Campaign to get out Indigenous vote moves into full force

With less than two weeks before the federal election, the push is on to get the Indigenous vote out.

Carrie Currie Hall, originally from Maskwacis and now living in the United States, is hopeful her expertise can have a positive impact.

“Rock the Indigenous vote is a movement of the people by the people to get out the vote for the federal election and to really make a difference and be the swing vote,” said Currie Hall.

Currie Hall was active in Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2007. The result was Native American block vote, the first Native American woman on Obama’s senior staff, and a Native American lawyer appointed as a US ambassador.

Treaty 6 Grand Chief Tony Alexis and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair hold up a “Rock the
Indigenous vote” t-shirt.
(Photo: Shari Narine)

“You see President Obama and how much he’s done because we worked very closely with him,” she said. “We brought the same kind of movement into Canada and we called
key people to be involved with us.”

Among those key people is Shane Gottsfriedson, Assembly of First Nations British Columbia Regional Chief.

“This is about mobilizing the people to vote,” said Gottfriedson, who noted that First Nations people were given the right to vote in 1960. “We want to look at having our voices heard.”

But First Nations voters are up against a number of issues including logistics. AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde says that along with launching an educational awareness campaign, AFN is also tackling the issues of transportation and access to the ballot box, for those living in remote communities.

And then there’s the belief that has strengthened First Nations’ decision not to vote: the the relationship is nation-to-nation, so between First Nation and the Crown and not between First Nations and the governing party.

“Because of what our old people tell us, we have a treaty relationship with the Crown. I don’t have a treaty with the NDP or the Liberals or Conservatives or the Greens or the Bloc. I have a relationship with the Crown so no matter who gets in,
there’s supposed to live by, abide by and implement this treaty. That was our teachings,” said Bellegarde.

In fact, up until six weeks ago, Bellegarde wasn’t voting. He has since changed his mind but it wasn’t a decision he came to lightly. He went home and sought guidance, he said, through ceremony, prayer, Elders, youth, women and Chiefs.

To counter the lack of practice in voting, Rock the Indigenous Vote rallies have been held across the country, and voting is being discussed at the grassroots level and at every gathering, small and large.

“It’s getting down to the countdown, I think we’re raising a lot of awareness in the communities, at provincial gatherings and encouraging the people to vote. We’re getting a lot of good results … making sure our people do get out and vote,” said
Gottfriedson.

A study undertaken by the AFN indicated that there were 51 ridings across the country in which Indigenous voters could make a difference. In Alberta, the AFN has identified only one riding and it is Edmonton-Griesbach. While there are seven
Indigenous candidates in the province, none of them is running in Edmonton-Griesbach.

“We’re getting excited about the Indigenous vote. It’s about time,” said Gottfriedson.

Bellegarde says he won’t be encouraging Indigenous voters to vote in blocks. Instead, he wants them to make informed decisions, as well as to support their Indigenous candidates. He noted that three former regional chiefs, including Cameron Alexis for Alberta, are seeking seats. And having Indigenous MPs, who can make changes from the inside as organizations such as AFN push form the outside, is beneficial.

“Maybe be strategic if you have to. But just get out there (and vote). Because then … any future prime minister, any future member of parliament, they’ve got to listen to those First Nations people because they’re getting out the numbers now,” said Bellegarde.