Aly Bear says the voices of young Indigenous voters are crucial in this federal election because they can help make sure the next government prioritizes Indigenous issues that have been continuously overlooked.
The 30-year-old lawyer, who is of Dakota and Anishinaabe heritage and originally from Whitecap Dakota First Nation just south of Saskatoon, says she will vote in the upcoming federal election — and like other young Indigenous voters in Saskatchewan interviewed by CBC News, she expects more than promises.
“I feel reconciliation has just become a word that people are now throwing around,” said Bear. “It’s not being applied.”
Bear said she has heard plenty about reconciliation from federal leaders, including Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, but not enough has been been done to address critical issues that have been harmful to First Nations communities.