First Nations leaders in Alberta say they're not surprised by referendum results

I was very impressed and very appreciative of the First Nations who got out to vote. First Nation leaders in Alberta say they are relieved the province is staying within Canada and they're not surprised with the voting results. They say it was First Nations people who turned out in large numbers and challenged separation talks from the beginning. To oppose this government and the separatist initiative, and we filed the litigation, we got out there in front of the cameras, we got out there in the rallies, people took a hard look at what are treaties. They were so passionate about casting their vote that they waited and they voted. And we've never had a turnout like this before, so this made history for us. A higher than anticipated voter turnout may have created some challenges for some First Nations, including longer wait times. Some of those communities also ran out of ballots early. Elections Alberta says that it relied on historic voting data mixed with a 150% buffer, but there were still not enough ballots to keep up with the demand. When we realized that ballots were running low at a few of those locations, we made sure to deliver more and we were in constant contact with them all night long to try to make sure they had all the resources needed to make sure that everyone could vote. First Nations voters were also turned away at polling stations over ID issues. Elections Alberta requires voters to show two pieces of ID. For some who live on reserve, their ID may only have a P.O. Box number or their ID doesn't have a physical address. We told Elections Alberta that this was a problem and we know it's a problem because it happens every election. So this was a systemic issue across the board. I heard it in every corner of the province and I guarantee you lots of people were turned away and denied a right to vote because of it. Chiefs in Alberta say the issue of separation will not go away anytime soon and stress that First Nations involvement in these conversations is paramount and should not be seen as an afterthought. As governments, we've got to find ways to work together to continue to advance the lifestyles of all Albertans.