Maniwaki

By Kendall Knowlton

For Gilbert Whiteduck, a recent NDP candidate who ran for the Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi riding on April 28, the recent federal election was about more than just winning – it was about the community.

Despite not winning the riding, there are many issues he said he wants to continue advocating for, such as preserving the environment. 

“I will stand with people who stand for the truth, who stand for the protection of the environment, who stand with honesty and goodness in their heart,” he said, adding that there are many pressing issues that need to be addressed.

One of those issues was the voter turnout in Kitigan Zibi, a First Nations reserve of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, near Maniwaki, which has a population of roughly 2,000. It was a higher than normal turnout, although it was still low. 

Speaking about the low turnout – 68 people in total – he said the issue with the U.S. “took priority” and pushed aside environmental and Indigenous issues.

Language is also a topic that he said is on his mind. He mentioned Canada’s history and said that “our language has grown dormant because of colonization and the implications of that,” referring to Indigenous languages. 

For historical reasons, he explained that English is the main language picked up by most Indigenous communities. Whiteduck said that receiving services in English in Quebec can be difficult. Providers will often not speak English, which makes it hard to receive proper healthcare alongside other services, according to Whiteduck. 

“Our answer to that was, ‘Okay, yeah, but you’re on Algonquin land. If you want to play that game, you should be speaking Algonquin,’” he said, referring to service providers unwilling to speak English to Indigenous Peoples in the province. 

When it comes to language and discussions around it, Whiteduck said he also believes that his own party, the NDP, needs less dialogue and more action. 

“Dialogue is important, but you can’t just have dialogue,” said Whiteduck. “There’s gotta be action. There’s gotta be movement” – something that may be harder to do for a party that has since lost official party status.  

He also spoke about partnership with Indigenous communities, such as working with the elected Liberal government to advocate for Indigenous issues. 

Yet he has come across his own challenges as a candidate who is Indigenous. 

“I encountered some people – not many – in the riding, saying, ‘I would not vote for you. Why would I want to vote for an Indigenous person?’” he told the Low Down about his experience campaigning for the recent election. 

He said he thinks that good dialogue can lead to change, though, saying that people just have to listen and be prepared to do things differently. 

Whiteduck, who ran for the first time as a political candidate, came in fourth in the federal election. Prior to that, he was the former chief in Kitigan-Zibi. He’s presently a knowledge holder at the University of Ottawa, a therapist-counsellor and sits on multiple committees, including the Ottawa River Keeper and other environmental groups. He is also currently president of the Gatineau Valley Historical Society.