Canada election 2015: Métis citizenship cards acceptable form of voter ID

Métis citizenship cards will pass as acceptable voter identification in Manitoba during the federal election this fall, Elections Canada says.

David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, said the spirit of the democratic process can be traced all the way back to the days of the buffalo hunt.

"The captain of the hunt had to be elected every morning in order to lead the hunting parties," said Chartrand. "So even [on] that level there was democracy — all the way to the choosing of Louis Riel, the choosing of our leaders."

• An indigenous guide to the 2015 federal election

• Federal election 2015: Leaders hit campaign trail after 1st debate

Chartrand wants that tradition to continue when the country heads to the polls this October.

With Elections Canada now permitting the use of Métis citizenship cards as proof of identity during the voter registration process, Chartrand is hopeful having one less obstacle will translate to more Métis people casting ballots on Oct. 19.

"They're hard to forge, and so it's very important that this card get its recognition," Chartrand said.

Lisa Forbes said the new rule for Métis voters is good news for Winnipeg Indigenous Rock the Vote, too. The group registers indigenous people to vote by helping them get the necessary identification.

"People have a hard time navigating the bureaucracies to be able to get the things they need," said Forbes. "Some people, if they live on low income, don't have the money or the resources to do that."

But political scientist Raymond Hebert isn't confident the change will immediately translate to more Métis voters at the polls.

He maintains that a deep-seated mistrust in the Canadian political process harboured by factions of the Métis community won't be resolved by such a simple change.

"I don't think it will result in a greater participation-rate among Métis people in terms of voter turnout," said Hebert.

There are 52,000 eligible Métis voters in Manitoba with citizenship cards.

While Chartrand agreed that cynicism toward elections is common in the Métis community, he said he hopes the new change helps persuade more of those 52,000 people to head to the polls than in past elections.

"Too many times people say, 'Ah. it doesn't matter to me, I don't care who gets in,'" Chartrand said. "They have to care who gets in, because [it clearly affects] their futures and their families and themselves."