Terry Teegee has never cast a ballot in a federal election.
But last week, the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council chief registered to vote for the first time in his life.
"As a tribal chief and a vice chief, the way I saw things was that they would never change," said Teegee.
This year, however, there seems to be enough hope that change is possible, Teegee said; enough hope that casting a vote seems to carry more weight.
"The difference is that there are more First Nations candidates and if the polls are any indication, there's a closer race for change now," he said. "At this point, we need a change."
The Assembly of First Nations has identified 51 ridings throughout the country as potential swing ridings where aboriginal voters could affect the outcome if there's a significant voter turnout.
That list includes Cariboo-Prince George and Skeena-Bulkley Valley out of 11 potential B.C. ridings.
According to the blog Indigenous Politics, 16 per cent of the Cariboo-Prince George riding identifies as aboriginal, while a third of the population does in Skeena-Bulkley Valley. A little more than 13 per cent of the Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies population identifies as aboriginal.
"It is the case that people are identifying aboriginal people as being potentially swing votes," said John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in indigenous law at the University of Victoria. "And if we do have a minority government that might be formed, at that point aboriginal votes could carry a weight there."
Borrows, who spent a handful of years teaching at the University of Minnesota, said there have been examples in the U.S. where indigenous Americans have done the same thing.
"Just drawing from the United States in Washington state, Montana, North Dakota in Congressional elections when tribes got out to vote they actually were influential in getting certain congressmen in or kicking other ones out," Burrows said.
"It has happened across the border where people have voted, as First Nations, more strategically."
The B.C. Assembly of First Nations backed the national assembly's call to action, echoing the message that the time is ripe during this election to foment change.
"Our population is young; we need to harness this energy," said B.C. regional chief Shane Gottfriedson, in a press release.
"Too many of our families are living in poverty. Now is the time for our people to mobilize the vote and create innovative partnerships that will help improve the quality of life for First Nations in Canada."
Having aboriginal voices on the ballot is as important as getting aboriginal voters to the ballot box, said Teegee.
"The more First Nations (candidates) you have, regardless of the party, breaks down those walls of Parliament," he said.
"If you don't have an advocate or lead for some of these initiatives or policies or whatever that you're trying to address it's very challenging to get attention to it. So I think it's really important that we have representation in all levels (of government)."
Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies NDP candidate Kathi Dickie is the latest to join the local race and the third candidate with an aboriginal background running in the local ridings. Dickie, a member of the Fort Nelson First Nation, joins Cariboo-Prince George candidate Trent Derrick, who is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation, and Cariboo-Prince George Green candidate Richard Jaques, who is a member of Manitoba's Poplar River First Nation.
Dickie said she thinks the sentiments expressed by Teegee about why he hasn't voted were pervasive, but that the tide is beginning to turn.
"There was some apathy in terms of 'well, what's the point? What's the point? Will my one vote make a difference? What's the point?' Because our area has always been so pro-conservative in one colour or another. The voting results for the (Conservatives) are just astounding - no other way to put it - so what's the point?" Dickie said.
"But again, there's more of a rising interest and people are saying 'well, maybe I can make a difference.' I think it is coming about," Dickie added.
On Wednesday, Assembly of First Nations national chief Perry Bellegarde announced that he had rethought his decision to not vote in the federal election. Bellegarde made headlines the week prior with his own admission that he hasn't voted federally and wasn't planning to vote, despite his call for First Nations people to mobilize toward the ballot box, so as to remain impartial in his future dealings with whomever forms government.
"Last week, I listened to First Nations Elders, leaders, citizens and young people from across our territories. The message is consistent and clear: 'It is vital that First Nations voices be heard in every way possible, including through the ballot box. You need to be an example. You need to vote,'" Bellegarde said in a statement.
Right now, the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council doesn't have any specific plans regarding mobilizing the vote in its member communities, most of which are in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding, but that will likely change, said Teegee.
Both Burrows and Teegee agreed that recent changes to voter identification rules could be problematic for some members of the aboriginal community.
The controversial Fair Elections Act, which received royal assent in June, now requires that in order to cast a vote, someone needs to have a photo ID that shows their address or two pieces of non-photo ID, with one showing a current home address. It removed the ability to use the voter information cards sent in the mail noting the correct polling station as identification and it also removed the ability for someone else to vouch for you.
Now, someone can swear a written oath as to another voter's address, but only for one person and only if they are eligible to vote at the same polling station.
"Many people don't carry those forms of ID," said Burrows.
"My own mother doesn't have a passport and doesn't have the same kind of identification that I would have."
Minority populations, such as aboriginal people, will be the most affected by the rule changes, said Teegee. Transient populations especially will find it difficult to get what they need to cast a ballot.
"A lot of our First Nations are living on reserves but some of them come out of town to urban centres," he said.
Those who are looking for a familiar setting for casting ballots or are away from home can find an option at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre. On Oct. 4, the Third Avenue facility will welcome a new short-term tenant in the form of a special voting rules expansion Elections Canada office.
The office, paid for Elections Canada and staffed by Elections Canada employees, will provide a place for people to both register to vote and cast their ballots, regardless of where their home riding is.
It's part of an Elections Canada pilot project that is placing these offices in Friendship Centres, campuses and community centres across the country.
The Prince George Native Friendship Centre applied to host one of these offices through its national body, said executive director Barbara Ward-Burkitt, as part of its process of encouraging people to vote.
The centre is non-partisan and not advocating for any political party, but Ward-Burkitt said she's interested in finding ways to boost voter turnout for the aboriginal population, which is traditionally lower than the average turnout.
"I think by having it in a location that is familiar to them, that is safe to them, where they trust this organization, that it may contribute to more and more people coming out to vote. That's really our only interest," Ward-Burkitt said.
The centre already often rents space to First Nations holding their own elections.
"So when they have chief and council elections, they'll have a polling site on their own reserve community but quite often will pay for a space here and have a polling station here at the Friendship Centre as well," she said.
"Again, it's easier access for their members and people know this place and it's not that far a stretch to just do it for the federal election."
This story has been updated to reflect the correct opening date of the Elections Canada office at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre.
