Lack of engagement on indigenous issues this election

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/10/2015 (3700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The potential impact of getting out the aboriginal vote has been discussed a great deal this election. Yet, as one aboriginal activist says, in urban centres such as Winnipeg, none of the parties has done much to entice them to get involved in the campaign.

“You see so many articles that say First Nations have the opportunity to swing ridings, but when you don’t talk about indigenous issues, I just find it frustrating,” Lenard Monkman said. “News agencies point out that we need to get out and vote, and the parties aren’t saying anything with any type of legitimacy.”

The Assembly of First Nations, which is a body of more than 600 chiefs from across Canada, is frustrated with the lack of attention on First Nations issues.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde blasted the party leaders after the Globe and Mail leaders debate on the economy last month, after indigenous issues failed to get much attention from Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair.

“It was a big sign, and another missed opportunity,” Bellegarde told the Free Press.

Arguably, there is a lack of incentive for parties to target indigenous voters. The two ridings in Winnipeg with the largest aboriginal populations — Winnipeg Centre and Winnipeg North — both had turnout rates of less than 50 per cent in the 2011 election.

Aboriginal voter turnout is historically lower than non-aboriginals. A fact groups, such as Indigenous Rock the Vote, have been trying to change in this election.

The results of their work will become apparent on voting day, Oct. 19. In the meantime, here are some of the issues pertaining to the indigenous community locally and nationally.

Shoal Lake and Freedom Road

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation near the Ontario border has been under a boil-water advisory for 17 years. The community became cut off when Winnipeg’s aqueduct was built a century ago. It can only be reached by ferry in the summer or across the frozen lake in the winter. Earlier this summer, the City of Winnipeg and province pledged $10 million each to help fund an all-weather road to the community, while the federal government balked at matching the financial commitment. Instead, it pledged $1 million for a design study

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Conservatives: After retiring Conservative MP Joy Smith went rogue and called on the federal government to fund the road, the Conservatives reiterated their funding for the design study and said they are committed “in principle” to building the highway.

Liberals: Justin Trudeau announced in July a Liberal government would fund the road.

NDP: At a campaign stop in Winnipeg in August, Tom Mulcair said, if elected, he would fund the highway.

Education spending

After a $1.9-billion education initiative between the AFN and Conservative government fell apart, talks on funding agreements have stalled. The Conservatives have yet to return to the bargaining table with Bellegarde, who replaced Shawn Atleo after the latter resigned as national chief over the contentious deal. Meanwhile, since 1996, funding has been capped to a two per cent annual increase for on-reserve funding, which has been maligned by the aboriginal community. The Centre for the Study of Living Standards reported in June eliminating the educational funding gap for First Nations by 2031 would boost aboriginal employment by 90,000 workers and the aboriginal contribution to GDP by as much as $28.3 billion or $672 per Canadian living in 2031.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Conservatives: The party has made no announcements on the issue. In this year’s budget, $1.9 billion was allotted for education, along with an additional $200 million over five years.

Liberals: Trudeau has vowed to scrap the Conservatives’ stalled education act, He has promised $2.6 billion over four years to improve kindergarten to Grade 12. He pledged an immediate $500 million to improve school infrastructure on reserves.

NDP: There has been no formal announcement by Mulcair on funding for education spending for First Nations.

Closing the gap

Canada typically ranks between sixth and eighth on the United Nations Human Development Index, but according to the AFN, First Nations people in Canada fall between 63rd and 78th.

Addressing the gap between the quality of life of indigenous people and non-aboriginal Canadians has been a sticking point for the AFN.

Bellegarde has said closing the gap will add $400 billion to the country’s economy and save $115 billion in social spending.

“That gap needs to be closed, and that means investment in education and training, investment in housing, investment in ending violence, strategic investments and dealing with the high numbers of children in foster care.”

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Bellegarde said he is still waiting for concrete responses from the leaders.

Kapyong Barracks

The 160-acre old military base in Winnipeg had been vacant for years after a lengthy court battle between the federal government and Treaty 1 First Nations, who argued the land should have been ceded to them after it was abandoned.

Recently, the Federal Court of Appeal sided with the four Treaty 1 bands, saying they should have had the right of first refusal for the land. The next step could be an urban reserve or it could also be developed into a multi-use neighbourhood.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Conservatives: In a surprise response last month, Stephen Harper announced during a campaign stop in Winnipeg he will not appeal the court decision. “Officials from the government have met with members of the First Nations and will continue to do so as we move forward,” he said Sept. 22.

Liberals: Trudeau has not made a public statement on the decision.

NDP: Prior to Harper’s announcement, Muclair spoke at a rally in Winnipeg and stated he planned a more co-operative approach with First Nations on Kapyong.

“I’ll work with First Nations, not fight them in court,” said Mulcair. “I will usher in a new era.”

Mulcair pledged to create a cabinet-level committee to ensure government decisions respect treaty rights.

Lake St. Martin

In 2011, severe flooding forced the evacuation of about 2,000 residents of Lake St. Martin, 255 kilometres north of Winnipeg. Most of the evacuees have spent the majority of the past four years living in hotel rooms or apartments in Winnipeg. In the days leading up to the election, the federal and Manitoba governments promised $495 million for two channels to ease flooding near communities such as Lake St. Martin. However, in the following days, chiefs from across the province lambasted the decision, questioning why a deal to construct a flood outlet was made before addressing outstanding financial and humanitarian issues from 2011.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

None of the party leaders has directly addressed Lake St. Martin. The NDP has pledged $9 million toward natural-disaster relief, which includes flooding.

Missing and murdered indigenous women inquiry

Indigenous groups across the country, along with the United Nations, have called for a national inquiry into the almost 2,000 indigenous women who have gone missing or been slain in the past 20 years. The discovery of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine’s body in Winnipeg’s Red River in 2014 raised the profile of the issue nationally.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Conservatives: They have long rebuffed calls for a national inquiry.

Liberals: Trudeau said if he is elected prime minister, he would hold a national inquiry.

NDP: Mulcair has pledged to call an inquiry within his first 100 days in office and has earmarked $10 million for the inquiry in 2016.

Métis land claims and status

Following the 1869-70 Red River Rebellion, roughly 7,000 Métis children were promised 1.4 million acres of land by the federal government. Métis people never received the land, leading to a 30-year court fight launched by the Manitoba Metis Federation. The Supreme Court will soon rule on the federal government responsibility toward Métis and non-status Indians.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Election Extra

During Elections

Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during civic, provincial and federal elections.

Sign up for Election Extra

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND:

Conservative: Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand said they are still waiting to hear from the Conservatives. “Whether they respond or not, I don’t know.”

Chartrand told the Free Press the Harper government appointed a special representative tasked with reviewing the decision.

Liberals: Recently, Trudeau pledged to spend more on economic development and training for Métis people, including boosting funding for aboriginal employment and training by $50 million and spending $25 million over five years on economic development in Métis communities. The Liberals pledged support for a negotiated land-claim settlement to deal with the outstanding issues raised by the Supreme Court of Canada in a 2013 decision.

NDP: Mulcair has promised without going into detail to “fix our country’s broken treaty process and deal with unresolved land claims.”