It is quite commonly known that "Indians", as they were called half a century ago, were not allowed to vote until July 1, 1960. Actually, they could vote, but they had to become "disenfranchised" first, which meant giving up their special Treaty status.

And so it became the common practice that aboriginal people did not take part in "white man's voting" in the 30 or so federal elections which were held prior to 1960.

Not only was apathy and indifference passed on from generation to generation, so was the anger and mistrust that mainstream elections created by maintaining and enforcing the Indian Act which was implemented by the federal government's Department of Indian Affairs. More simply, why would the people of one sovereign nation be voting in another nation's elections?

On the other hand, there were numerous government policies and accounts in the media that claimed because Indians were kept isolated on impoverished reserves, the Canadian public considered them to be "uncivilized", uneducated and unworthy wards of the state who were not qualified to vote, or participate in many other so-called civilized activities.

They had a lot of catching up to do to integrate, much less assimilate, as the governments of Canada wanted them to do, and there remain some who have not even bothered with any of it to this day.