Alberta First Nations intend to 'rock the vote' against separatism
First Nations leaders in Alberta are launching a 'Rock the Vote' campaign to encourage high voter turnout in the upcoming provincial referendum on separatism. The initiative focuses on overcoming barriers to voting, such as lack of identification and civic addresses.
Why it matters
Indigenous political mobilization is becoming a critical factor in Canadian provincial politics, particularly regarding sovereignty and treaty rights.
Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi of Treaty 8 First Nations told CBC News they want to replicate the 2015 "Rock the Vote" campaign , which resulted in the highest on-reserve participation in a federal election since Elections Canada began calculating First Nations turnout in 2004.
"The Indigenous Rock the Vote was very successful," Mercredi said. "We have to get our people out to vote and we have to campaign."
Albertans will head to the polls Oct. 19 to answer 10 ballot questions, including whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or commence the legal process of holding a second binding referendum on leaving the country.
One of the biggest challenges facing First Nations people is that many don’t have a civic address on-reserve or the required ID to vote, such as a driver’s licence.
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