Community leaders push for indigenous voters to engage in upcoming provincial election

With the provincial election ballot box in sight, residents of Saskatchewan are rearing to cast their votes. Organizations and community members are also pushing for indigenous voters to head to the polls. 

In the recent federal election, turnout among indigenous voters was up significantly over the previous vote in 2011. For the federal election, Zoey Roy volunteered to mobilize the indigenous vote in Saskatchewan, but says that momentum just doesn't exist for the provincial election.

"We were really at a place where we had to take a stand in this colonial government," Roy said on CBC's Saskatoon Morning.

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The Métis student and writer from Saskatoon said for the upcoming provincial election, indigenous voters may not understand the relationship the provincial government has with their communities.

"I don't think this election is going to make a world of a difference, but I think we will have a lot to regret if we don't go out to vote, no matter how apathetic we feel or how disengaged we feel," she said. "We still have a responsibility and I think that belongs to all of us, that responsibility."

Especially after a long, strong campaign to bring out the vote for the federal election, John Noon says there's also an issue with "election hangover." The Thunderchild First Nation band councillor agreed that First Nations people understand that a lot of their issues are considered a federal responsibility, but they haven't connected to how the provincial election will impact them.

"There are lots of promises out there but it seems like that's what it is — just promises," Noon said.

When it comes to those promises, Noon said they don't seem to be front and centre for any political party.

"It's an urban race," he said. "Everybody is forgetting about the rural, and everybody totally forgot about the First Nations."

Even though Noon said he is just not engaged in the upcoming election, he added it's important for indigenous people to head to the polls, "even begrudgingly."

NDP candidate for Saskatoon-Meewasin Nicole White said she has seen excitement from indigenous people in the community, especially as a Métis candidate.

"We've seen a huge excitement on our campaign with indigenous folks in our community, folks who are traveling into the city who want to work on that campaign," she said. "People are engaged. People are fired up."

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According to Elections Saskatchewan, they've been corresponding with the 74 Chiefs of the province's First Nations over the past eight months. As a result, this provincial election will see 155 polling stations on First Nations, up from just below 100 in 2011.

First Nations Voters Guides are also available in both Cree and Dene.

The aboriginal vote matters

The Saskatoon Tribal Council is attempting to curb an apathetic attitude with an initiative called My Voice Matters. The campaign promotes an indigenous engagement with the election.

Donna Renneberg, who works with the tribal council, said many people are discouraged because they feel they won't impact the outcome of the election.

"At times, people say that they know the outcome so why bother voting, that kind of thing," she said.

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The campaign is trying to curb that thinking by showing indigenous voters that through their presence at the polls, they can show which issues are important.

"People need to get out there and vote for people that will, you know, pick up the issues or support it, or at least listen to the issues that they have around health, education, and the economy," she said.

"That is how we are going to have representation in the government system of this province. Or we may have issues that will… go to the forefront of that table."

The campaign is also to engage the young people with the political process so that they may consider politics in the future, increasing the indigenous representation within the system.

"We try to promote the whole idea of being involved first, knowing about the electoral process and how that works, and how you can become a participant in it," she said.

People will head to the polls on April 4.