Public attitudes towards Indigeneity in Canadian prairie urbanism

• Published in: The Canadian geographer 2017-06, Vol.61 (2), p.212-223
• Main Authors: Walker, Ryan, Berdahl, Loleen, Lashta, Erin, Newhouse, David, Belanger, Yale
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Augmentation; Autochtones urbains; Cities; Culture; espace public; Geography; gouvernance; Governance; Indigenous peoples; Indigènes urbains; Naming; Native peoples; Populations; Prairies; Public opinion; public space; Public spaces; urban Aboriginal; Urban geography; urban Indigenous; Urbanism
• ISSN: 0008-3658; 1541-0064
• DOI: 10.1111/cag.12360

Prairie cities have large and growing Indigenous populations. The great resurgence of strong Indigenous cultures in Canada should foretell the impact Indigeneity will have over coming years across the full spectrum of urban geography. The study uses original 2014 survey data collected from seven prairie cities to examine the following question: What does the non‐Indigenous majority public think about increasing the role of Indigeneity in the procedural and material approaches to urbanism in prairie cities? Based on our findings we suggest that public attitudes among the non‐Indigenous populations of prairie cities are changing and becoming more positive towards trying new approaches to enabling Indigenous urbanism. Support is somewhat greater for municipal‐Indigenous governance options than for specific actions to infuse Indigeneity into the design and naming of public spaces. L'attitude du public face à l'indigénisme dans l'urbanisme des Prairies canadiennes La population indigène qui habite dans les villes des Prairies est nombreuse et grandissante. La forte recrudescence des cultures indigènes au Canada permettrait d'anticiper l'impact que l'indigénisme aura au cours des prochaines années sur l'ensemble de la géographie urbaine. Cet article propose d'explorer la question qui suit à partir des données originales d'enquête recueillies dans sept villes des Prairies en 2014: qu'est‐ce que les personnes de la majorité non indigène pensent de l'augmentation du rôle de l'indigénisme dans les démarches opérationnelles et substantielles de l'urbanisme des villes des Prairies? Les constats qui se dégagent de nos travaux montrent que l'attitude du public chez les populations non autochtones des villes des Prairies évolue et devient plus encline à essayer de nouvelles approches en matière d'urbanisme indigène. On est plutôt partisan des modes de gouvernance municipale indigène que des actions spécifiques visant à incorporer l'indigénisme dans la conception et la toponymie des espaces publics. Key Messages Public attitudes in prairie cities are generally supportive towards trying new approaches to Indigenous urbanism. Reconciliation will require transformative change to the ways non‐Indigenous and Indigenous peoples produce urban space together in shared territory. City leaders can find widespread support for efforts to strengthen municipal‐Indigenous governance and representations within public spaces, with little reason to fear public opposition.