Global Justice Lab · Policing and Community Safety Research project · Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto · Ron Levi · computed with Claude Code (Anthropic)

The attitude space: an MCA of Indigenous-issue items in the 2021 Canadian Election Study

Weighted specific multiple correspondence analysis of eight attitude items answered by the same 3,926 respondents (four residential-schools actions, reconciliation spending, three resentment statements). Dots are response categories; the closer two categories sit, the more the same people chose both. Hollow diamonds are projected onto the space without shaping it.

Residential-schools actions Reconciliation spending Resentment statements  Supplementary (projected)

The picture in brief

Reject the actions + endorse resentmentEmphatic support + reject resentmentThe tepid middle: somewhat, neither, spend-sameConservativeLiberalNDP / GreenColdest to Indigenous people (therm 0-24)Warmest (therm 75-100)Sees little/no discriminationSees a great deal of discriminationEducation, age, region, gender: all huddle hereresentment / opposereconciliation supportOne axis carries 80 percent of the structure (adjusted)

The full plane (every category; exact values in the table below)

Dim 1: resentment ↔ reconciliation support (80% adjusted / 22% raw inertia) Dim 2: opinionated poles ↑ vs tepid middle ↓ (17% adj / 13% raw) TRC calls: opposeThermometer 0-24Reconciliation spending: spend lessGrave searches: opposeColonialism made it difficult: disagreeGotten less than deserve: disagreeCease court actions: strongly supportRenaming: strongly supportTRC calls: strongly supportGrave searches: strongly supportDiscrimination: great dealSpecial favors (resentment): agreeParty ID: NDPReconciliation spending: spend moreCease court actions: opposeSpecial favors (resentment): disagreeRenaming: opposeThermometer 25-49Gotten less than deserve: agreeParty ID: ConservativeColonialism made it difficult: agreeThermometer 75-100Discrimination: little/noneParty ID: GreenRegion: WestEducation: BA+Education: College/some uniAge 55+Region: OntarioManWomanAge 18-34Discrimination: a lotAge 35-54Party ID: LiberalEducation: HS or lessRegion: AtlanticRegion: QuebecThermometer 50-74Discrimination: moderateParty ID: BlocParty ID: No party IDRenaming: somewhat supportCease court actions: somewhat supportTRC calls: somewhat supportGrave searches: somewhat supportReconciliation spending: spend sameGotten less than deserve: neitherSpecial favors (resentment): neitherColonialism made it difficult: neither
How to read it. One axis organizes nearly everything: the adjusted first dimension carries 80 percent of the structure, running from opposing the actions, wanting less spending and endorsing resentment statements (left) to strongly supporting every action, wanting more spending and rejecting resentment (right). Symbolic items (renaming) and material ones (spending, court actions) sit on the same axis rather than forming separate dimensions: in 2021, Canadians who supported one supported the others. The second dimension separates people with emphatic views at either pole (top) from those choosing middle options and "neither" (bottom), an intensity contrast, not a second substantive divide. Among the projected categories, the Indigenous feeling thermometer and perceived discrimination order cleanly along dimension 1, party identification spreads from Conservative (-0.57) to NDP and Green (+0.53), and education barely moves (-0.10 to +0.10): where a respondent sits on this axis is far better read from party and affect than from schooling.

Method and limits: CES 2021 public microdata (Harvard Dataverse doi:10.7910/DVN/XBZHKC), non-probability online panel (Leger) weighted to census margins with pes21_weight_general_all (the full adult sample, so Indigenous respondents are included at roughly their 5 percent population share; the axes describe the national opinion space, dominated numerically by non-Indigenous respondents); analysis block = respondents receiving the randomized residential-schools module who completed the post-election survey (n=3,926); don't-know responses set passive (specific MCA), so response style cannot pose as substance; categories collapsed as shown in the table; perceived discrimination is projected from the subsample that received that module. Adjusted rates are Benzecri's; raw indicator-matrix rates (22, 13 percent) are reported alongside because the adjustment flatters. Reproduce with run_ces_mca.py in the project repository; coordinates in CES_MCA_Categories.csv. Built 2026-08-04.

The questions, as asked (verbatim from the catalogue)
Tag on this pageCatalogue IDFull question as askedResponse optionsRole here
TRC callsCES-002Below are some actions that some believe should be taken to respond to those impacted by residential schools. Do you support or oppose the following actions? Accelerate progress on the calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission.Strongly oppose (1) / Somewhat oppose (2) / Somewhat support (3) / Strongly support (4) / Don't know (5)active
Grave searchesCES-003...Federal government funding to identify unmarked graves at all former residential schools.Same 4-point support/oppose + DKactive
Cease court actionsCES-004...All governments ceasing court actions against residential school survivors and first nations children.Same 4-point support/oppose + DKactive
RenamingCES-005...Renaming buildings and institutions that are named for people who built or ran parts of the residential school system.Same 4-point support/oppose + DKactive
Reconciliation spendingCES-001How much should the federal government spend on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples?Spend less (1) / Spend about the same as now (2) / Spend more (3) / Don't know/Prefer not to answer (4)active
Special favors (resentment)CES-008Irish, Italian, Jewish and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Aboriginal peoples in Canada should do the same without any special favors.Strongly disagree (1) / Somewhat disagree (2) / Neither agree nor disagree (3) / Somewhat agree (4) / Strongly agree (5)active: agreeing is the resentful side
Gotten less than deserveCES-009Over the past few years, Aboriginal peoples have gotten less than they deserve.Same 5-point agree/disagree + DKactive: agreeing is the supportive side
Colonialism made it difficultCES-010Generations of colonialism and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Aboriginal peoples to work their way out of the lower class.Same 5-point agree/disagree + DKactive: agreeing is the supportive side
Discrimination vs IndigenousCES-006How much discrimination is there in Canada against each of the following groups? Indigenous PeoplesA great deal (1) / A lot (2) / A moderate amount (3) / A little (4) / None at all (5) / Don't know (6)supplementary
ThermometerCES-007How do you feel about the following groups? Set the slider to any number from 0 to 100, where 0 means you really dislike the group and 100 means you really like the group. Indigenous peoples0-100 continuous slider / Don't knowsupplementary

IDs match the explorer, where each item also carries its full results and source notes. The two reverse-keyed resentment items read supportive when agreed with; the wordings make the directions plain.

Coordinates, shares and contributions (all categories)
CategoryTypeShareDim 1 Dim 2Ctr 1 %Ctr 2 %Question as asked
TRC calls: opposeactive13.6%-1.18+0.925.15.4[CES-002] Below are some actions that some believe should be taken to respond to those impacted by residential schools. Do you support or oppose the following actions? Accelerate progress on the calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission.
TRC calls: somewhat supportactive34.9%-0.25-0.540.64.6[CES-002] Below are some actions that some believe should be taken to respond to those impacted by residential schools. Do you support or oppose the following actions? Accelerate progress on the calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission.
TRC calls: strongly supportactive29.3%+0.97+0.397.42.0[CES-002] Below are some actions that some believe should be taken to respond to those impacted by residential schools. Do you support or oppose the following actions? Accelerate progress on the calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission.
Grave searches: opposeactive18.5%-1.15+0.766.64.9[CES-003] ...Federal government funding to identify unmarked graves at all former residential schools.
Grave searches: somewhat supportactive34.6%-0.22-0.590.55.5[CES-003] ...Federal government funding to identify unmarked graves at all former residential schools.
Grave searches: strongly supportactive34.9%+0.86+0.297.01.3[CES-003] ...Federal government funding to identify unmarked graves at all former residential schools.
Cease court actions: opposeactive22.9%-0.41+0.181.00.3[CES-004] ...All governments ceasing court actions against residential school survivors and first nations children.
Cease court actions: somewhat supportactive22.0%-0.26-0.440.42.0[CES-004] ...All governments ceasing court actions against residential school survivors and first nations children.
Cease court actions: strongly supportactive24.2%+0.71+0.443.32.2[CES-004] ...All governments ceasing court actions against residential school survivors and first nations children.
Renaming: opposeactive34.4%-0.68+0.174.30.5[CES-005] ...Renaming buildings and institutions that are named for people who built or ran parts of the residential school system.
Renaming: somewhat supportactive24.6%+0.07-0.430.02.1[CES-005] ...Renaming buildings and institutions that are named for people who built or ran parts of the residential school system.
Renaming: strongly supportactive23.1%+0.94+0.415.51.8[CES-005] ...Renaming buildings and institutions that are named for people who built or ran parts of the residential school system.
Reconciliation spending: spend lessactive22.6%-1.16+0.788.26.3[CES-001] How much should the federal government spend on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples?
Reconciliation spending: spend sameactive34.6%-0.24-0.810.510.4[CES-001] How much should the federal government spend on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples?
Reconciliation spending: spend moreactive36.4%+0.88+0.197.70.6[CES-001] How much should the federal government spend on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples?
Special favors (resentment): disagreeactive38.1%+0.82+0.176.90.5[CES-008] Irish, Italian, Jewish and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Aboriginal peoples in Canada should do the same without any special favors.
Special favors (resentment): neitheractive17.4%-0.12-1.320.113.9[CES-008] Irish, Italian, Jewish and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Aboriginal peoples in Canada should do the same without any special favors.
Special favors (resentment): agreeactive40.5%-0.78+0.246.61.1[CES-008] Irish, Italian, Jewish and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Aboriginal peoples in Canada should do the same without any special favors.
Gotten less than deserve: disagreeactive27.6%-1.01+0.527.73.5[CES-009] Over the past few years, Aboriginal peoples have gotten less than they deserve.
Gotten less than deserve: neitheractive18.0%-0.41-1.290.813.8[CES-009] Over the past few years, Aboriginal peoples have gotten less than they deserve.
Gotten less than deserve: agreeactive48.0%+0.71+0.096.60.2[CES-009] Over the past few years, Aboriginal peoples have gotten less than they deserve.
Colonialism made it difficult: disagreeactive24.6%-1.02+0.567.03.5[CES-010] Generations of colonialism and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Aboriginal peoples to work their way out of the lower class.
Colonialism made it difficult: neitheractive16.6%-0.46-1.320.913.3[CES-010] Generations of colonialism and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Aboriginal peoples to work their way out of the lower class.
Colonialism made it difficult: agreeactive53.0%+0.60+0.075.20.1[CES-010] Generations of colonialism and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Aboriginal peoples to work their way out of the lower class.
Discrimination vs Indigenous: great dealsupplementary11.0%+0.74+0.25[CES-006] How much discrimination is there in Canada against each of the following groups? Indigenous Peoples
Discrimination vs Indigenous: a lotsupplementary13.5%+0.23-0.12[CES-006] How much discrimination is there in Canada against each of the following groups? Indigenous Peoples
Discrimination vs Indigenous: moderatesupplementary12.3%-0.33-0.31[CES-006] How much discrimination is there in Canada against each of the following groups? Indigenous Peoples
Discrimination vs Indigenous: little/nonesupplementary10.6%-0.73+0.01[CES-006] How much discrimination is there in Canada against each of the following groups? Indigenous Peoples
Thermometer 0-24supplementary5.4%-1.24+0.88[CES-007] How do you feel about the following groups? Set the slider to any number from 0 to 100, where 0 means you really dislike the group and 100 means you really like the group. Indigenous peoples
Thermometer 25-49supplementary8.7%-0.83+0.12[CES-007] How do you feel about the following groups? Set the slider to any number from 0 to 100, where 0 means you really dislike the group and 100 means you really like the group. Indigenous peoples
Thermometer 50-74supplementary34.9%-0.20-0.29[CES-007] How do you feel about the following groups? Set the slider to any number from 0 to 100, where 0 means you really dislike the group and 100 means you really like the group. Indigenous peoples
Thermometer 75-100supplementary41.4%+0.49+0.05[CES-007] How do you feel about the following groups? Set the slider to any number from 0 to 100, where 0 means you really dislike the group and 100 means you really like the group. Indigenous peoples
Party ID: Liberalsupplementary26.6%+0.15-0.13CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Party ID: Conservativesupplementary24.6%-0.57+0.08CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Party ID: NDPsupplementary16.1%+0.53+0.19CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Party ID: Blocsupplementary6.3%-0.10-0.32CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Party ID: Greensupplementary3.3%+0.52+0.01CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Party ID: No party IDsupplementary11.8%-0.14-0.33CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Education: HS or lesssupplementary34.2%-0.10-0.17CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Education: College/some unisupplementary39.8%-0.04-0.04CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Education: BA+supplementary25.9%+0.10-0.03CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Age 18-34supplementary27.7%+0.25-0.10CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Age 35-54supplementary32.8%-0.05-0.12CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Age 55+supplementary39.5%-0.19-0.04CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Mansupplementary51.2%-0.20-0.07CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Womansupplementary48.5%+0.16-0.10CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Region: Ontariosupplementary37.9%+0.13-0.05CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Region: Quebecsupplementary23.0%-0.10-0.18CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Region: Westsupplementary32.1%-0.16-0.02CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item
Region: Atlanticsupplementary6.9%+0.04-0.17CES background variable (party, education, age, gender or region), not a catalogue item