Indigenous voters hope to see spike in turnout at federal election
This summer, members of the Indigenous community rallied together to honour children found in unmarked graves at residential schools while pushing for change.
Some are wondering if this and calls for reconciliation will translate to big numbers at polling stations on election day.
In 2015, turnout was up among Indigenous voters federally. In Manitoba, Elections Canada said turnout for on-reserve voters was 57.5 per cent in 2015. In 2019 it dropped off to 40.6 per cent.
Dani Rae’s three-year-old son is Indigenous. She hopes that number spikes again.
“There’s a lot of change that needs to happen. There’s a lot of advocacy for Indigenous rights right now, and people are upset,” Rae said.
Chris Adams, a political studies adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba said he doesn’t expect voter turnout to be as high as 2015 when Justin Trudeau made promises that garnered support from Indigenous leaders.
“We’ve had a number of years of the Trudeau Liberals in power, so there’s less excitement about turning things over,” Adams said. “Secondly I think things are snapping back to the historical pattern.”
Adams believes NDP incumbents in Manitoba could benefit from those historical patterns, as they represent ridings with high Indigenous populations.
On the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature, a camp still stands to honour the children being discovered.
Shawna Peloquin is an organizer with the camp.
“I always vote because I like to complain, and for me that gives me the authority to complain about who I vote for,” said Peloquin.
She too doesn’t expect Indigenous people will rush to the polls like they did in 2015.
“I think that there’s lots of disappointment,“ said Peloquin “but also that Indigenous people have a lot to worry about more than who, whatever ego trip the candidates are going for.”
Rae understands why that might be the case. She says there is mistrust within the Indigenous community.
“You could see it go either way,” Rae said. “They could end up saying we don’t want to participate in government affairs right now.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.