EDMONTON – Angel Houle says she’s never voted in an Alberta provincial election, but this month’s referendum is different.
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referendum → say → election
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.
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they → cast → Oct.
That’s when Albertans decide whether the province should stay within Canada, or hold a second, binding referendum on breaking away.
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province → ’ → referendum
Houle, along with other staff at the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, has been organizing workshops to build teams among member nations.
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Houle → organize → nations
Those teams are boots on the ground, spreading the word on where and how to vote.
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teams → spread → word
It’s about fighting for a united Canada and for the treaties and agreements that underpin and secure that unity.
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that → ’ → unity
“The decisions being made in this referendum matter to treaty people and our nations and our future generations,” Houle said in Edmonton.
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Houle → make → Edmonton
“It’s important to let everyone know that silence could be consent in this referendum.”
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silence → ’ → referendum
Houle said lately community members have been vocal about wanting more information.
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members → say → information
“It tells me that they’re wanting to participate, so that they know their voice is heard.”
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voice → tell → me
First Nations people are among many groups — on both sides of the issue — spreading the message and rallying support for the vote.
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people → spread → vote
Albertans are to vote on 10 questions.
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Albertans → vote → questions
Nine focus on immigration and constitutional issues.
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Nine → focus → immigration
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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campaign → expose → Nations
Smith says First Nations remain valued partners.
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Nations → say → ?
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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Alberta → wonder → debate
Some First Nations have called in help from seasoned organizers.
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Nations → call → organizers
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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.
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who → get → room
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.
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She → spend → Nations
The momentum is building, Cameron said.
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Cameron → build → ?
“People are talking; people feel that they’re on a mission.”
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they → talk → 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.
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people → say → work
“There’s a lot of provinces watching, a lot of treaty chiefs across the country watching what’s happening in Alberta.”
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what → ’ → Alberta
Cameron said Alberta First Nations had such a high turnout in the 2015 federal election that some communities ran out of ballots.
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communities → say → ballots
On-reserve voting turnout rose by about 25 percentage points, she said.
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she → rise → points
She believes they could make a similar mark on the referendum results.
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they → believe → results
“We’re going to show our political muscle,” Cameron said.
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Cameron → go → muscle
“It’s about relaying the message from the people that separation is off the table.
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separation → ’ → table
There are hurdles: making sure everyone has the required identification, getting them to the polling stations and overcoming language barriers.
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everyone → be → barriers
Houle said First Nations groups are translating the questions for those whose first language isn’t English.
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language → say → those
They’re planning to ensure chiefs and other officials are at polling stations to help sign special forms verifying voters’ eligibility if needed.
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chiefs → plan → eligibility
They’re also reaching out to off-reserve members with an upcoming information session.
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They → reach → session
Elections Alberta has dispatched more than 652,000 mail-in ballots.
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Alberta → dispatch → 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.
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which → estimate → election
Some First Nations chiefs have already made their voices heard.
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voices → make → ?
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.
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chiefs → swirl → bud
From the gallery overlooking lawmakers, some yelled at the UCP to denounce separatism.
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some → overlook → separatism
“Traitors!” shouted one chief.
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chief → shout → ?
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.
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province → launch → Nations
In May, a judge agreed and quashed the petition.
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judge → agree → petition
…and 9 more, not listed.
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