“As Independent advisors who do not represent the crown and are not representatives of our nations, we are eager to gain direction from First Nation, Inuit and Métis youth and Indigenous organizations to amplify their voices and build a national platform from their vision. We honour those who contributed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and accept the task to table a report and recommendations on how Indigenous youth want Call to Action 66 implemented in their communities.”

Founders of Indigenous Youth Voices – First Nations, Inuit & Métis Network

• Maatalii Okalik: Inuit
• Gabrielle Fayant: Métis
• André Bear: First Nations

Advisors to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Indigenous Youth Voices submitted a report, “A Roadmap to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action # 66” in June, 2018 to Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations after their appointment as independent advisors in August, 2017. The report has five key themes:

Acknowledging the Past
For many youth, reconciliation is multi-faceted but must begin with settlers, the Canadian government, and non-Indigenous Peoples acknowledging Canada’s history of colonization with Indigenous Peoples and the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma.

Healing
Healing begins with this acknowledgment of past wrongdoings and is steeped in all aspects of reconciliation… One of the main answers to the question ‘Why reconciliation?’ is healing — it is needed in order for Indigenous communities to move forward, through culture, language, reparations, decolonization, equity, etc. It is seen as an ongoing journey for Indigenous Peoples that must be supported by non-Indigenous allies on the terms of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous youth, especially the young leaders at the National Youth Gathering, also point out that oppression is still happening — healing is not just about addressing past colonial injustices but also addressing how this colonialism still manifests itself today.

Improving Relations
Survey responses on what reconciliation means to youth ranged from themes around collaboration and friendship, such as “the restoration of friendly relations” and “two nations working together towards the same goal,” to more nuanced descriptions that referred to respect, active engagement, listening, and humility from the government/non-Indigenous Peoples, and, of course, the acknowledgment of historical injustices.

Treaty and Land Rights
Because the historical basis of Indigenous and settler relations is rooted in treaty, reciprocity, and mutual benefit — and these agreements have been broken and/or manipulated in so many damaging ways — Indigenous youth are strong in their belief that reconciliation must address their right to their lands and self-determination. Further, for many Indigenous people, culture and their way of living is rooted in the land; with land development, resource extraction, and climate change, this way of living is constantly being challenged and/or threatened.

Equity
As shared in the Community Challenges and Proposed Solutions section, oppression and racism remain a significant part of daily life for many Indigenous youth. They see it and experience it in varying ways, directly and indirectly — the way people treat them, the seeming lack of understanding or awareness about their history or culture by many non-Indigenous people, the continued marginalization of their communities, etc. One youth shared a response that sums up the harsh disparity that some Indigenous youth experience and feel, saying, “If reconciliation is accepted by all today, the next generation could regard us as human and not with disgust.”

Requirements for Moving the TRC Call to Action # 66 Forward

The story of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation is evidence that an arms-length foundation is a legitimate way that the government can show its commitment to reconciliation through concrete policy and action. While we stress the importance of a permanent fund for Indigenous Youth Voices that does not have a sunset clause, nor is dependent on a particular party being in power, we see many opportunities to learn from the successes and challenges of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Similar to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, we see Indigenous Youth Voices as facilitating community events and gatherings, undertaking an ambitious research agenda directly related to Indigenous youth well-being and programming, and conducting community outreach and engagement.

4.1 We propose the establishment of Indigenous Youth Voices as a permanent, arms-length, non-profit, national agency, with a mandate to inform, implement, and build on the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #66.

Indigenous Youth Voices Network

We propose three key elements of the Indigenous Youth Voices Network: National Gatherings, Community Outreach, and an integrated Communications Strategy. The Network and these three elements would work in a coordinated fashion with, and also inform, the other three elements of the Network: Research and Knowledge Translation, Capacity-Building, and the Code of Ethics and Network Panel.

Immediate Next Steps

1. Commitment from the Government of Canada that it will implement Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #66 with a whole-of-government approach and that the Prime Minister, as the Minister of Youth, will champion this by supporting the creation and mandate of the Indigenous Youth Voices mission and vision
2. Legislate the Government of Canada Indigenous Youth Voices Fund as stated in Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 66: We call upon the federal government to establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation
3. Initial funding for IYV for the following:
   • Host inclusive Regional/Distinctions- based Gatherings that will lead to National Gatherings aiming to move the work of Indigenous Youth Voices forward
   • Continue community engagement sessions around the mission and vision of IYV
   • Support the knowledge translation and mobilization of existing work to date, including using data from our first national youth survey to create important documents around topics such as language and identity, suicide prevention, and community well-being
   • Fund a backbone team to coordinate and project manage this iteration of Indigenous Youth Voices
4. Develop an operational and accessible online Indigenous Youth Voices Network and Platform
5. Distribute interim funds for youth programming by the federal government through a process led by Indigenous Youth Voices; Indigenous Youth Voices Network to participate in selection committee and funding reviews

Ongoing Requirements of the Federal Government

1. Commit to working closely with Indigenous Youth Voices for the creation of the Indigenous Youth Voices Government of Canada Fund and work with Indigenous Youth Voices’ Code of Ethics and Network Panel to determine the government’s priorities in funding Indigenous youth in Canada; this includes taking recommendations from the Panel to fund Indigenous youth ethically and based on Indigenous youth priorities
2. Continue to deepen an understanding and awareness of Indigenous people – specifically, youth. Increased and consistent education of all public servants on Indigenous people is required in order to work with us to address our requirements
3. Develop relationships with Indigenous Youth Voices Network

Program Areas of Focus for Multi-Year Funding at the Community Level

Identity, Language and Culture

• Identity: Indigenous identity (Nation-specific) needs to be prioritized so that youth can learn about their history, traditional forms of governance, creation stories, etc., and feel safe to do so.
• Language: Long-term language revitalization training, workshops, and learning opportunities are needed.
• Cross-Cultural Programming: Programs should include opportunities for Indigenous youth to hear from each other and teach each other about their own cultures and traditions.
• Arts-Based: The power of the arts was highlighted as an important way to connect with youth and support their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, especially in relation to identity/language/culture-based learning.

Networking

Participants identified the need for connections between organizations, opportunities for youth networking, and to travel and learn outside of school, and broad-based advocacy efforts by Indigenous youth across Nations. Distinctions-based exchanges were also identified as needed to strengthen connections within Nations.

Life promotion/Suicide Prevention /Mental Health Support

Cultural and land-based healing for mental health issues were emphasized, as well as a reconceptualization of suicide prevention as life promotion.

Two-Spirit/LGBBTQ2SIA – Focused

Two-Spirit-specific education and programs are needed, and programs must be inclusive for youth who are questioning or figuring out their gender identity.

Sports

Youth sports programs were identified as a way to engage youth and support their holistic development in an active, play-based way.

Health and Well-Being

Workshops (youth-led) and programming on topics like birth control, consent, healthy relationships, addictions, drug prevention, women empowerment/preventing violence against women were identified; participants also stressed that these programs can/should be in partnership/collaboration with existing programs/ organizations.

Capacity Building for Youth Leaders

Initiatives funding training for Indigenous youth to develop leadership skills and take on positions such as youth workers, build collaborative relationships with mentors, and facilitate workshops/programs are needed.

https://youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Indigenous-Youth-Voices-Roadmap-to-TRC-66.pdf