Newly appointed BC regional chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations, Shane Gottfriedson, based in Kamloops, says it’s time for First Nations to mobilize their thousands of eligible voters for the federal election.
“Our population is young; we need to harness this energy. Too many of our families are living in poverty. Now is the time for our people to mobilize the vote and create innovative partnerships that will help improve the quality of life for First Nations in Canada. Mobilizing the Nations vote could have an effect on 51 or 338 ridings.”
Improving the quality of life for First Nations contributes to the overall success and strength in Canada, which hasn’t been the case, he says. In recent years, Canada has ranked between sixth and eighth on the UN Human Development Index while First Nations fall between 63rd and 78th. The federal government’s own Community Well-Being Index shows that the gap has not closed at all since 1981.
The gap in quality of life results in First Nations facing poorer health, a shorter life span, housing shortages and over-crowding, communities under boil-water advisories, First Nations vastly over-represented in jails and the high number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, among many other stark statistics. Studies have shown that closing the gap would add $400 billon to Canada’s economy and save an additional $115 billion in social costs related to poverty, Gottfriedson points out.
The BCAFN is doing its part to inform First Nations about how to participate in this election, with leaders and citizens mobilizing to vote, he says.