'The next generation is here': Indigenous youth claim their vote

In 2015, 12-year-old Theland Kicknosway stood at Rideau Hall, drumming and singing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly elected cabinet took their oath of office. The performance by the Cree and Potawatomi boy was a symbol of a new era in Canadian politics centered on reconciliation.

Now, almost a decade later, Kicknosway, 21, is preparing to cast his vote in a federal election for the first time.

People under 25 represent nearly a quarter of the Indigenous population, and the proportion is growing four times faster than non-Indigenous youth. By 2030, they’ll comprise 45 per cent of Indigenous communities.

For Canada’s fastest-growing demographic, voter turnout remains disproportionately low — but to Kicknosway, this is their time to step up.

“Ten years ago, when they were talking about doing these things for the next generation, that next generation is here,” he said.

Right (and responsibility) to vote

Tréchelle Bunn is the newly elected Chief of Birdtail Sioux First Nation in Manitoba. At 25, she is the youngest chief ever elected in her Nation and the first woman to hold the role.

“Something that I always try to advocate for and stress is the importance of having the voices of young people in every space,” she said.

For Bunn, who is also a third-year law student, this federal election is personal. “Our people didn’t always have the right to vote,” she told Canada’s National Observer. “Many of the opportunities that Indigenous people have today, especially young people, were denied to our ancestors, our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.”

First Nations gained federal voting rights in 1960, but widespread participation in federal elections did not follow immediately. The most dramatic increase occurred in the 2015 federal election, as years of unilateral policies under Stephen Harper — such as the First Nations Financial Transparency Act and lack of action on missing and murdered Indigenous women — sparked a strong desire for change among First Nations.

Samantha Jack, a 28-year-old member of the Nuu-chah-nulth and Yale First Nations who lives in Surrey, BC, sees the current election as a critical one, evident in the unprecedented early voting turnout.

People are feeling the urgency and significance of this election, and it’s no different for urban Indigenous youth, said Jack, who supports them in her role as national youth executive at the National Association of Friendship Centres.

“We’re more than just the ‘at-risk’ label that is often associated with Indigenous youth,” Jack said. “We need to bring our youth voice to ensure that the needs of Indigenous youth are being heard and uplifted, especially in decision-making spaces.”  

Grassroots and social media activism

Kicknosway is concerned that First Nations’ traditional systems of governance and leadership have been eroded due to the continued harm of colonialism, including residential schools and genocide.

“One thing that has played a big role in my life is always understanding the traditional ways that the women were the ones that were leading us in our communities,” he said. 

Kicknosway, who hails from Walpole Island First Nation in Ontario, is a traditional dancer, singer, and storyteller. He began annual runs in 2012 to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people, including the 130-km Ottawa-to-Kitigan Zibi trek. He uses his social media platforms to educate others on Indigenous culture and its history.

He said there is the need for everyone to consider what’s best for the community at large, not just for oneself during this election. “How can we look at what’s best for our community? And I guess our community being Canada — how can we make decisions that are best for all of us?”

Caley-Rain Anderson, a 24-year-old Cree and South Sudanese artist residing in Regina, has seen her understanding of politics evolve.

“When I was younger, I just listened to my family and friends. It wasn’t something we talked about often, so it seemed easier to just go in, check a box and leave,” she said.

But the upcoming election has sparked curiosity among her peers and social media has allowed her to talk about politics and learn about what young voters can do and what they can avoid.

“As an Afro-Indigenous person, I feel like I have a lot at risk with the current leaders running,” Anderson said.

She sees it as a moment of learning and growth, and she hopes it will push young people to become more politically active.

“We are going to put ourselves in positions where they have to hear us,” Kicknosway said.  

Self-determination

While Indigenous young voters are doing their part, they are concerned the focus is shifting. 

“There is a lack of momentum in the talk of reconciliation and Indigenous rights because we’re so blinded by what is happening in the States,” said Shelby Gagnon, 28, a self-employed artist and activist from Aroland First Nation in Ontario.

Gagnon didn’t grow up fully immersed in traditional food practices. She said the disruption of Indigenous food systems caused by colonization has impacted the health of her community. She is reclaiming that knowledge by working with many First Nations to develop food security plans rooted in sustainability and cultural revival.

“Whatever government comes to power, we’re still in the system. We still need to do things that are good for us and continue to do the work that we need to do for ourselves, our communities and our families,” she said.

While many say they realize it won’t fix everything, they see participating in elections as a way to assert power within a system that has long marginalized their people.

“It does feel like you’re voting in a system that is not yours, that is not meant for you, that maybe you’re co-signing something you don’t fully agree with,” said Riley Yesno, an Anishinaabe scholar, writer and commentator from Eabametoong First Nation and Thunder Bay, who focuses on Indigenous and Canada relations and youth politics. 

Indigenous youth are coming together in parks, coffee shops and various community spaces to organize meetings. Online, they are leveraging memes, mutual aid and social media to spread political ideas and make sense of complex issues, Yesno said.

Ongoing reconciliation

Bunn founded the Reconciliation Run, a 21-km annual event that began in 2021. It starts at the former site of the Birtle Indian Residential School and concludes at Birdtail Sioux First Nation to help people reflect on the painful legacy of residential schools, reclaim space, honour survivors and encourage education and awareness.

“We have to keep our momentum going,” Bunn said, “and make sure we’re really pushing reconciliation as not just a singular action, like September 30, but as a continuous, lifelong process for everyone.”

Yesno said there is a growing trend of viewing electoral participation as a form of harm reduction —“Use every tool in our toolbox to fight colonialism. And sometimes that’s just what’s called electing the least monstrous,” Yesno said.

The skepticism toward electoral promises persists. “We’ve heard these promises time and time again, and they’ve all been broken,” said Anderson. “I have to vote for the party closest to what I believe ... the party that won’t just honour my treaty rights and inherent rights, but also my basic human rights.”

Some Indigenous youth that Canada’s National Observer reached out to reported disillusionment with the electoral system and, as a result, are choosing not to vote.

“Indigenous young people’s dreams for the future aren’t to be treated equally to non-Indigenous youth,” Yesno said. “They want to be able to define their future on their own terms, and those terms are rooted in their own nationhood.”

Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer