Just 1 in 3 Quebecers agree with the Habs land acknowledgment

According to a Léger study, just one in three Quebecers are in favour of Indigenous land acknowledgements by NHL teams, like the one made by the Montreal Canadiens. Support in Quebec was the lowest in Canada, at 31%, while support in Ontario was the highest, at 52%.

Responding to the team’s introduction of land acknowledgments, Quebec Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière himself acknowledged that First Nations were here first but criticized the Habs’ decision, citing a so-called debate by historians about which nation should be cited, or whether Montreal was terra nullius.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, who welcomed the Canadiens’ gesture, was “repulsed” by the government’s politicization of what they view as an authentic gesture of reconciliation.

The study also found that Anglophones (46%) were twice as likely to support the NHL’s land acknowledgement initiatives as francophones (28%), and that women (48%) were more in favour than men (38%). Younger Canadians aged 18 to 24 also showed higher levels of support (65%) than those aged 55 to 64 (30%).

Sondage Léger:
Êtes-vous en accord avec les mentions de reconnaissance des terres autochtones lors des parties de hockey? ???? https://t.co/yR8q3X7KJm

— Jean-Marc Leger (@JeanMarcLeger1) October 29, 2021

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