FNUniv eases first-year fears and encourages First Nation voters

April Agecoutay is a freshman with two children who has decided to return to school to take Social Work.

“I was really nervous coming here, but this helps you learn your teachers and classes,” said Agecoutay. “It’s very helpful. It breaks the ice for a lot of things.”

Isbister said she remembers being intimidated her first year.

“You know, lots of people are scared in change,” Isbister continued. “It’s a new chapter in their life. A lot of them are probably fresh off the reserve, and coming straight out of Grade 12.

“I think a lot of them are doing well though. We’re trying to break as much ice as we can and make it feel as welcoming as possible.”

Voting registration for first-year students was also a major priority of the event. Ashley Peterson, a third-year social work student, helped organize voter registration and education.

“What we’re trying to do is educate the first-year students on the importance of voting,” said Peterson. “Because they’re millennials, they represent 20 per cent of the population so this could have a big effect if they all register and all come out to vote.

“(They) have more power than they think they do…if everyone voted who could vote they could decide who’s in the government.”

The initiative started as a class assignment in March, where students were told to pick a group of people and look into the problems affecting that group. Peterson and her group chose First Nations voter suppression.

After realizing over 80 per cent of First Nations people don’t vote, they took on the task of lowering the number. A workshop was held in March, they held the orientation session on Tuesday, and another session is planned for Sept. 25.

“I think it’s a good thing they’re doing this because I have never voted,” Isbister said.

The turnout at their March event, which was focused on citizens without a permanent address, generated “an unbelievable amount of interest,” according to Peterson.

“I wasn’t too sure what the outcome would be, but that’s because we’re doing it again because there’s so much interest,” she said.

Peterson’s group prepared pamphlets, as well as a Facebook page with links to the political parties. They also brought a laptop to register those with proper ID on the spot, and will provide the same assistance at their next event.

“We’ve been approached by a few MP’s,” Peterson said. “We turned them all away through. That’s not what we’re about. We don’t care who people vote for, we just want them to vote.”

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterritt

by Spencer Sterritt

FNUniv eases first-year fears and encourages First Nation voters

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