Inroads: The Canadian Journal of Public Opinion
Issue No. 27   Summer/Fall 2010

In April, Environics Institute released an ambitious study of urban Aboriginals across Canada, in which I played a small role as one of 20 members of the advisory circle. Widely quoted in the national media in the days that followed release was this two-sentence summary by the study’s project manager, Ginger Gosnell-Myers:

“When urban Aboriginal peoples are researched, it’s often about problems like homelessness and sexual exploitation. There are hundreds of thousands of us living in cities, and there are a lot of positive things happening in our communities; it’s not all crises.”

That sums it up nicely. She is not saying that urban Aboriginals have abandoned their heritage: overall, 77 per cent said they are “very proud” to be Aboriginal. But 71 per cent consider the city in which they live to be “home,” and 65 per cent like living in their city “a lot.” Only 22 per cent plan to go back to their “community of origin” – as opposed to 50 per cent who intend to stay; the remainder have yet to decide.  Read more »

On May 31st, the Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study received the Public Policy Impact Award by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA), at its annual conference in Toronto. The Public Policy Impact Award was created in 2009, and is awarded each year to a research project in the broader public sector that has had a demonstrable impact public policy impact.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) is a Canadian not-for-profit association representing all aspects of the market intelligence and survey research industry, including social research, competitive intelligence, data mining, insight, and knowledge management. Members include over 2,000 practitioners, small to large research houses, and the many buyers of research services, such as financial institutions, major retailers, insurance companies and manufacturers. The industry accounts for almost three quarters of a billion dollars in market research activities annually. For more information see www.mria-arim.ca

Globe and Mail, April 23, 2010

If someone asked you to describe all the important relationships in your life – to people, places, even to organizations and institutions – where would the federal government rank? For most of us, the government would not even make the list. And yet when it comes to the circumstances and opportunities of first nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, many Canadians assume aboriginal leaders and the federal government are the only ones with a role to play.  Read more >>

Globe and Mail, April 19, 2010

For generations of native Canadians, the city was the white man’s world. Natives might migrate there to escape the stagnation and despair of the reserve, but to do so was often considered a kind of cultural betrayal. It meant giving up the attachment to the land that was considered the essence of native identity. It meant abandoning native spirituality and submitting to the materialism of urban life. In short, it meant an end to being native.  Read more >>

Calgary Herald, April 12, 2010

A study of city-dwelling native people in Canada has found more than half support the idea of creating a separate justice system. In Calgary, that trend also holds true, with some 54 per cent of those surveyed saying they are in favour of a different system for natives. The survey was conducted by Environics and covered a vast swath of issues, including education, work and justice. Read more »