believing we have a duty to work towards resolving the inequalities faced by Canada's Indigenous population."
While Canadians have grown more aware of Indigenous issues, the majority are also angry. Eighty-one percent (81%) feel at least somewhat angry about the treatment of Indigenous Canadians at residential schools. Seventy percent (70%) believe that the government should provide immediate funding and support to further search for undiscovered graves on the sites that formerly housed residential schools.
"Approval of the federal government's handling of Indigenous issues has declined", says Lyle. "Disapproval has risen to 46% while just 22% approve. In fact, Canadians believe that their government has so failed our Indigenous population that that a majority now believe it makes more sense for Indigenous peoples to manage their own affairs, and that they deserve compensation for the injustices they have suffered."
Results are based on an online survey of 1,043 Canadians conducted between June 3rd and June 8th, 2021. The survey is part of INNOVATIVE's monthly Canada This Month study. For the full results and detailed methodologies, please visit https://innovativeresearch.ca/insights-news/
"We are not just seeing a change in how Canadians view Indigenous peoples, but a change in how Indigenous peoples view themselves," notes Lyle. "Just over 1-in-10 respondents indicated they have some Indigenous ancestry. Among those people, a majority of 62% say that ancestry is an important part of who they are as a person. That is the highest we have seen since we started this tracking in 2007."
About INNOVATIVE Research Group
Innovative Research Group is a full-service public opinion research and consultation firm. From our offices in Toronto and Vancouver, we provide clients with strategic insights using a full-range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. At INNOVATIVE, we are about more than just collecting data. We have thought deeply about how opinion forms and changes both generally and in terms of specific challenges. We are focused on applying insights in the real world. We thrive on challenges and have the track record to prove it. For more information or to get in touch, visit innovativeresearch.ca.
SOURCE Innovative Research Group
Max Wood, 416-639-0717, [email protected]
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