SASKATOON – The two leading parties in the Saskatchewan provincial election are courting a previously untapped source of votes, according to one political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).
“Frankly, both parties ought to be commended about their attention to aboriginal and First Nations and Métis issues in this province,” said Greg Poelzer of the U of S.
Recent visits to La Ronge by both Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall and NDP Leader Cam Broten show how seriously each party takes the indigenous vote, Poelzer said.
“The northern administration district is 86 per cent aboriginal – very high percentage of aboriginal population. In fact, it’s the highest area of aboriginal people in Canada. It’s even larger than Nunavut,” Poelzer said.
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Both parties have made promises related to education, skills training and employment that would benefit Indigenous people. The NDP has specifically promised to fill a funding gap for schools on reserves and then bill the federal government.
“But that raises some big challenges, of course. What happens if the feds don’t pick up the bill? Then the province is on the hook,” Poelzer said.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with the federal government will be key to improving life for aboriginal people in Saskatchewan, Poelzer added.
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron said he’d like to see the winner of the provincial election address health, infrastructure and education issues on reserves.
“We have one school in particular where there’s pipes showing, there’s wires showing. It’s a potential hazard,” Cameron said.
The head of the FSIN said he’s confident indigenous people, a group with historically low voter turnout, will cast ballots.
“The mobilization is there. You look at the federal election. It happened,” Cameron said.
Elections Saskatchewan says there will be 155 polls in aboriginal communities on Monday – up from just under 100 polls in the 2011 election.
Elections Saskatchewan has also prepared a voters guide in the Cree and Dene languages.
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