Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-5xszh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T02:21:07.427Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Indigenous Peoples and Affinity Voting in Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2018

Simon Dabin*
Affiliation:
Département de Science Politique de l'Université de Montréal, H3C 3J7
Jean François Daoust
Affiliation:
Département de Science Politique de l'Université de Montréal, H3C 3J7
Martin Papillon
Affiliation:
Département de Science Politique de l'Université de Montréal, H3C 3J7
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: simon.dabin@umontreal.ca

Abstract

Studies interested in Indigenous voting in Canada tend to focus on socio-economic, cultural and political factors that explain their lower levels of electoral participation. While highly relevant given Canada's ongoing reality as a settler-colonial state, these studies are of limited help in making sense of recent increases in electoral engagement in Indigenous communities across the country. Using data from four elections between 2006 and 2015, this study focuses instead on why some Indigenous individuals vote and how they vote. Our analysis suggests that one of many possible reasons for the recent surge in Indigenous turnout has to do with the candidates presenting themselves for elections. Higher voter turnout in Indigenous communities corresponds with a higher proportion of Indigenous candidates. This trend is consistent with the literature on affinity voting. We also find that political parties who present an Indigenous candidate receive more votes in constituencies with a high proportion of Indigenous voters.

Résumé

Les études qui portent sur le vote des Autochtones au Canada tendent à se focaliser sur l'abstention électorale et les facteurs socio-économiques, culturels et politiques qui l'expliquent. Bien que ces études soient pertinentes, notamment dans le contexte colonial de l’État canadien, elles ne permettent pas d'expliquer l'augmentation récente de la participation électorale dans certaines communautés à travers le pays. À partir de données recueillies pour les quatre élections fédérales entre 2006 et 2015, cet article s'intéresse au pourquoi et au comment du vote Autochtone. Notre étude démontre, parmi d'autres explications possibles, que le taux de participation autochtone est lié à l'identité du candidat qui se présente dans la circonscription. Ainsi, plus la proportion de candidats autochtones est grande, plus le taux de participation sera élevé. Ces résultats sont consistants avec la littérature sur le vote affinitaire. Nous démontrons également que les partis politiques qui présentent un candidat autochtone recevront plus de votes dans les circonscriptions avec une forte proportion d’électeurs Autochtones.

Type
Research Article/Étude originale
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alfred, Taiaiake. 1999. “Why Play the White Man's Game.” Wind Speaker 17 (4): 45.Google Scholar
Alfred, Gerald R. 2005. Wasáse: Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom. Peterborough: Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press.Google Scholar
Asch, Michael. 2014. On Being Here to Stay. Treaties and Aboriginal Rights in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Google Scholar
Bargiel, Jean-Sebastien. 2012. Federal Voter Turnout in First Nations Reserves (2004–2011). (February 17, 2017).Google Scholar
Besco, Randy. 2015. “Rainbow Coalitions or Inter-minority Conflict? Racial Affinity and Diverse Minority Voters.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 48 (2): 305–28.Google Scholar
Bird, Karen, Saalfeld, Thomas and Wüst, Andreas M., ed. 2011. The Political Representation of Immigrants and Minorities: Voters Parties and Parliaments in Liberal Democracies. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bonesteel, Sarah. 2006. Canada's Relationship with Inuit. A History of Policy and Program Development. Ottawa: Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.Google Scholar
Bonspiel, Steve. 2015. “Why Mohawks Don't Vote in Federal Elections.” Toronto Star (Toronto), August 17. (March 2, 2018).Google Scholar
Borrows, John. 2017. “Canada's Colonial Constitution.” In The Right Relationship. Reimagining the Implementation of Historical Treaties, ed. Borrows, John and Coyle, Michael. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Google Scholar
Canada. Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. 1996. Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Ottawa: Federal and Provincial Royal Commissions, Commissions of Inquiry and Reports.Google Scholar
Canada. Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 2015. Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Ottawa: Truth and Reconciliation Commission.Google Scholar
Dolan, Kathleen. 1998. “Voting for Women in the ‘Year of the Woman.’American Journal of Political Science 42 (1): 272–93.Google Scholar
Dolan, Kathleen. 2014. When Does Gender Matter? Women Candidates and Gender Stereotypes in American Elections. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Elections Canada. 2018. Current and Past Elections. (March 1, 2018).Google Scholar
Flowers, Bill. 2017. “Indigenous Seats in Parliament.” Policy Options, January 26. (February 17, 2017).Google Scholar
Fontaine, Tim. 2015. “An Indigenous Guide to the Federal Election.” CBC News, August 6. (December 10, 2016).Google Scholar
Fournier, Patrick and Loewen, Peter John. 2011. Aboriginal Electoral Participation in Canada. (March 1, 2018).Google Scholar
Goodyear-Grant, Elizabeth and Tolley, Erin. 2017. “Voting for One's Own: Racial Group Identification and Candidate Preferences.” Politics, Groups and Identities 6: 117.Google Scholar
Harell, Allison, Panagos, Dimitrios and Scott Matthews, J.. 2010. “Explaining Aboriginal Turnout in Federal Elections: Evidence from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.” Aboriginal Policy Research 10: 324.Google Scholar
Howe, Paul and Bedford, David. 2016. Electoral Participation of Aboriginals in Canada. (February 17, 2017).Google Scholar
Jacobs, Lesley A. 2010. “Mapping the Legal Consciousness of First Nations Voters: Understanding Voting Rights Mobilization.” Aboriginal Policy Research 10: 2543.Google Scholar
Kendall, Chad and Rekkas, Marie. 2012. “Incumbency Advantages in the Canadian Parliament.” Canadian Journal of Economics 45 (4): 1560–85.Google Scholar
Ladner, Kiera L. and McCrossan, Michael. 2007. The Electoral Participation of Aboriginal People. (March 1, 2018).Google Scholar
Landa, Janet and Copeland, Michael. 1995. “Ethnic Voting Patterns: A Case Study of Metropolitan Toronto.” Political Geography 14 (5): 435–49.Google Scholar
Media Indigena. 2011. An Aboriginal Who's Who of Canada's 2011 Federal Election. (February 26, 2017).Google Scholar
Megyery, Kathy. 1991. Ethno-cultural Groups and Visible Minorities in Canadian Politics: The Question of Access. Toronto and Oxford: Dundurn Press.Google Scholar
Milen, Robert A. 1991. Aboriginal Peoples and Electoral Reform in Canada. Toronto and Oxford: Dundurn Press.Google Scholar
Murphy, Michael. 2009. “Representing Indigenous Self-Determination.” University of Toronto Law Journal 58 (2): 185216.Google Scholar
Papillon, Martin. 2018. “Structure, Agency and the Reconfiguration of Indigenous Citizenship in Canada.” In Citizenship as a Regime: Canadian and International Perspectives, ed. Fourot, Aude-Claire, Nagels, Nora and Paquet, Mireille. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press.Google Scholar
Puxley, Chinta. 2015. “Voter Turnout Up by 270 per cent in Some Aboriginal Communities.” Toronto Star (Toronto), October 25. (January 25, 2017).Google Scholar
Sadik, Tonio. 2009. Aboriginal Electoral Participation. Ottawa: Elections Canada. (March 2, 2018).Google Scholar
Schouls, Tim. 2009. “Aboriginal Peoples and Electoral Reform in Canada: Differentiated Representation versus Voter Equality.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 29 (4): 729–49.Google Scholar
Smith, Loretta. 2006. “Mending Fences: Increasing Aboriginal Representation in Canada, paper presented at the 78th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, Toronto.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. 2006. 2006 Census of Population. (December 16, 2017).Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. 2013. National Household Survey. (January 25, 2018).Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. 2014. Aboriginal Peoples Technical Report, 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). (February 10, 2018).Google Scholar
Talaga, Tanya. 2015. “Behind the Scenes on the Push to Rock the Indigenous Vote.” Toronto Star (Toronto), October 23. (January 23, 2017).Google Scholar