SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan are more than twice as likely as the general population to feel they've been mistreated at work, a new survey suggests.

The Saskatchewan Anti-Racism Network earlier this week released what it called it the most comprehensive survey on racism ever done in the province, with 675 people being interviewed by telephone.

Conducted by Norsask Consumer Interview Services in November and December 2007, the survey found that 10.9 per cent of the general population feels unfairly treated at work while 28 per cent of the aboriginal population feels that way.

Saskatchewan Anti-Racism Network chair Bill Anderson said the survey has a lot to say about race relations in this province.

"For me, the most surprising aspect was the workplace issues," Anderson said. "I think [the survey showed] that aboriginal people wanted the respect within the workplace."

The idea that many aboriginal people might feel mistreated in the workplace came as no surprise to Amanda Halkett, who was looking at the job boards at Regina's First Nations Employment Centre on Wednesday.

Halkett feels that she has been discriminated against because of her race, with one recent job interview in particular standing out in her mind.

"He pretty much looked at me like I was some prostitute or something and I didn't really like that," she said, referring to the man who interviewed her. "He kept asking me if I was on drugs or I took drugs."

Almost 40% feel they've faced discrimination

According to the survey, the feeling of discrimination extends beyond the workplace. Although 18.9 per cent of the general population group said they felt they were discriminated against in the last year, 39.8 per cent of aboriginal people said they have felt that way.

The feelings stemmed from such incidents as being watched in stores or served last in restaurants, people said in the survey.

Anderson said the survey doesn't indicate race relations are getting worse or better, but there are ways to improve things.

"Education is key," he said. "We have to be talking about it as a community."

The Anti-Racism Network said it hopes by publicizing the results of the survey, they can make people aware that discrimination does exist in the province and help people recognize it when they see it.

Other findings in the survey include:

- Aboriginal people are twice as likely as people in the general population to say they "often" observe acts of racism.

- Asked about the current state of race relations in Saskatchewan, most people say it's good or fair. Both aboriginal people and people from the general group had similar answers.

- 77.8 per cent of aboriginal people and 83.8 per cent of people in the general population said they have friends that belong to an ethnic or racial group that's different from theirs.

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