Federal parties aren't really listening to First Nations communities, says Indigenous voter
Reconciliation won't be possible until parties 'take truth into account': Liana Wolf Leg
Reconciliation can't be achieved until the federal parties start listening to Indigenous communities, according to one First Nations voter.
"We have been coming out with our truth, talking about residential schools, talking about economic insecurity, talking about the state of the land that we're living on right now, talking about our state of housing, but nobody's truly listening," said Liana Wolf Leg, who works for the Reconciliation Pipeline — a pro-pipeline group who want Indigenous communities to have a majority stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Wolf Leg, who is a member of the Siksika Nation in southern Alberta, told The Current's interim host Laura Lynch that she sees some of the federal parties working towards achieving reconciliation, but that "they need to be open to start hearing."
"I don't believe that we're gonna have that true reconciliation until people are willing to listen and to take that truth into account — rather than trying to hide it under the rug."
Indigenous voters turned out in record numbers for the federal election in 2015. Data analysis showed that the Liberals picked up most of the new voters, while the NDP remained the party of choice for First Nations voters living on-reserve. During the summer, a poll commissioned by CBC News suggested that dissatisfaction among Indigenous voters would result in a significant drop in First Nations' votes cast for the Liberals this time around.
To discuss the issues that matter to Indigenous voters, and what losing their support might mean for the federal parties, Lynch spoke to:
- Liana Wolf Leg, a member of the Siksika Nation in southern Alberta, who works for the Reconciliation Pipeline. She is undecided as to how she will vote on Oct. 21.
- Dave Randall, a pulp and paper worker in B.C. Randall is Indigenous and says he plans to vote Conservative.
- Veldon Coburn, an Anishinaabe professor at the University of Ottawa's Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies. He says he will be voting for the NDP.
Written by Padraig Moran. Produced by Max Paris and Ines Colabrese.