The Framing of Indigenous Canadian Families: A Historical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

To gain a comprehensive understanding of how Indigenous Canadian family life is framed in Canadian newspapers, 160 years of discourse was examined. To accomplish this analysis, newspaper articles were coded for themes relating to family and parenting, which was then compared to framing theory (Entman, 1993). This study concluded Indigenous families can be recognized through three distinct eras, each of which contributes to the development of discourse and the framing of Indigenous families. These findings are discussed concerning cultural framing and its effects on Indigenous populations.