Indigenous Peoples’ Place in Québec Parliamentarianism

The historically difficult relationships between Indigenous nations and government institutions resulting from the European colonization have led many Indigenous people to mistrust and feel alienated from the provincial political system. Even today, their voter turnout is lower than that of the general population. For some Indigenous people, engaging in Québec’s political system is tantamount to legitimizing a regime they do not acknowledge as their own, which could compromise the affirmation of Indigenous nations as distinct polities. In this article, the author looks to New Zealand to show how certain structural measures, such as the creation of reserved electoral divisions and the adoption of a mixed-member proportional voting system, can promote Indigenous Peoples’ participation in the democratic system while still affirming their specificity. The author notes that a reform of the voting system, as was considered in Québec during the 42nd Legislature, could provide an opportunity to adopt measures aimed at promoting the political representation of Indigenous people in the Assemblée nationale. *This article is a revised version of an essay completed as part of the Assemblée nationale’s 2022–2023 program for student pages. It represents the author’s views and does not reflect those of the Assemblée nationale du Québec or its employees.

Marianne McNicoll

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