As part of our coverage of the 2015 Federal Election, we are asking Indigenous people in this province to tell us "Why I Vote." These are the unedited words from our interviewees. You can find more in our Interviews section.

Wab Kinew, 33, Associate Vice-President for Indigenous Relations at The University of Winnipeg

Are you voting?

100 per cent I’m going to vote. I hope everyone else votes too.

Why should people vote?

Even if you are a staunch Indigenous nationalist, I would still say why pass up the opportunity to influence the other system. The way I view it I am both. Both an Anishinaabe person and a Canadian and some of my issues are going to be dealt with by federal politicians. Sure I care about Treaty rights and the Sun Dance, my spirituality, but you know I also care about taxation and the amount of money spent on health care. I go to public hospitals and my kids go to public schools. And we use public infrastructure. I care about those things so would I cede that part of my personality and not influence the leaders that are going to be making those decisions. 

Related:

• Why I Vote: Jennifer Dawn Bishop
• Why I Vote: Vernon Linklater 
• Why I Vote: Rochelle DeBray
• Why I Vote: Danny Knight

Click here for more Election coverage.