05) GRAPPLING WITH TOUGH QUESTIONS

People’s Voice Editorial

            By raising new barriers to many potential voters, the Harper Conservatives have helped to spark an interesting debate around electoral participation by indigenous and Aboriginal peoples.

            The (Un)Fair Elections Act passed in 2014 made it more difficult for thousands of people to prove their identity when trying to cast a ballot, especially those who are low-income, elderly, living in rural areas and on reserves, etc. The Assembly of First Nations is working with Elections Canada to remove some of these barriers, with details on the AFN website.

            AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde calls this election “an opportunity for all Canadians to help close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations people and the rest of Canada.” As he notes, Canada ranks between 6th and 8th on the UN Human Development Index while First Nations fall between 63rd and 78th. First Nations people face poorer health, a shorter life span, housing shortages, boil water advisories, high incarceration rates, and appalling numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The AFN is asking First Nations and Canadian voters to support “leaders and candidates who commit to a brighter future, one that includes First Nations as true partners in Canada."

            Others within the indigenous movements have a different outlook. Grassroots Idle No More activist Pamela Palmater, for example, argues that “we should rest our hope on a federal election any more than we should an Assembly of First Nations election.” She believes that “the whole point of sovereignty is that Indigenous Nations must assert, live, and defend our sovereignty, jurisdiction, and right of self-determination – not vote for federal politicians to do that for us.”

            But there is wide agreement that the status quo of mass poverty and inequality is not acceptable. Despite debates over tactics, the struggle to reverse the genocidal legacy of colonialism and racism must become a key demand in this election campaign.       

(The above article is from the September 1-15, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)