Canadians divided on Indigenous rights in what B.C. leader calls ‘harmful’ poll

Three in 10 said that the federal government is offering too much funding to First Nations' communities, but the same number, 27 per cent, felt the current funding is too little.

A new poll has found that Canadians are divided on Indigenous rights.

The poll, commissioned by the Angus Reid Institute, found that while a slight majority of Canadians feel that Indigenous Peoples have a unique status in Canada (55 per cent), and the vast majority of Indigenous-identifying individuals agree (68 per cent), others push back (45 per cent), saying Indigenous Peoples should have the same status as others living in modern Canada, including two in three Conservative party voters (68 pre cent).

“I would say, we’re asking Canadians whether or not they felt to, take kind of two sides or one of two sides on a couple of different statements,” Jon Roe, research associate at the Angus Reid Institute, told Global News.

“So whether or not they believe that Indigenous Peoples have an inherently unique status or whether they should not have a special status that other Canadians have.”

The poll found that most Canadians are divided on many of the issues.

Three in 10 of those polled said that the federal government is offering too much funding to First Nations communities, but the same number, 27 per cent, felt the current funding is too little.

One in five, 21 per cent, of those polled said that based on what they know, the funding level is about right.

“On the issue of whether or not they should be integrating more into broader Canadian society, 45 per cent said yeah, Indigenous people should be doing that, but there are more Canadians who say that they should strengthen their own culture and traditions at 55 per cent,” Roe said.