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was delayed for Status Indians and uneven across provinces when federal legislation extending voting rights was repealed. (1) 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...