Saskatchewan's Public Opinion on Reconciliation
Results from a 2019 Public Survey
To begin measuring the current status of Truth and Reconciliation in Saskatchewan, the OTC and Reconciliation partners commissioned a telephone survey that received over 3,000 responses throughout December 2018 and January 2019. The survey was conducted by the University of Saskatchewan’s Social Sciences Research Laboratories. The funding for this survey was provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Reconciliation Regina and Heart of Treaty 6 Reconciliation. The goal of the survey was to create a starting point for measuring Saskatchewan’s collective journey towards Truth and Reconciliation through Treaty Implementation.
Taken all together, we see an acknowledgement among the majority of respondents that problems exist in our province, including the presence of racism, inequities in our systems, and the reported negative relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We also interpret a need for greater education on the TRC's Calls to Action and strategies to combat a perceived low level of motivation to work towards Reconciliation. However, we also interpret a certain level of agreement that relationships are improving and a strong agreement that Reconciliation is both important and that it is possible. This survey helped us interpret that Saskatchewan residents hold some sense of hope in our collective journey towards Reconciliation. However, this hope appears to be tempered by a recognition of the problems we face in Saskatchewan and the work remaining to be done for a better future for us all.
