Social media campaign aims to boost number of First Nations people voting

A social media campaign is trying to get more First Nations people to the polls in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Indigenous Rock the Vote 2014 has around 2,200 people signed up on Facebook.

Campaign organizer Jackie Traverse said she and others were partly inspired to set up the website and urge people in her community to vote after racially-charged comments made by Lorrie Steeves.

A four-year-old Facebook post from the wife of mayoral candidate Gord Steeves was leaked, where she complained about aggressive panhandlers calling them “drunken native guys.”

“Seeing that there is open racism here in the City of Winnipeg I just feel like we have a voice our vote matters let’s do something about this,” said Traverse.

The group has a planning session set for Neechi Commons on Main Street on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

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  Campaign organizer Jackie Traverse said she and others were partly inspired to set up the website and urge people in her community to vote after racially-charged comments made by Lorrie Steeves, wife of candidate Gord Steeves.