Harmony Johnson-Harder speaks at an event announcing her nomination. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Voice At the Table

Record number of Indigenous candidates running in election

Oct 11, 2019 | 5:00 PM

A record number of Indigenous candidates are running in the federal election, and First Nations voters could swing the vote in almost one in five ridings, according to a new report by the Assembly of First Nations.

The AFN says at least 63 First Nations, Inuit and Métis candidates will be on ballots across the country as Canadians head to the polls in just over a week.

That’s up from the 54 Indigenous candidates who ran in 2015, when a record 10 were elected to Parliament.

“We want to be a part, we want to have a voice within that system,” P.A. New Democrat Harmony Johnson-Harder told paNOW. “It’s really exciting that more Indigenous people are feeling empowered to do so.”

Johnson-Harder, who is Cree and Metis, said she wants to see more diversity in the House of Commons.

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“It’s for the good of everybody not just Indigenous and non-Indigenous, it’s creating a better world and Canada, that Canada of multiculturalism and acceptance that I grew up believing in.”

AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde releases ‘Honouring Promises: 2019 Federal Election Priorities for First Nations and Canada’ during a press conference in Ottawa (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

National Chief Perry Bellegarde said the numbers show an important move toward increasing Indigenous engagement in the political process.

“Getting our people around decision making tables is key to bring about better policy and legislative change in Canada,” Bellegarde said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

The candidacy figures are based on self-reported numbers from each of the major political parties.

The New Democrats attracted the highest number of Indigenous candidates at 27. Eighteen candidates are running for the Liberals and seven each for the Greens and Conservatives.

The Peoples Party of Canada does not record demographic measures for its candidates, but policy analysts found one Metis and one First Nations candidate based on the party’s postings, the assembly said.

Swing Districts

The assembly also identifies 63 “priority districts” among the total 338 ridings where First Nations voters could swing the vote.

Among them is the riding of Desnethe–Missinippi–Churchill River, there are almost 23,000 eligible First Nations voters and the seat was won by New Democrat Georgina Jolibois with only 82 votes in 2015.

Indigenous voter turnout broke records in 2015, with a 14-percentage point increase for on-reserve voters to 61.5 per cent.

“I want to see that number go up because that’s the way you influence any future member of Parliament,” he said.

“First Nations issues and priorities are important, our voice matters, our priorities matter. We’re going to matter in this election because we vote now.”

With files from Amy Smart, The Canadian Press

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom