By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer In 2015, 12-year-old Theland Kicknosway stood at Rideau Hall, drumming and singing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly elected cabinet took their oath of office. The performance by the Cree and Potawatomi boy was a symbol of a new era in Canadian politics centered on reconciliation. Now, almost a decade later, Kicknosway, 21, is preparing to cast his vote in a federal election for the first time. People under 25 represent nearly a quarter of the Indigenous population, and the proportion is growing four times faster than non-Indigenous youth. By 2030, they\u2019ll comprise 45 per cent of Indigenous communities. For Canada\u2019s fastest-growing demographic, voter turnout remains disproportionately low \u2014 but to Kicknosway, this is their time to step… <\/p>\n
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer In 2015, 12-year-old Theland Kicknosway stood at Rideau Hall, drumming and singing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly elected cabinet took their oath of office. The performance by the Cree and Potawatomi boy was a symbol of a new era in Canadian politics centered on reconciliation. Now, almost a decade later, Kicknosway, 21, is preparing to cast his vote in a federal election for the first time. People under 25 represent nearly a quarter of the Indigenous population, and the proportion is growing four times faster than non-Indigenous youth. By 2030, they\u2019ll comprise 45 per cent of Indigenous communities. For Canada\u2019s fastest-growing demographic, voter turnout remains disproportionately low \u2014 but to Kicknosway, this is their time to step... <\/p>\n