ROUNDTABLE ON ABORIGINAL YOUTH
AND THE FEDERAL ELECTORAL PROCESS
JANUARY 17, 2004
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
FINAL REPORT
On January 17, 2004, Elections Canada organized, in partnership with the
Canadian Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education (CIRCLE), a
roundtable on Aboriginal youth and the federal electoral process at Carleton University
in Ottawa. The majority of the 27 participants were Aboriginal youth, most of whom
represented one of the national Aboriginal associations. (See the
list of participants.)
Opening session
The roundtable was opened with a prayer by Gordon Williams, an elder from the Peguis First Nation.
John Medicine Horse Kelly, co-director of CIRCLE and co-chair of the roundtable, said
this initiative indicated that the question of Aboriginal electoral participation was
getting the attention it deserves. Val Courchene, founder of the Dreamcatcher Aboriginal
youth conferences and co-chair of the roundtable, said she was honoured to be part of this event.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, delivered informal opening
remarks. He mentioned that the available research indicates that, even though in his view
they have a good deal at stake, Aboriginal
people participate in federal elections at lower
rates than the population as a whole. In this context, he noted that turnout rates in the
referendums sponsored by the Cree and Inuit in northern Quebec prior to the 1995 referendum
on Quebec sovereignty were quite high. He added that,
if young Aboriginal people participate in significant numbers, elected officials would listen.
Mr. Kingsley mentioned that Elections Canada had developed a number of programs
to improve the accessibility of the electoral process for Aboriginal people. Certain improvements
would be made by the next federal general election. However, a longer-term effort was required,
in collaboration with Aboriginal communities, particularly concerning education about the
electoral process.
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