Angel Houle says she’s never voted in an Alberta provincial election, but this month’s referendum is different.
Not only is she casting a ballot, Houle is helping outfit First Nations’ leaders with everything they need to get out the vote on Oct. 19.
That’s when Albertans decide whether the province should stay within Canada, or hold a second, binding referendum on breaking away.
Houle, along with other staff at the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, has been organizing workshops to build teams among member nations.
Those teams are boots on the ground, spreading the word on where and how to vote.
It’s about fighting for a united Canada and for the treaties and agreements that underpin and secure that unity.
“The decisions being made in this referendum matter to treaty people and our nations and our future generations,” Houle said in Edmonton.
“It’s important to let everyone know that silence could be consent in this referendum.”
Houle said lately community members have been vocal about wanting more information.
“It tells me that they’re wanting to participate, so that they know their voice is heard.”
First Nations people are among many groups — on both sides of the issue — spreading the message and rallying support for the vote.
Albertans are to vote on 10 questions. Nine focus on immigration and constitutional issues. The last is on separation.
The campaign has exposed rifts and a consequential lawsuit between First Nations and Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government.
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Alberta referendum: What we can learn from past and present separatist movements
Smith says First Nations remain valued partners. First Nations leaders have wondered how that can be so, given they feel their people, land and treaties — signed before Alberta even became a province — have been treated as an afterthought in the separation debate.
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Some First Nations have called in help from seasoned organizers.
Tania Cameron is an Ojibwa woman from Ontario who launched the First Nations Rock the Vote campaign from her living room more than a decade ago.
She recently spent more than a week in Alberta giving presentations, sharing get-out-the-vote strategies, and working with leaders across communities, including Treaty 8 Sovereign First Nations.
The momentum is building, Cameron said.
“People are talking; people feel that they’re on a mission.”
She said she saw people organizing voter registration drives, educating others about treaties, and participating in ceremonies to bless and recognize the importance of the work.
“There’s a lot of provinces watching, a lot of treaty chiefs across the country watching what’s happening in Alberta.”
Cameron said Alberta First Nations had such a high turnout in the 2015 federal election that some communities ran out of ballots. On-reserve voting turnout rose by about 25 percentage points, she said.
She believes they could make a similar mark on the referendum results.
“We’re going to show our political muscle,” Cameron said. “It’s about relaying the message from the people that separation is off the table.”
There are hurdles: making sure everyone has the required identification, getting them to the polling stations and overcoming language barriers.
Houle said First Nations groups are translating the questions for those whose first language isn’t English. They’re planning to ensure chiefs and other officials are at polling stations to help sign special forms verifying voters’ eligibility if needed.
They’re also reaching out to off-reserve members with an upcoming information session.
Voting demand across the province has already been sky high. Elections Alberta has dispatched more than 652,000 mail-in ballots.
The agency estimates the referendum could see an 85 per cent turnout, which would surpass the provincial record of nearly 82 per cent in the 1935 general election.
Some First Nations chiefs have already made their voices heard.
In March, as separatism talk swirled, chiefs converged on the legislature and called on Smith’s government to nip the separatist movement in the bud. From the gallery overlooking lawmakers, some yelled at the UCP to denounce separatism.
“Traitors!” shouted one chief.
It was a coalition of First Nations that launched a court fight, arguing a citizen-initiated petition to hold a separation vote was invalid because the province hadn’t followed through on its constitutional duty to consult First Nations.
In May, a judge agreed and quashed the petition. Soon after, Smith announced the government would appeal, putting the lawsuit in legal limbo.
Smith then announced the referendum anyway, citing hundreds of thousands of Albertans who signed petitions for one side or the other.
Tsuut’ina Nation Head Chief Ellery Starlight said the vote is critical, but the division it has brought has been destructive.
The nation in southern Alberta is a signatory to Treaty 7. Canada is predicated on treaties, he said, and all Albertans have a responsibility to vote for unity.
“There are a lot of people that are motivated,” Starlight said.
“We have to help them along the way. But coming up to the vote, why is it only us?” he asked.
“Why is it only the First Nations that have this kind of a campaign, and we’re the poorest demographic in Canada?”
I am sure there are Indigenous Canadians who consent
I suggest this be held up and used in defense in the next, I made a mistake phony rape trial.
Silence, even according to women, is believed to infer consent.
If the FN are so motivated as they state, how about you motivate some changes in your own yards. Clean up the mess of alcoholism, drug use, poor living conditions ect. Quit playing the victim card and pull yourselves up from the bootstraps.Most Canadians are sick of hearing about how tough it is being a native. Have you looked around Canada lately. Most have it tough also.
There working to get the vote out. Even bringing in members from bands in other provinces. Lol.
Got bones?
2025 over $40 Billion given to Indigenous tribes across Canada last year. Yet most reserves still have no fresh water, poor roads, etc etc..with no accountability…where is all the money going?
Indigenous Tribes across Canada are the same. On social assistance (welfare) don”t work. Dont pay tax. No incentive to work…around and around we go….will this ride ever end? I don’t think so.
Anonymous. You haven’t fleshed out your idea, but it looks like you’re suggesting that the FN abandon their treaties and turn over their land to Alberta so they can become ordinary Albertans in some future, separate country. If that’s your idea, why would they give up their treaty rights over the land for nothing except the right to be a citizen (I assume) in whatever new Alberta exists. Sounds like a raw deal to me.
Or, hear me out – maybe it’s time for them to abandon association with Canada and just evolve like every other nation in the world has over the past 300 years.
I know, a novel approach.
Ron H. An Alberta vote to separate wouldn’t require that a new treaty be negotiated with the FN. I also don’t see how a new treaty would give the FN better conditions than the current treaty. You’re asking the FN to abandon their current treaty rights on the chance that negotiations with the UCP, their racist supporters who are often on the Global News sites, and their U.S. masters, would be willing to negotiate fairly and agree to a reasonable treaty. If I were a member of any Alberta FN I wouldn’t put any faith in the UCP.
Danielle Smith burning tax money for nothing again so we don’t notice she has no hospital beds for cancer.
What a skank.
Move to Mar Lago beeetch.
Indigenous people might ponder if a “leader” from Ontario speaks for them, or just the indigenous grift industry that keeps them held down as second class Canadians or children under the racist “Indian Act.”
Maybe, there’s a better way. An independence vote requires a “new deal.” Ask yourselves how wonderful the last century has been and what a “do over” COULD look like.
Canada’s sovereignty is not a singularity; it’s a dual sovereign; First Nations and Canada’s. The Royal Proclamation of 1763, decreed by the British Crown, stated that its colonies must recognize and respect the existence the sovereign First Nations already here. Hence, Canada could not be “legally” created without the signing of Treaties with First Nations.
Hence the signing of Treaties 1-11; northwest Ontario to the Rocky Mountains. And, eastern Canada is covered by the pre Confederation treaties. The First Nations of eastern Canada are the original veterans of this country: They fought against the expansion of the US north of the St Lawrence River. Now it looks like the First Nations will have to fight against the separatists in Alberta to preserve their Treaties with Canada and their sovereignty. Alberta is a child of the Treaties and that can’t be changed.
I’m First Nation and intend to vote ‘yes’ on all nine and ‘option 2’. I’m encouraging my friends to do the same.
That’s how many people vote, unfortunately. “I’ll shown them! Take that!”. Pure self-annihilation.
FNs should vote like everyone else. They’re not special. The “Rock the Vote” is a rather unfortunate name for whatever they’re planning. It implies voting out of spite, not what’s actually best for them, for us, for the whole province.
Anonymous is a village idiot……with a big yap.
Reetard commenter below
First Nations people saving canada once again. Thank you friends. Most of us know.
Stoonmike. Why would the treaty have to be renegotiated to change how the First Nation divides payments and other benefits? Is this something that could be done without getting the UCP involved.
The natives could renegotiate their treaty. The one now hasn’t benefited anyone except the chiefs. Wealth from natural resources can give a positive future workwise and financially. Alot of my native friends are coming out to vote for separation
Come on ALBERTANS, show ottawa how fcking much you HATE THEM!
A Life for a Life!
@ Smart Guy, if you claim all these idiotic statements about the liberal’s and Carney, please provide some proof. Enough of your misinformation, and conspiracy Theories. Alberta will vote to go no where!
Enough with the gravy train and never mind the welfare.
Or the immigrants.
This is all for dani Smithers and the squeaky ones.
Nothing else.
They don’t want to consent to the entitled gravy train stopping. Canada was built lot stolen. Europeans took people out of the Stone Age and built a beautiful country. Dwelling on the past is a so very sad existence considering everyone alive now had nothing to do with your excuses. Enough is enough.
Alberta let’s democracy shine,unlike Carney and Liberals in Ottawa. First he bribed 5 MPs to cross the floor to get a fake majority.Then he makes his wife of all people an ocean ambassador then they committed 82 million of our dollars to ocean research all without going through the House of Commons.He took a few people on yet another European trip and spent 200k on food!How is that even possible?I thought no one would be more wastefull with taxpayers money then Jester Trudeau ,I was wrong.
Anyone who doesn’t work & pay taxes shouldn’t have the right to vote on any political item or election!
FNs are not special. They can vote in the referendum just like any other Albertan. The results will then be determined.
If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain. Silence can be interpreted on anything expect basically not caring about the issue on way of the other.
UCP / Smith doing a great job. Alberta is a true democracy and allowing citizens to be heard on a variety of issues that don’t have easy answers. Compare to Carney that acts like an authoritarian who lies about deals and doesn’t keep his election promises. Transparency is the best policy.
In 10 years the Muslims will take over Canada. Carney announced in New York the floodgates once again will be open. Carney is cozying up to the EU and they have plenty of migrates for us. Once that happens all the treaties will be torn up and tossed in the garbage. The money train will end. The courts, law enforcement will be owned by the Muslims. There will be nobody to cry to.
Is Danielle paying for this colossal waste of meney?
NO.
Yet she criticizes spending on hospitals.
Skank.
Betcha if Alberta was willing to cover their P&C payments, they’d be okay with separation.
As long as you can satisfy indigenous ‘gimme gimmes’ they’ll follow you anywhere.
Commenter below, go dig up and blow your dead ancestors
Before someone denigrates First Nations peoples, the land which was stolen from them would have been an important source of wealth because land provides housing, agriculture, natural resources, business opportunities, and income. I’m very mindful my ancestors stole land and we are obligated to give First Nations a step up, and take into account their generational trauma.
I mean…not according to judges…