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Chris Sankey: Why, as an Indigenous-Canadian, I will be voting Conservative in the next election
Author of the article:
Chris Sankey, Special to National Post
Publishing date:
Aug 15, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 5 minute read • 435 Comments
Over the last seven years, I have had to take a long look in the mirror. As an Indigenous person, I ask myself, “What do I aspire to be? What do I want for my family? What do I want for my children and my grandchildren?” The troubling policies brought forth by Canada’s Liberal government have infuriated me. I am now genuinely worried for my children’s future.
A child should have a safe place to grow up and be free to dream. In the current political environment, however, it has become increasingly difficult to see myself, my family and my children’s dreams become a reality.
I would like to dispel the divisive and ignorant presumption that conservatives are against Indigenous values because they support pipelines. In fact, support for responsible resource development is widely held across Indigenous communities.
We are supposed to be headed down a path of reconciliation. But for many on the left, including the federal government, the only valid reconciliation is that which adheres to their woke narrative. We are living with a Liberal government that is hell-bent on emphasizing ideology over practical, real-world solutions. That is why I am voting for the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) in the next election.
My values align with those of the conservative movement: less government and more private-sector involvement. I remember my late mother once said she’d wish the government would just leave us alone. She was right.
The conservative movement believes in putting the future back into the hands of families and communities. CPC leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre’s promise to get out of the way of First Nations so they can have “control of their own lands and their money” in order to promote economic prosperity is a message I can relate to. After all, I spend most of my time helping Indigenous communities find a balance of economic opportunities and cultural needs.
Although there are bad actors of all political stripes, in my experiences, those who vote CPC are not racist people, despite how they are often portrayed on the left.
Conservatives put their heads down and get to work. They don’t waste time talking about feelings. They see an issue and seek to solve it. And they are offering solutions that differ from the failed policies of the Liberal government.
Historically, there have been many government policies, instituted by both parties, that have harmed Indigenous people. But as with all things, time heals all wounds and people change. So does policy. People always want to associate the CPC with Sir John A. MacDonald, because his governments launched the residential schools. The boarding schools were not mandatory at the time, but became compulsory years after his death.
Both parties have bad track records in dealing with First Nations. Indian agents had dictatorial powers over our people and our reserves. Oftentimes, those powers were abused. But surely John A. Macdonald could not be in all places at all times, holding all government officials to account. In fact, he was oddly more progressive on Indigenous policy than many of his contemporaries.
On the eve of the North-West Rebellion of 1885, Macdonald proposed to extend voting rights to Indigenous people — a measure that Canada wouldn’t adopt until 1960. “I hope to see some day the Indian race represented by one of themselves on the floor of the House of Commons,” he wrote to Peter Jones, a Mississauga Ojibwa chief and a personal friend of the prime minister’s. Liberal MP David Mills ridiculed the policy, arguing that it would allow Indians to “go from a scalping party to the polls.” Ultimately, Macdonald was able to enfranchise some Indigenous-Canadians, a right that was later taken away by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier.
Under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the Liberals opened new residential schools, while pushing a white paper that threatened to eliminate Indian status. Why aren’t Canadians tearing down and cancelling his statues and removing his name from streets and buildings?
The Conservative voting base shares a lot in common with most Indigenous people. They both love to hunt, fish, trap, look after the land, farm and work in the trades. We are about family and community and we value traditions. We work for a living. More importantly, we are already working together, especially in remote communities and northern work camps. Indeed, many people in the private sector vote Conservative because they believe in free enterprise. They are the ones who employ many of our friends, families and communities.
I have had the privilege of working alongside many individuals from all political parties. There is one thing that jumps out: we rely on each other to make ends meet in our northern communities. But it is common for Indigenous people in Alberta, Saskatchewan and northern British Columbia to vote Conservative, with the exception of the North Coast and Haida Gwaii in B.C., which tend to vote NDP.
However, in recent election cycles, in the B.C. riding of Skeena — Bulkley Valley, the Conservatives lost to the NDP by much slimmer margins than they have in the past. Does that make northerners and Indigenous people alike racists? I think not. I have given the shirt off my back to help people any way I can, regardless of race. I am not a sellout. I am human.
Indigenous people were entrepreneurs long before the word existed. We bartered and traded with our neighbours through a corridor we called “grease trails.” That is the Indigenous way, and it aligns with conservative values. So why would we wait on the government to build a brighter future for us? Why would we wait for a government cheque when we are more than capable of bringing in revenues on our own?
The conservative movement aligns with my values: less government, more free thinking and the ability to dream big. It is for my children, family, community and, more importantly, for future generations that I am going to vote for the Conservative Party of Canada in the next election.
National Post
Chris Sankey is a former elected councillor for the Lax Kw’ Alaams Band and a business leader.
