Indigenous Parliamentarians Across Canada: By the Numbers
Following Confederation, Indigenous Peoples in Canada
faced various restrictions which prevented many of them
from participating actively within the country’s
parliamentary system. Enfranchisement was delayed for
Status Indians and uneven across provinces when federal
legislation extending voting rights was repealed.Å
Systemic barriers brought about by the affects of centuries
of colonialism, including poverty, racial prejudice and lack
of adequate health care and education further limited
capacity for participation. Moreover, the nation to nation
understanding of treaty rights led some Indigenous
Canadians to decline to exercise their right to vote or stand
for office when enfranchisement was granted. Despite
facing these kinds of barriers, Indigenous Parliamentarians
have grown in number over the past few decades.
Å Indigenous Suffrage, The Canadian Encyclopedia.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/indigenous-suffrage
Graphic credits: Canada with Provinces – Single Color by FreeVectorMaps.com
Indigenous Parliamentarians Across Canada:
By the Numbers
The Association of Parliamentary Libraries in Canada has
confirmed the following number of Members self-identify as Indigenous as
of April 10, 2019. In the case of Yukon, which does not have a legislative
librarian, its numbers were confirmed through the Yukon Legislative
Assembly Office.