Leaders hope aboriginal voters will help swing results – Yahoo News
10 Aug, 2015
In the first federal election since the Idle No More movement signalled a renewed political engagement among Canada’s aboriginal population, indigenous leaders are looking for change.
National chief Perry Bellegarde told an Assembly of First Nations (AFN) general assembly on July 7 that his group has identified 51 ridings across the country where aboriginal voters can swing the results, including nearly two dozen in the hands of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.
Despite historically low levels of voter turnout among Canada’s indigenous populations, Bellegarde and others say this election is different.
“People are starting to realize the power of the First Nations vote if we can get organized,” Bellegarde told Yahoo Canada News.
