Candidates are narrowly split when it comes to their responses to Taproot's candidate survey on Edmonton's responsibilities regarding Indigenous relations.
Thirty, or a slim majority of candidates for mayor and council who completed the survey, answered this question by choosing that they will Be guided by the Indigenous Framework in all decisions if they are elected. That framework holds the city to seven commitments, including supporting reconciliation, eliminating systemic racism, and making city spaces welcoming for Indigenous people and practices. Four mayoral candidates — Andrew Knack, Olney Tugwell, Tim Cartmell, and Ronald Stewart Billingsley, Jr — chose this option.
Twenty-four candidates, meanwhile, answered the question by choosing Engage with Indigenous communities on specific issues. Though this response option drew less support overall than the Indigenous Framework option, among candidates for mayor it was the most popular option, with seven — Abdul Malik Chukwudi, Andy Andrzej Gudanowski, Omar Mohammad, Rahim Jaffer, Tony Caterina, Utha Nadauk, and Michael Walters — choosing it.
Nine candidates selected a third option, which represented a break with established policies. If elected, they said they will Focus on core municipal services, leaving reconciliation to the federal and provincial governments. Council candidates Rob Fediuk, James Gosse, Justin Thomas, Jordon Woodruff, Stephen Hammerschmidt, James Miller, Larry Langley, and Fidel Ammar chose this option; Vanessa Denman, who's running for mayor, also did.
Two candidates said they did not have a position on this question: Paul Bakhmut, who's running for mayor, and Jesse Watson, who's running in Anirniq.
Ashok Sui, a candidate in Sspomitapi, did not answer the question.
As of this writing, 28 candidates for council and mayor have not completed the survey.
The context around the question is deep, historic, and ever changing. As Taproot offered for context in the survey, before Edmonton existed, Indigenous peoples used what became the city as a meeting place and home, and signed Treaty 6 with the Canadian government. This has made the city's relationship with Indigenous nations complex. At the end of the last council's term, Edmonton adopted the Indigenous Framework. It sought to balance city processes with Indigenous approaches, and has led to basics like allowing smudging in recreation facilities, and increasing awareness across the city's workforce. The city launched its Municipal Response Plan in 2022 to respond to the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada report.
In 2024, Taproot reported that the city's work on Indigenous-led housing remains complex. As we reported recently, some voters who answered our election question said reconciliation with Indigenous nations matters for their vote.
For more on Edmonton's 2025 municipal election — from where candidates stand to voting info — visit edmonton.taproot.vote. There you can complete the Taproot Edmonton Survey and immediately see which candidates for mayor and council in your ward align with your views.