Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Aboriginal Peoples
Issue 10 - Evidence - June 21, 2016
OTTAWA, Tuesday, June 21, 2016
The Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples met this day at 9 a.m. to study the federal government's constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples (topic: indigenous youth leaders).
Senator Lillian Eva Dyck (Chair) in the chair.
The Chair: Good morning. I would like to welcome to this meeting all honourable senators and members of the public who are watching either here in the room or via the Web.
I would like to acknowledge for the sake of reconciliation that we are meeting on unceded lands of the Algonquin people.
My name is Lillian Dyck, and I have the honour and privilege of chairing this committee. I would now invite senators to introduce themselves, starting on my left.
Senator Watt: Charlie Watt, Nunavik.
Senator Lovelace Nicholas: Senator Lovelace from New Brunswick.
Senator Beyak: Lynn Beyak from Ontario.
Senator Patterson: Dennis Patterson, Nunavut.
Senator Tannas: Scott Tannas from Alberta.
The Chair: Before we begin this morning, I wonder if there would be agreement from members this morning to allow Communications to take photos during the proceedings. Is it agreed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you.
This morning in celebration of National Aboriginal Day, we are pleased to invite 12 youth from across the country to share their stories.
This committee has a history of hearing from the indigenous youth from our country. In November 2011, we had witnesses from the National Inuit Youth Council, the Assembly of First Nations National Youth Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council on a discussion about issues facing indigenous youth. Back then, we had a very engaging and wide-ranging discussion on education, housing, youth employment, health and culture.
Just recently, in April, as the committee was travelling for its current study into northern housing, we met two extraordinary youth leaders in Kuujjuaq, representing the Qarjuit Youth Council. Their testimony was so eye-opening and important that we had to bring them back to Ottawa for their formal testimony in May.
The testimony from all of these amazing youth leaders has always been thoughtful and thought-provoking. I know this morning we will continue with the witnesses we have with us here today.
In terms of the logistics, every youth presenter will have 10 minutes to present to the committee. If you take less than 10 minutes, we will have time to take a few questions from the senators. We will start with Caitlin Tolley, Kitigan Zibi, Quebec.
Caitlin, the floor is yours.
Caitlin Tolley, Kitigan Zibi, Quebec, as an individual: [Ms. Tolley spoke in her native language.]
Hello, everyone. My name is Caitlin Tolley, and I am an Algonquin Anishinabeg from the community of Kitigan Zibi. I would like to thank the Senate for inviting me to speak here this morning.
I will be entering my third year of law school at the University of Ottawa, and it is a privilege to be among you all this morning.
The Algonquin people have been occupying this territory since time immemorial. This territory we are all standing on is the territory of my ancestors. The river that Parliament overlooks used to be the traditional highway of my ancestors. They used to paddle in birch bark canoes along this river behind us. My ancestors were thinking of us when they met with the settlers and negotiated and agreed that we were going to share the land that we are all standing on today.
They used to call this area the Kichi Sibi territory, which means the "territory of the big river.'' I believe that my ancestors knew of the importance of the Kichi Sibi territory, which is now known as Ottawa, the seat of Parliament, the nation's capital, long before the arrival of the Europeans. Parliament and the City of Ottawa are sitting on unceded and unsurrendered traditional Algonquin land.
I'm here to tell you today that the Algonquins are still here. We still continue to occupy this territory. I'm also here to tell you that Algonquin youth in this territory are thriving, and they have big dreams and bright futures ahead of them.
But I'm also here to tell you that Algonquin youth need support in reaching their potential. I'm here to remind you as leaders, when you are sitting around the decision-making table, to take into consideration the perspective of the Algonquin people whose territory you are all guests on.
I would like you to consider speaking to Algonquin elders, as they have the wisdom and the knowledge of the past. I would like you to speak to Algonquin youth, as they have great ideas and know what changes need to occur within our communities.
Algonquin youth right now are retracing our steps. We are learning our history, our language Omàmiwininìmowin and asking our elders for guidance. We are practising our ceremonies, and we still continue to maintain our traditional dances.
Revitalizing and preserving our culture is not an easy task. There is an enormous responsibility on Algonquin youth today. I believe we all need to work together in order to be champions for change in Canada.
I would also like to mention that leaders today need to take the time to listen more and talk less, as that is the Algonquin humble way.
I would like to encourage leaders around this table to consider having an Algonquin elder or an Algonquin youth as an advisor, as a gentle reminder that you are a guest. Our Algonquin culture is so beautiful. As Algonquin people, despite the hardships that we have faced, we have so much to be proud of. Our traditions and culture are alive today because of the sacrifices of my ancestors and the fight that is being led by our elders, leaders and the youth.
As a young person, I believe that we may be fighting different battles than our ancestors, but we are fighting for the same reasons: to maintain our culture and traditions and to improve the lives of future generations. This battle won't be easy, but I believe that we do have the tools to be successful if we work together and if we take the time to listen to one another.
I am here today because my ancestors had the perseverance and the determination to survive, adapt and evolve through over 500 years of colonization. We, as upcoming leaders within the next generation in Canada, have a very important role to fulfill. We need to be working together as both First Nations people and non-First Nations people to resolve some of the key issues facing Canada today.
I'd like to thank you all for having me speak today. In my language we say Kikinendam Nongom, Niganin Wabang, which means learn today and lead tomorrow. Kitchi Migwetch. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you. We have a couple of minutes. Senator Oh, did you have a question?
Senator Oh: Thank you for being here today. Can you tell the committee how health care services affect your community in your individual well-being, as well as your family's and community's?
Ms. Tolley: Can you repeat the question?
Senator Oh: How has the lack of access to health care services and the shortages of health care providers impacted your individual health and your community's?
Ms. Tolley: Okay, health care access within our community. I'm from a community that is two hours north of here, Kitigan Zibi on the Quebec side. For health care access within the community, we are fortunate that we have a health care facility, and on the reserve, we have our own health centre that provides some of the basic services for members within the community. That includes doctors and nurses within the community that provide different levels of health access.
To me, health access encompasses being spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically healthy. Within the Kitigan Zibi health care department, we take that holistic approach when serving our members.
The Chair: We have time for one more question.
Senator Lovelace Nicholas: Welcome to all the youth here. You mentioned it's on unceded lands. Is there an ongoing land claim for the unceded land that we sit on?
Ms. Tolley: With that, I was hoping to indicate that when the Senate is meeting, you take into consideration the perspectives of the Algonquin people.
I'm not an elected politician or on chief and council, so I can't really speak to the political land claims that may be ongoing.
Senator Tannas: You spoke a little bit about future aspirations. If you had all the money and power in the world, what one thing do you think is the most important thing you could get, be given or achieve for your people?
Ms. Tolley: The theme throughout my presentation was on the importance of culture and language revitalization. As a young person — I'm 25 years old — and to me, within my life right now, maintaining my culture and traditions is the most important issue impacting me. If I had all the funding or could have any dream come true, it would be to ensure that the next generation has and can still maintain our traditional teachings, because we know that our languages are struggling. We know that elders are passing away with sacred knowledge. We know that the territory that we occupy is changing. That would be the one thing that I would like to stress, namely, that we maintain our culture and identity.
Senator Tannas: Very interesting. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you. We'll now move on to the next speaker, Tenille McDougall from Fort Macleod, a member of the Tsuu T'ina First Nation in Alberta.
Tenille McDougall, Fort Macleod, Alberta, as an individual: Good morning. It's an honour to be here today. Thank you very much. I'm among many well-respected young people today, and it's a privilege to be here. I'm very excited and kind of shocked, to say the least. I am a member of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. My mother is from the Crowchild family on the Tsuu T'ina Nation, and my father is from the McDougall family on the Piikani Nation.
I currently live in Fort Macleod, Alberta, nestled between two reserves in southern Alberta, the Kainai Nation and the Piikani Nation. I have a wonderful, supportive husband who encourages me to be the best I can be. I have three beautiful children, and that's the reason I'm here. I want to encourage my children to take leadership and to be strong individuals.
Currently, I am the Welcome to Parenthood project coordinator for a study done through the University of Alberta. This touches me deeply because of the fact that I do have children. I connect with first-time mothers who are about 32 weeks pregnant, and I give them information about parenthood. I give them information about child development, early child brain development and adverse childhood experiences, having them reflect upon their own experience to be able to lead forward in a positive way with their parenting skills.
There's a lot that I would love to say to you guys. I know it's a short time, but I've been thinking about what I wanted to say today, and I'm just going to tell you about me, who I am and what I'm doing in my community.
I was a very young mum at the age of 20. I was just out of school, and I had to go home because I needed the support to help me figure out what my next path was in life. So I went back to my community in Fort Macleod and I became a day home provider. I ended up learning a lot from that experience. I learned about early childhood development, how to interact with children, how to play with children and how to get onto their level. That led me in a direction that I wouldn't have known I would take.
I realized that I was isolating myself because you're with children all the time. You're trying to provide the best care that you can for other people's children. So I had my third child, and then I decided I was going to take time and concentrate on my own children. Then I started realizing that I needed more. There was something inside me that I needed. What I needed was to step out of my comfort zone and join my community. I started volunteering on the early childhood coalition. That came about because my son was involved in a study called the ECMap, where they talked about how children aren't reaching their milestones once they get into kindergarten. We needed to figure out how we were going to support these children between 0 and 5. That was just the starting point for our own community.
Several communities in Alberta had done this, but with our community, that's where I knew I had to strive because it was affecting me and my children. I need to know: How do we support my children to get to where they need to be in life?
I became part of this community. We provided play groups and support for parents.
I'm here because I'm an Aboriginal, but the biggest issue for me is that I really don't know who I am as an Aboriginal. I think that's the strongest thing because I'm still trying to find myself and trying to figure out who my family is. We know, sort of. I know where I come from. It's a great background, but those traditions have been passed down slowly. I haven't gotten there yet to be able to be a part of that tradition, but I'm seeking it. I'm going to do it through my community, interacting with the people who are there and just being me and realizing that I do have a voice and feel strongly about what I'm doing. I just want to move forward with giving everybody else encouragement and letting them know that they need to be heard and that they can reach out to the community, no matter what community they're in. I think that's how we end up impacting one another, touching each other and helping one another strive to do it.
It's not just about Aboriginals; it's about the whole country in itself. It's about getting to know one another, getting to understand each other's beliefs and supporting one another.
I want to leave you with the fact that I'm very honoured to be here. I feel very privileged to be amongst you amazing people. You are doing an amazing job.
Instead of asking what's wrong, start asking what's happened, and how can we help you? Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you, Tenille. We have time for two quick questions, but before we move on, I would like to welcome Senator Sinclair. He's a new addition to our committee. Welcome.
Senator Sinclair: Thank you.
Senator Enverga: Thank you for coming here today. It's a pleasure, and it is touching to hear your story.
I know you've been taking care of kids, but 20 years from now what can you tell your children? Where do you see them then? How do you achieve that?
Ms. McDougall: I hope to support them in any venture. I will be there to guide them. They're going to make mistakes. Everybody does, but that's how you learn. I hope that they experience all the culture that they have. I hope to learn with them at this time because this is an important time. My children are between 4 and 10, and they're thriving right now. Their brains are sponges. We're going to learn together about our own culture, and hopefully we'll make them have a proud, resilient stance as the persons they are.
Senator Enverga: Where do you expect them to be? Is there anything the community can do to help you?
Ms. McDougall: My community helps me very much. They're very supportive. If I didn't have my community, I don't think I would be sitting right here. They take in my aspects, my ideas. They help me to strive where I need to go.
Right now we're trying to create a community centre for parents, a family centre, actually, for children 0 to 5. We want to support those children. We do fundraising. Right now we're trying to raise $2 million to build this community. That's something I strive for, namely, doing activities for these children. We're doing a family carnival on July 9. It's something fun for the children and the family to feel supported and included in our community and to learn that there is support out there within our community.
The Chair: Thank you. Senators, we have limited time, so please ask one question. We will move to our third presenter, Willie Sellars, from Williams Lake, British Columbia.
Willie Sellars, Williams Lake, British Columbia, as an individual: Thank you for the introduction. First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional territory of the Algonquins of Ontario and thank them for allowing us on their territory.
My name is Willie Sellars from the Williams Lake Indian Band, or Sugar Cane Reserve, located in the interior of British Columbia on the West Coast. My reserve consists of approximately 750 band members, 400 of which live on the reserve. I live on the reserve.
The community of Williams Lake has made national headlines with gang violence. I pride myself in being a pillar of the community and representing First Nations across the province and Canada in a good way. I coach my kids. I coach soccer. I'm more of a motivator, I guess. I coach hockey, and I guess the motto in my household is "Sports, not courts.''
Over the past 10 years, I've risen from a shy First Nations male in my community to a well-respected leader. I'm a proud father of three children ages 8, 6 and 6 months, and I'm a humble husband to a beautiful Chilcotin woman.
I'm in my second term on council with the Williams Lake Indian Band. I can proudly say we're doing some pretty amazing things. Our council is very proactive. We have great support from the community and from our elders. In an area that showcases three different dialects of First Nations — Chilcotin, Carrier and Secwepemc — it's definitely fun getting along and moving forward as a collective, but it can also be challenging.
On top of being on council, I work in economic development with the band, and in an economy that thrives on mining and forestry, we're doing our part in Williams Lake.
This summer we're finishing up an $8 million infrastructure project that consists of 10 commercial and 28 residential fully serviced on-reserve lots. It includes curb, gutter, water, sewer and street lighting. They are surrounding our Coyote Rock Golf Course, which is also on the reserve.
Servicing this development and our reserve is our $5 million water treatment facility that was built five years ago. I can proudly say that I can drink my tap water. It is the first time in my life I have been able to say that, and I just started drinking it earlier this year.
Paralleling the on-reserve project is a Ministry of Transportation twinning project through Highway 97 and IR No. 1 of the Sugar Cane Reserve. Before any of this started, we signed a joint venture partnership with a construction company called Lake Excavating. The economy was slow in Williams Lake. Mining was on a downturn, as you can imagine, and in the forestry sector the annual allowed cut is going down. We signed that construction joint venture because we had a big project coming up, an $8 million injection into the local economy, and we knew that highways project was also coming. That highway project is estimated at around $50 million for our area.
With the partnership, we've delivered our on-reserve project. We've also done over $6 million in rehabilitation and reclamation work in Mount Polley because of the 2014 tailings storage facility failure that I'm sure you're all aware of. The tailings dam burst at the Mount Polley mine on the traditional territory of the Williams Lake Indian Band and Soda Creek Indian Band. That rehabilitation reclamation work is ongoing and definitely has been very stressful, not only for our community but for the area of Williams Lake.
The tricky thing about the economy is balancing the economics and the environment. When we talk about signing participation agreements or impact benefit agreements with First Nations and partnering up with industry, we have to be cognizant of the environment at the same time. It's very challenging for my community to support industry when we have a TSF failure right in our backyard. Finding that balance between the economics and the environment is tough.
A quote from a well-respected leader in B.C., Chief Clarence Louie: "The economic horse pulls the social cart.'' Because of the economic horse, we're able to provide a lot of services to our First Nations, a fully funded recreation department, elders group, primary school and daycare. The list goes on and on. It's those services that are helping us have a healthy community.
I also have hobbies. I'm a writer and have written an award-winning children's book called Dipnetting with Dad. I forgot my book at the hotel. I was going to provide a signed copy to you. Sorry about that.
The story is about the first time I went dip-net fishing with my dad, mom, grandpa and uncles. It's a blend of me raising my kids now and how I was raised down at the river. It emphasizes storytelling, which is a big part of First Nations and non-First Nations culture.
My favourite memories growing up were listening to my family down at the river while catching something I love so dearly, which is sockeye salmon. I was able to do a book tour, win some awards and sell some books. We are currently in our third print with Caitlin Press, so I'll give them a plug. The book is still making its way.
The most rewarding part of the whole thing wasn't the financial component; it was the eight-week book tour we did last January and February, telling full gymnasiums of kids that I'm a First Nation from the interior of B.C. It lit up the faces of the First Nations youth in the crowd.
I remember there was one First Nations boy in the crowd. He was the only First Nations kid in the small school, and he said "Wow, I'm First Nations.'' He stood up and he was really proud. Moments like that made my heart very glad. It was a very cool experience.
To keep in shape, I founded a senior double-A hockey team, the Lac La Hache Tomahawks. We play all over the interior of B.C., as far as Prince Rupert and Kitimat. A majority First Nations team, it is competitive. I'm a goalie and I get 60-plus shots, so I stay in great shape in the process. Really, what it's all about is getting in shape for tournament season, which is a big part of First Nations culture. Actually, that is what I'm writing my second children's book about.
Playing hockey has allowed me to travel all over Western Canada and into the territories and to experience First Nations cultures in my area. I recently went to a tournament in Nunavik, so I got to see a part of the country that I would never have seen in any other experience, which was cool. I brought home some awesome gifts for my children and my wife and some dry whale meat as a party favour, I guess. Definitely something that is interesting.
I practise my culture. I live in the moment, and I love what I do. For the future, I plan to keep working for my people and writing bestsellers while I raise my kids, and of course kiss my wife. Thank you for your time.
The Chair: Thank you.
Senator Patterson: Well, I would like to thank you for that inspiring story about what you've done to improve your community. I'm mindful of what Tenille just told us about not asking about what's wrong, but I am tempted to ask you about the gang situation and whether you would have recommendations on how we can help young people who go astray and turn to violence.
Mr. Sellars: There are a lot of different ways you could tackle it. In my community, it starts in the households. The parents definitely have to take a more proactive approach. Sometimes it's pretty challenging when you're growing up on the reserve. I can say that I grew up on my reserve my entire life. I moved away and got to see a part of the country, and I got to experience different things.
You don't appreciate just how awesome home is. It's just like what was mentioned earlier: You have to allow these children to be proud of where they are from, proud to be First Nations and not get roped into that gang mentality.
We talk about healthy living, and we talk about providing activities and stuff for these kids to do. You have to catch them at a young age before they get roped into those "cool'' groups or those gang groups. I know in our community, it's definitely tough because kids, youth or young adults get to a certain age, and they get roped in and tied up with drugs and alcohol. It's definitely a tough cycle to get out of.
We employ a lot of people in my community, and I bet 90 per cent of our time is focused on that 10 per cent of the population we're trying to help. It's really tough, and finding the solution to that will take a variety of ways and a lot of help. Maybe a big part of it is just more funding to those communities so that they can provide those activities and get those people the help they need.
Mental health is a big part of that, as well.
The Chair: We'll now move on to our next speaker, Maatalii Okalik.
Maatalii Okalik, Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut, as an individual: Good morning. Thank you very much for the opportunity to present to you this morning.
I'd like to take this time to also acknowledge that we are on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Nation. It's a very beautiful territory. This morning, I had the opportunity to bring a number of Inuit youth to the sunrise ceremony, and it was nice to see the honourable chair, as well as other senators who are here today, share in that experience.
Honourable senators, chair, fellow indigenous youth and Inuit youth who are here — Alethea, as well as Shelby, from whom you will be hearing — my senator from Nunavut, the Honourable Senator Dennis Patterson — and I don't know if I can say "my favourite senator'' — just kidding. He is one of my role models who I've watched throughout my lifetime and who has worked and always made himself available to advise the National Inuit Youth Council.
[Ms. Okalik spoke in her native language.]
My name is Maatalii Okalik. I'm originally from Panniqtuuq, Nunavut. I am now living in Iqaluit and working for the Government of Nunavut as the Chief of Protocol.
However, I was elected last year as the President of the National Inuit Youth Council. In that role, I represent Inuit youth 15 to 30 from across Canada, and I work with an incredibly dedicated and dynamic National Inuit Youth Council who are entrenched in all 53 communities by virtue of working in the regional Inuit associations that are connected with land claims agreements across the Canadian Arctic — so Inuvialuit to Northwest Territories, three council members from Nunavut representing the Kitikmeot and regions of Baffin; Nunavik; and Nunatsiavut.
I know I have the opportunity to share with you about who I am and what my experiences are as an Inuk youth. That is closely tied to what I'm doing within this respective portfolio. As I said, I'm from Panniqtuuq. I moved here to Ottawa and was raised by an incredibly strong, single Inuk woman with three siblings. Despite the fact that we were living outside of our homeland, I grew up in an Inuk home, and I was rooted in the culture, foundations and ways of knowing.
I studied at Carleton University. I'm two classes away from completing my degree — after taking a break — in human rights and political science, with a minor in indigenous studies. I've had the opportunity to work as a public servant in a number of departments, starting as a summer student with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and with the Government of Nunavut as a senior devolution adviser to our chief negotiator and an adviser to our regular members within the legislative assembly. I've recently been appointed as Chief of Protocol.
Some people ask how come I'm so driven and dedicated to working for and with Inuit youth. The reason is just seeing the status of affairs of my fellow people and not understanding it initially as a child and a teenager. I was begging to understand why things were the way they were and starting to ask critical questions within my home. I'm grateful that my mother, when she felt I was ready, provided answers to me. But that safe space is not always available within other homes. It's open discourse, not only within our homeland, but across Canada — which I think is changing, and this is an example of that.
The National Inuit Youth Council has five priorities, and those priorities are developed by Inuit youth from across our homeland. Every two years, we host the National Inuit Youth Summit and bring Inuit youth together in one community, and that changes from region to region.
I had the opportunity a month or two after being elected to host the tenth annual National Inuit Youth Summit in Iqaluit, Nunavut. At that time, Inuit youth came together and spent five days discussing areas, working together to ensure best practices, strengthening relations between one another as well as regions, and also prioritizing how to move forward as a council. Our mandate is directly and intrinsically tied to Inuit youth who are living in and feeding to us their realities.
It changes from region to region, community to community, Inuk youth to Inuk youth. However, I believe the priorities are clear at the national level. Also, based on what I have heard so far, it may be something shared among indigenous youth across Canada.
The first priority is Inuit language. We celebrate the fact that we do have a high retention of our language in Canada; however, we recognize that that's different from region to region, depending on the connection and recent history of colonization and assimilation practices, of which we are all aware. That proficiency ranges from 25 per cent to 99 per cent in some recent studies; however, we do understand that is on the decline.
That percentage base does not necessarily reflect the realities of Inuit youth, specifically. Inuit youth have a vested interest in strengthening their relationship with our language and understand that it is the backbone of who we are. It's a way we can continue to communicate with our elders and our family members, take in with an open heart and open mind Inuit knowledge, and continue to do what leaders like Senator Watt and other leaders have done and have had to do just 60 or 70 years ago — and even earlier — namely, to continue to be able to live the way of life reflective of who we are in this culture within this modern society.
We as Inuit youth have a vested interest in continuing on the path of those who have laid it for us.
The second priority is Inuit culture and practices. We have a unique language. We as Canadians relate to our families and our environment. With our culture and practices, we have been able to survive and continue to live in the homeland that we call home.
We have 50 per cent of Canada's landmass and Canada's coastline. We assert sovereignty for this country, as Inuit, and we have done so for thousands and thousands of years.
It doesn't really make sense to me sometimes when you try to understand why our standard of life and status of quality of life is so different from some in Southern Canada and from that which other Canadians have the ability to enjoy despite the fact that they're basic rights.
We would like to continue to strengthen our culture and practices and stay firm as Inuit. Inuit youth who have come to our summits and those I have had the opportunity to liaise with on a regular basis are proud to continue to do that and be champions and ambassadors of our culture. As the fastest-growing population and majority of our total Inuit population, they have young parents. Some fellow indigenous youth here want to raise their children principled in our culture and language. Those are our two top priorities.
The third priority is suicide prevention. I know that has been discussed as of late on a national level, and I am pleased about it because it is a national crisis that requires a national response.
We have the highest suicide rate in Canada and some say in the world. I believe that is completely tied with our recent history. That is why we want to strengthen our language and culture, despite the fact that the intention was for those to disappear. We celebrate the fact that we still have ties to it, but we do want to strengthen it to address the suicide issue. I'm very pleased that our national president, Natan Obed, will be releasing the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy at the end of summer. I'm very hopeful for the future. Inuit youth want to see suicide eradicated within our lifetimes.
The fourth priority is education and empowerment. The better educated that we are not only in Western epistemology but also in Inuit ways of knowledge, the healthier and the happier we can be and the more meaningful choices we can make, as an individual within our own families, our communities and our regions, and how we can contribute greatly to Canadian society. We do our very best to promote education attainment. We'd like to see the dropout rates decline.
Yesterday we launched our Inuit youth-specific financial literacy tool kit with the Economic Club of Canada. We really want to have that entrenched and imparted to all 53 communities for Inuit youth to access and utilize.
The last priority is reconciliation. Reconciliation is absolutely necessary for the future of this country, not only reconciliation within our communities but also across Canada as a whole.
As I indicated when I introduced myself, I was wondering why things are the way they are today. That dialogue is completely tied to our recent history. We would like to create that safe space, whether through the national youth summits or the work we are doing, for Inuit youth to be able to understand that history so that they can then critically analyze the current status of affairs and decide how they will move forward in their respective futures.
One of the things that I'd like to see happen not only for the benefit of Inuit youth or indigenous youth across Canada but for this government as well is that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission call to action No. 66 come to fruition. That call to action would require the federal government to invest in indigenous youth programming specific to reconciliation as well as create a national network for best practices to be shared as we have unique histories and cultures but very collective realities as indigenous youth. I would like to see that achieved. If there is any advice as to how that can be done, I'm very open to it.
Those are our priorities. They are rooted in who I am and, I believe, who Inuit youth are. Before finishing up, I wish to say that I do understand the important work that is being done by this particular Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. I do recognize the interest that you have in the work that you do and by allowing witnesses to come forward and present to each of you. I am very pleased that you were exploring the housing crisis, and I look forward to that report and recommendations. But I was also pleased that indigenous youth had the opportunity to come today and serve in that regard and in not such a formal way. I think it would be beneficial, as a special issues case, for this committee to consider hearing from indigenous youth in an informal way what their priorities are because indigenous youth know what they need in their communities.
How can this committee consider the recommendations of indigenous youth in the work that you are doing to allow us to be able to navigate the interconnected and complicated realities between departments across the cabinet in this federal government? If there is an opportunity for me to make that recommendation, I thank you in advance for allowing me to present it.
[Ms. Okalik spoke in her native language.]
Thank you very much.
The Chair: Thank you. We will now move on to our next speaker, who is Kluane Adamek, Whitehorse, Yukon.
Kluane Adamek, Whitehorse, Yukon, as an individual: Good morning everyone.
It feels great to be here, but it also feels a bit tense, so I just want to have everyone do a little stretch, senators. Stretch it out. Stand and stretch. The people who are watching will have a good chuckle.
I am really excited to be here. I'm from Kluane First Nation, a small community in the Yukon. Approximately 80 people live there year round. Yes, it's very small. I am a cousin to everyone, which I'm sure you understand. I'm from the Dakhl'aweidí, the Killerwhale Clan. We fall under the Wolf and Eagle moieties, which is a clan system used on the coast. I live in Whitehorse, but I'm from Kluane First Nation. My traditional name is Aagé, Daughter of the Lake. That was my great-great-grandmother's name.
For those of you who know Yukon history, Skookum Jim discovered the gold, although he isn't always acknowledged for doing so, and his sister was named Aagé. My lineage goes back to the coast as well as the Athabascan people in Alaska.
In terms of thinking about what to talk to the Senate about today, I wanted to show images to spice things up a bit. For next time, I would recommend that we have the opportunity to do that. I wanted to share a few highlights as well as a current project that I'm working on.
In reflecting on what to share with you today, the first thing that came to mind was about elevating others, supporting and building communities through culture and identity and how this starts with young people.
In my career I focused on working with children and youth in the areas of education, community building and economic development in the Yukon and beyond. Through this, culture, art and identity have been at the centre of the projects I have been a part of. I finished my undergrad at Carleton in 2009 and wanted to acknowledge the Algonquin Nation and my colleague Caitlin Tolley. We were on the National Youth Council together at the AFN.
After this, I returned home to Yukon and led initiatives at the Council of Yukon First Nations and was a member of the National Youth Council, as I mentioned. These opportunities led me to work as adviser to former AFN National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo. These combined experiences have allowed me to learn, grow and develop my leadership abilities.
Some other projects I am excited to share that I was part of include working at the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, running after-school sports programs after high school, jumping all the way to working with the AFN National Chief's office. That involved working with nations from across this country, travelling to a number of different schools and really seeing the realities that First Nations people are faced with in very small rural communities.
As part of my work at AFN, I also began a fellowship with the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. Through this fellowship, I chose to work on a project in the Yukon focused on youth engagement.
I joked with my colleague Caitlin last night that I was not going to cry today, but I'm feeling this moment, so here I am. The reason I feel so emotional and passionate is that in 2013, I had a young cousin — he was 18. He had just finished high school, and he had essentially the world as his fingertips. He committed suicide, and it was incredibly difficult. In those moments of being here in the capital city, essentially being alone, other than one family member I had here at the time who was going to school, it hit me that there is so much that we need to be doing in our communities. So I wanted to acknowledge the former speaker who also acknowledged that being a focus of the Inuit — but it really is something that's happening everywhere across this country in indigenous communities.
So, in a moment of darkness, hopelessness, tragedy, I sent a Facebook message out to a few friends I knew in the Yukon. There had been a number of other deaths by suicide and homicides that had taken place in the Yukon earlier that year. I sent the message out and said, "What are you doing in your communities? Or what is it that young people, apart and aside from government responsibility and First Nation responsibilities — what are we doing for our youth?''
The first thing we did was have a teleconference call. On our first call — there were about 10 of us. We decided we wanted to have a gathering on the landing for indigenous people in the Yukon to create a space and a place for them to talk, connect and know they are not alone when they are dealing with these challenges and moments of hopelessness, violence and substance abuse.
We hear these stories all the time in the news. Unfortunately, what we don't hear are all the incredibly positive things that are happening, and that indigenous young people, as many of us today are sharing, have solutions and we know what needs to be done in our communities. We just need the support to do them.
So after we established ourselves as Yukon First Nations Emerging Leaders, we planned the summer gathering. I ended up doing my fellowship project, and that was it: planning a youth gathering in the Yukon. We called it Our Voices, Yukon First Nations Emerging Leaders Gathering. We had former leaders who attended and political support from Yukon First Nations chiefs. We wanted to make sure we had representation from any indigenous young people in the Yukon, so that people could feel included.
Fast forwarding to after the event, we had over 100 young people come. It was amazing. The momentum that was there was truly incredible. That led us to formalize as a group, known as Our Voices. I encourage all of you to like us on Facebook.
We formalized as a group in January 2014. At that time, there were two of us appointed as co-chairs. The other is Jordan Peterson, from the Gwich'in Tribal Council, and I wanted to acknowledge him — and all the other Our Voices members. We've now developed into a group of seven on our steering committee. We are a project funded through Tides Canada. We're able to access public, private and foundation resources, which is incredible.
We planned our second gathering last year focused specifically on mental health and wellness. We partnered with the Kwanlin Dun First Nation. Every gathering we have, we partner with a local First Nation, who advises us on ceremony and protocol for that traditional territory where we're meeting.
Every year, we have been growing by 50 participants, and the feedback we've received from the young people has been incredible. We have 17-year-olds who want to be on the steering committee, and I'm thinking, "Really? This is a lot of volunteer work.'' They say they don't care. They say they see us and they just want to be a part of it. We've created a system where anybody can sign up to be a general member. Our website is almost fully functioning. When it is, I encourage all of you senators and others in the room and online to sign up and be a member of Our Voices.
There is a space and a place for everyone. We really want to make sure that the work we do — our mandate is "Northern indigenous emerging leaders who are inspired, engaged and thriving'' — is in all that we do, whether that be through education, economic development, or identity, which has been a major focus on the work we've done.
In doing a summary, we've learned in the process that we don't need to ask permission to do these things. In fact, it's our responsibility as young people to be able to carry out these solutions. As young people, we need for the systemic challenges that we experience to be addressed, that reconciliation be at the forefront of work that we do and that young people be given the opportunity and the space to implement these solutions that we know need to be done in our communities.
I just wanted to wrap up with that, again, to acknowledge all of you for having all of us come from all the way up North to locally having the Kitigan Zibi here. I think it's important. Thank you again.
The Chair: Thank you very much, Kluane. You have shown with respect to suicide how deeply tragic it can be and how it has inspired you to move forward and do something positive.
We will now move on to Justin "Jah'kota'' Holness.
Justin "Jah'kota'' Holness, Winnipeg, Manitoba, as an individual: I like how my name tag says "Jah'kota.'' That's perfect.
[Mr. Holness spoke in his native language.]
I said, "How are you? It's nice to see you'' in my traditional language of Nakota. My spirit name is Owicagi'yesa, which means "the one who helps.'' I recently learned my language in the last six months of my lifetime. The Nakota language is pretty much almost extinct, and I feel proud that my grandmother has been able to pass on some of those teachings to me.
I was born and raised in Winnipeg. It has the highest Aboriginal population per capita. My father is from Kingston, Jamaica, and my mother is from Ocean Man First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Just before I moved here, I had my own story of rock bottom. I've had guns pulled on me point blank; and I have been involved in the street life and gang life, so I can directly relate to young people who are experiencing similar things.
Right before I moved here, I was privileged and honoured that I was able to work for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's first national event in Winnipeg. I was a sports tent coordinator. That event was the first time I've ever experienced that part of my history. I was in my early twenties at that time, and to me that's crazy; I should understand my history and identity at the earliest stage possible. I witnessed stories at that event that I will carry for the rest of my life.
But that event taught me the importance of who I am as an indigenous person. So I took the opportunity to move to Ottawa, because my parents are split, and my mother lives here. I took that as an opportunity to start fresh and really try to grow professionally in the capital of Canada.
In moving here, I applied to the Canadian Forces through the Black Bear program, which is for Aboriginal recruits. I graduated as top candidate and also got the Camaraderie Award. I figured I was good at it, so I figured I'd stick with it. The Black Bear program is the only one with a mentorship. I was privileged enough to come back the following year as mentor, and it was that experience that taught me that I want to dedicate my professional career to working with young people.
Shortly after two years of being in the Canadian Armed Forces, I realized it wasn't really for me. I have a passion for music, and I founded Un1ty Entertainment. We provide a creative environment for indigenous people to express themselves and their heritage through all forms of art, music and fashion.
I'm proud to say that we're responsible for Ottawa's annual INDIGENIUS Art, Music, and Fashion Show to help inspire young people to find their genius.
I'm also a native hip hop artist, hence the Jah'kota, and I released an album a couple years ago called Indigenius because I strongly believe that each and every one of us have a genius within, and we just need to tap into it.
We just celebrated our third annual even. I'm very proud of that. As a result, I created the Urban Aboriginal Scholarship Fund to help support our young people transition from high school to college or university. I figure that's very important. Education and knowledge are power.
Most recently, two weekends ago, in collaboration with Annie and Company, we put together a fundraising event for the youth suicides taking place in Attawapiskat. We proudly raised $10,000, and it was a sold-out event and I'm super thankful and humbled for the response from the city of Ottawa.
Last weekend, I put together Ottawa's first Boys with Braids in collaboration with Elaine Kicknosway, Florence and the Minwaashin Lodge, and I'm super thankful that we're able to provide awareness on the bullying issues that take place with our young boys and men who have braids.
I'm here today just sharing my story. I feel very thankful to be invited. I strongly believe that young people are the most resilient demographic in the entire world, and I strongly believe that arts and culture is the highest form of human intelligence; and I feel the best way we can revitalize our communities is by inspiring these young people to be proud of their identity and who they are and to understand how important their culture is.
I'm going to end by maybe making some history and drop a verse in the Senate:
Youth are dying at ten times the national rate.
They're dealing with issues that you can't even translate.
It's up to us to determine the world that we create.
Jah'kota, I'm making music to advocate.
Give a shout out to my natives who are struggling.
Even when we die we multiply, we keep on doubling.
Intergenerational trauma is no conspiracy.
Ask the murdered missing indigenous families.
150 years of a genocide,
No wonder these kids are dying from suicide.
No culture, no teachings and no identity.
Our colonial history is the enemy.
It's a national crime passed on to generations.
This is my call of action to all of my relations.
To all my leaders and warriors all across the map,
It's time for us to put a close to the poverty gap.
This is a state of emergency.
Meegwetch.
Senator Raine: I'm just listening. I'm taking your advice, and I'm really enjoying the stories that we're hearing today. Thank you all.
The Chair: Our next presenter is Kelly Duquette from Atikokan, Ontario.
Kelly Duquette, Atikokan, Ontario, as an individual: Thank you. Hi, everyone. First I'd like to acknowledge that we are on unceded Algonquin territory today. I'd like to thank everyone for having us here to share our stories.
My name is Kelly Duquette. I'm from Atikokan in northwestern Ontario. I'm the Region 1 youth rep for the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council, Treaty 3 half-breed adhesion area.
I grew up in a small, isolated town where unfortunately for me there wasn't much indigenous education or art programming. Growing up, I always knew of my Scottish and French ancestry, which I celebrated a lot, actually. It was when I was about 12 that I discovered my Metis ancestry, which began my journey towards reclaiming my cultural identity.
It was a really confusing time for me. I wondered why my ancestors had kept our heritage a secret for so long and why it was so crucial for the survival of our identity and our people. These questions became the motivating forces behind my involvement in the Metis community, and they also influenced my field of studies.
In 2014 I was elected as the region one youth representative on the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council. Combined with my Aboriginal studies minor, I began to find my place within my community. I began to understand where my story fit into the larger narrative.
I have used art as a platform, a way of teaching others about my culture and my experiences as a new-generation Metis. As Louis Riel said, "My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.''
Our generation is paving the way. We are the teachers now because the transfer of indigenous knowledge came to a halt for many of our families over a century ago. Our generation does not need to be afraid to celebrate who we are. We can be proud to tell our stories.
As a published artist, I have taken his quote seriously. In 2012 my painting titled "Disconnected'' which speaks of the impacts of colonization on the transfer of indigenous knowledge, was included in David Bouchard's book Dreamcatcher and the Seven Deceivers. In 2013, "Robbed of Their Culture,'' a black and white film photograph that I made, describes the effects of residential schools on our people, the process of assimilation, and the origins of stereotypes. It was published about the Northwest Territories residential school system in Canada teacher's guide.
This semester I found my voice through a new style of painting. The process has become one of the most important elements in my work, reflecting on my identity and the struggles that I and many other indigenous youth face.
People only get to see the finished product, not the process. For one of my works, I decided to document my process through a video as a way of highlighting the importance of my artistic process, a part of my work very few people see. The film is my attempt to give the process equal significance to my finished paintings.
Each scene in the film shows a step of my process, and each process reflects on a certain aspect of our history within Canada. The mixing of pigments in the beginning of the film reflects the ethnogenesis and emergence of Metis people. The blurred focus represents our people losing touch of and rejecting our culture. The peeling of liquid frisket represents the stripping of Metis culture which took place in residential and day schools which aimed to kill the Indian in the child. The white paint covering the mixed colours below references the assimilation process which halted the transfer of indigenous knowledge and pushed us to blend into the dominant culture.
The beading in the end of the film represents the reclaiming of our culture after many years of silence and oppression of our people. The words that I speak at the end of the film are Michif French, one dialect of the Metis peoples' traditional language. I went to a group of knowledge keepers in my community to learn the phrase Chrpren ma keultseur, erprend ma voyoi, erprend kikchu, which means, "We are reclaiming our culture, reclaiming our voice, reclaiming our identity.''
The words are played over a scene of me beading, further reinforcing the strength and resilience of our people.
This film played beside my painting series "I forgot who I was but now I remember'' at my graduation exhibition in April. Although I faced many barriers upon high school graduation, I worked hard to reach my goals. Inspired by the determination of my ancestors, I went from barely getting accepted into university for fine arts because of no previous artistic training, to receiving the top painter award of my year.
As a Metis person, I have listened to both sides, the indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives, representing a bridge between both nations. I'm determined to remain an advocate of the indigenous voice and represent indigenous peoples in the fight for legal recognition of their rights.
I will be entering the first year of the Juris Doctor Common Law Program at the University of Ottawa in the fall, but it is my plan to continue producing art work as I pursue my legal education. Meegwetch.
The Chair: We have time for questions. You said that you were 12 years old when you discovered that your family had a Metis identity. How were your able to track down your Metis ancestors?
Ms. Duquette: I was looking through a photo album one day, and I came across this old picture of my grandmother with her grandmother. Her grandmother was clearly indigenous to me. I asked my grandma, "Did you not know your grandma was indigenous?'' She said, "I never knew because I'm Scottish.'' That was the end of it.
A lot of our families rejected our culture in order to avoid discrimination. It was a tool of survival. When we found out, it was through a hunch. My grandmother tracked her records to Red River and that's how we found out. A lot of people are finding out in their fifties or their thirties. It's a long time lost.
The Chair: What was the Scottish surname?
Ms. Duquette: I have on both sides of my family Davidsons and MacKay.
Senator Patterson: Kelly, I understand you're an artist and you're going into law. Have you thought about how you would use your law degree and maybe considered the implications of the recent Supreme Court decision on Metis? Where are you heading in that direction?
Ms. Duquette: Of course. After watching lawyers in my community doing great things for our nation, I feel it's kind of my responsibility now to help my community and other indigenous communities fight for their rights. Harvesting is a big one. I'm not able to get my harvesters card because my family is from Manitoba and I live in Ontario and have Ontario citizenship. On issues like this, it's important for our people to have a voice. If I can get the tools to bring our people forward and be listened to and acknowledged, that's something I'd really be interested in doing.
The Chair: We will now move on to our next speaker, Katelyn LaCroix from Penetanguishene, Ontario.
Katelyn LaCroix, Penetanguishene, Ontario, as an individual: A valiant effort.
The Chair: Thank you.
Ms. Lacroix: My name is Katelyn. I am from Penetanguishene, which is what I thought was a small town a couple hours north of Toronto, but I'm hearing people coming from places with 80 people living there, so I guess it was almost kind of a city.
I should start off saying good morning, senators, my fellow indigenous youth leaders and everyone else that's here today to help make this happen. Thank you so much. This is an excellent opportunity.
I guess I'll start with a little bit about myself. My entrance into political representation started with my role as the local youth rep on the Georgian Bay Métis Council, which is my historic Metis homeland, a beautiful place on Georgian Bay. From there I joined the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council and I represented the Region 7 youth from my area. Today I am on the PCMNO, I'm the post-secondary rep. I'm representing all the post-secondary students from my community.
I've also had the amazing opportunity of working as a cultural interpreter with the Métis Nation of Ontario Summer Youth Cultural Program, and that's where I really started to learn a lot about my culture and my heritage and act in that physically. So I learned Metis jigging. I learned bead work, embroidery, finger weaving, and I learned a lot about the history and traditions of my people.
I think you'll probably notice a theme in today's speakers. A lot of us didn't have an opportunity to learn about our cultures at birth. Some of us learned about it quite late. I learned about my culture when I was 16 after taking an Ojibwa course in high school, and my dad mentioned "We have Ojibwa in our history.'' From there I looked into it and discovered this whole aspect of who I am, of my identity that I had never found before. I thank the Creator every day that I did find it because it has become a big part of who I am.
I know not everyone has had that same opportunity. I've heard a lot of stories from fellow citizens who only discovered their Aboriginal identity in their late fifties, sometimes even sixties.
I was lucky because I was able to find an extended Metis family to learn about my culture and history because this wasn't something that was readily known in my family.
I took this knowledge with me to university. I was involved in a program called the Infinite Reach Metis Student Solidarity Network. I was able to teach other Metis youth who may not have had the opportunity to learn about their culture — our culture — and share with them the different traditional crafts that I had learned.
My focus on the future, in my capacity as the post-secondary rep on PCMNO, is definitely on increasing and diversifying the funding opportunities for Metis youth and, like my fellow indigenous youth have spoken of today, creating more mental health support and wellness programs for students. Especially during the transition phase, many of our students have to move away from their home communities. It's a bit of a culture shock, so it's important to have supports for their transition to university.
I also hope to work with the PCMNO Women's Secretariat to encourage more programming for youth, such as a culturally focused healthy masculinity program for boys and men. Much of this is fuelled by my undergrad, which is a combined honours in psychology and women's and gender studies.
Mental wellness is an important issue for me as I have seen the effects of mental illness in my hometown. This past year, I volunteered at the local shelter and local mental health hospital. Many of the people I worked with were Metis or First Nations. My conversations with them revealed to me the gaps that exist in social services for society at large, particularly for Aboriginal people. This is why I have chosen to pursue my master's in social work because I hope to represent and advocate for neuro-atypical individuals in my community and emphasize the need for further supports, especially transitioning from institutions to community.
Connection to culture grounds people and helps them in many areas of their life, whether that be their mental and physical well-being, their educational or career goals or other aspects of their lives. I was given the opportunity to teach Metis jigging to a group of dynamic Aboriginal students at an after-school program and also speak on behalf of the MNO at various schools. We need to ensure that there are more opportunities for Aboriginal youth to connect with their culture in order to ensure they feel part of something greater.
I think one of the greatest dangers for our youth is a feeling of isolation, whether that be from their families, friends or communities. By learning about their history and engaging with their peers, we can help to foster a sense of pride and help ensure well-being among our Aboriginal youth.
My ancestors worked as translators, helping different groups gain understanding of one another. A responsibility has been passed on to me today, and I will always work towards helping others understand my culture and my heritage, whether that be non-Aboriginal people or those who are just discovering who they are.
Like a bridge, I will also help others transition from one place to another, students moving to a new school or individuals moving from an institution back into their community. My history and culture have taught me how to act as a guide for others, and this is a role I am proud to continue. Thank you. Meegwetch.
The Chair: I think we have time for a question.
Senator Patterson: You said something about a study you had done relating to mental health and neuro —
Ms. Lacroix: I used the term "neuro-atypical.'' Basically, it's the idea that we're not different. I suffer from anxiety, so we're not different or divergent from the rest of society. It's just that we have a different neurological makeup. Does that explain?
Senator Patterson: And the healthy masculinity, can you just say a bit about that?
Ms. Lacroix: Yes. I go to school in Waterloo, and Kitchener has an amazing program called MAASV where they go into elementary schools and they offer programming for young boys on healthy masculinity. I think there is a huge gap for that. There are a lot of programs for young girls on identity and self-esteem, issues such as those, but we don't see that for young boys. We speak of missing and murdered indigenous women, issues of violence against women. This is a conversation that shouldn't be placed on the shoulders of just women. This should be a conversation among all of us because it affects all of us. If we have more programs with role models, especially culturally specific role models — I see some amazing role models in front of me today — that could be instrumental in a young boy's life. I think that would be a really impactful way to make change.
Senator Patterson: Thanks very much.
Senator Raine: I just wanted to know if you and Kelly knew that the Senate had studied the question of Metis identity. Our study came out about three years ago now, and it would probably be well worth reading. We concluded in the end that Metis identification comes from them; it can't be prescribed. It's who you are, who you discover that you are. It's kind of nice to see that both of you have found who you are and are finding your voices. Thank you.
Ms. Lacroix: Thank you.
The Chair: We will move on to our next speaker, Jenna Burke from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Jenna Burke, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as an individual: Good morning, everyone. I'd just like to recognize the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin peoples and thank them for having us here today.
Thank you, senators, for allowing this gathering to happen. It truly is an honour to be here to speak with you, especially when I know there are so many amazing youth in our country doing great work in their community that maybe don't know the right people to make their way to these forums. I'm not sure if you are going to do this again, but if you are, it's great, but maybe try to find ways to reach out to those young people who really deserve a seat at this table as well.
A little bit about me: I always start off with my grandmother because she really is the matriarch of my family. She is a strong woman and a fighter. She's a residential school survivor, and she married and fell in love with my grandfather, who is a non-native man, and, of course, she lost her status so she had to move away from her community. But she still raised some strong children and she stayed away from drugs and alcohol. She really is the reason why I am here today.
I'm a member of the Mi'kmaw nation. I'm a band member of Lennox Island First Nation and a board of director for the Native Council of Prince Edward Island. My status was granted to me through the McIvor case in 2010, so that is a recent addition to my identity, which is an interesting journey for me.
Growing up non-status, and my mother was non-status until the year I was born, 1985, when my mother and grandmother got their status. My grandmother got involved with the Native Council of P.E.I., an off-reserve Aboriginal group that represents the rights of status and non-status people living on Prince Edward Island. Through there, they took on leadership roles. My mother was a youth board director and she encouraged me. I say "encouraged,'' but I didn't have a choice: "This is what you're doing. This is part our family. You're doing this,'' and it changed my whole life. I grew up not really understanding who I was. I went to school. I didn't really fit in with school. I did the bare minimum to get by. I didn't like it. I didn't fit in. I was very shy. If you said the wrong word to me or looked at me in a weird way I would cry very easily. Through my involvement with the native council it changed me. I was surrounded by a lot of mentors who saw gifts in me that I didn't recognize in myself and they mentored me. As I got older, I was the youth board director for the native council, and it gave me a chance to sit on the National Youth Council for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. Through there, I met a lot of strong indigenous youth leaders who also mentored me and who I'm still involved with. It's interesting to see how we've all taken our paths in this world and the great things we're still doing.
I'm kind of going off my sheet a little bit. My involvement in youth really gave me an opportunity to want to pursue my education, so I got a child and youth care diploma. That was the first time I studied something — went to school and studied and really enjoyed what I was doing, the difference, when you find something you really love, how you put yourself to it. So my marks from high school compared to college were an incredible turnaround.
I found my passion. Once I was done there, I worked in my community at the native council and developed a youth program that I ran for many years. I think it was successful because it was not the organization saying, "This is the program. This is what you are doing.'' I reached out to the youth and asked then, "What do you want to learn — health, social, cultural political?'' It was during the time of the CCAY, Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth, funding. It was really with the cultural activities that I found we got the most involvement from Aboriginal youth because there is such a need for our young people to really connect with themselves, with elders and with other people, learning our traditions and our ceremonies.
From there I moved to Ottawa and I worked at the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples as their National Youth Policy Coordinator. I was able to work with our National Youth Council which was a nice change from being part of the youth council to actually being the National Youth Policy Coordinator. I was helping them find their way through this process. We created the Find Your Voice tool kit, which helps helpings Aboriginal youth learn about civic engagement. It has different modules that you can take and learn with your community to understand the federal and provincial jurisdictions, who you go to if you want to make change in your community, how to do a letter campaign, how to start a movement and that kind of thing.
Living in Ottawa and being exposed to so many different people showed me that I needed to go back to school and obtain my university degree, so that's what I did. I moved back to my community in 2012. I became a board director for the Native Council of P.E.I., and I'm currently getting my bachelor of arts majoring in political science. There is no indigenous minor or major at my university. In fact, there were only two indigenous courses in the whole university, and one was cancelled the year that I went there. I joined the Aboriginal Mawi'omi Student Centre group and started to make changes by meeting with the president and figuring out how to move forward on this. There is a big push in universities to get Aboriginal students to come to university, but once they are there we need to support them. If we're not doing that, then we're doing them a huge disservice.
Our Aboriginal Mawi'omi Student Centre currently has only a part-time Aboriginal academic adviser and no funding, so we can't do any programs. That's one of the things that I'm really trying to change. In fact, a lot of students don't even know that the centre is there. Luckily, last year I ruffled a lot of feathers and got media attention for our centre. We are doing outreach and inviting non-indigenous students to our centre, for open houses or to hear speakers that we're bringing in and that kind of thing. It has raised the level of awareness on our campus for indigenous issues, such as missing and murdered women and the REDress campaign that took place. I did a similar one at my university. That was the first thing that caught people's eyes because the red dresses are hanging from the trees and you can't miss them. It makes people go up and want to learn more about what it actually is.
I'm working with the university to try to get an indigenous course. They created indigenous advisory circle. I went to the first meeting — I wasn't invited, but I heard it was going on so I crashed their meeting. I was only one of three indigenous people at a table of about 15 — and there were supposed to be more people there — at an indigenous advisory circle. So I had to speak up and say, "It's great that you are doing this, but it's wrong if you don't have at least equal representation of indigenous people. It's not going to work, and we really only have one kick at the can to make this work.'' Right now, indigenous issues are important and it's in the media. Everyone really seems to care. I'm scared that we only have a short amount of time to really get this right. I'm very conscious of that when I go to meetings or sit on committees. Hopefully, the university takes what I said to heart and starts bringing in more indigenous representation.
I just finished my second-last semester at the end of April and I had one month before I moved out to Victoria, B.C. I wondered: Do I get a job or not? I ended up getting a call from a young Metis activist, Gabrielle Fayant, who is part of the Assembly of Seven Generations. She brought me into her vision of having a mass blanket exercise across Canadian with KAIROS. She wanted me to do the lead in Charlottetown. I knew that was what I was supposed to do for my last month on P.E.I. It was a powerful experience to bring indigenous and non-indigenous people together to learn about the history of Canada through an indigenous perspective and to see how that affects people. As the blankets are laid out on the land and everyone is on the blankets, you tell them, "You guys are the indigenous people.'' It is a twist in the narrative that is told from the eyes of colonizer. This way you're told, "This happened to you. You lost your land. Your children were taken away from you. You were part of missing and murdered indigenous women, so you have to remove yourself from the blanket because you have moved on to the spirit world.'' To go through the experience with people and to watch that was powerful. I hope it's something that can catch on in the schools and communities all across the country. It is a great way to tell our history and work together, because the only way that Canada can move forward with this is that everybody needs to know our history — even if it's not nice and it's uncomfortable.
Regarding my personal experience, I gained my status in 2010. It was a weird moment for me because I could feel how I was legitimized in the eyes of some people — even in the eyes of my own community — from being a non-status person to a person having status. Now I was legitimized because the government recognized me. I think this might be where the focus of my education goes in the future, that is, how we internalize the colonial standards of identity, not only in the non-indigenous community but also in the indigenous community.
As I said, I've been involved with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples for many years and I sat in on different meetings, but I always felt like an outsider coming in. There is a weird political tension. With the Daniels case that was just passed, I was hoping that we would work together because I really feel that's what we need to do as indigenous people, work together. I'm afraid the voices of the non-status community will not be heard. In my own province the provincial government is saying, "No. Fiduciary responsibility is with the federal government and not with the province.'' To me that's wrong. At the federal level, my national organization was left out of first ministers' meeting. I don't know if that's going to continue to happen, but I'm scared that the non-status are going to get lost in the wayside. That's hurtful to me because that's my community, and I know people who have worked alongside me and are part of the community. I think our identity should be left with the community. We decide who our people are; we decide those who are one of us. That's what we did. We never went by the card system or blood quantum. That's not our way.
From here, I'm done my undergrad in December of 2016, hopefully, and then I want to continue on in the indigenous governance program at the University of Victoria. Hopefully, my path will be laid out for me on what I need to do next. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you very much. We will have to move on to the next speaker. We are running short on time. We will move on to Mitch Case from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Mitch Case, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, as an individual: I prepared some notes. Usually I don't do that. Since there's a time limit, however, I made notes. Otherwise, I could talk a lot longer.
Good morning, senators. I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here. I want to acknowledge the traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation and acknowledge the fellow indigenous young people who are here telling some amazing stories that I am so very inspired by.
I come from Sault Ste. Marie, a Metis community at the heart of the Great Lakes in Ontario, which is the eastern doorway of the Metis Nation. I come from a place that, quite frankly, too many people don't even acknowledge as being part of the Metis homeland.
My community, while it's often overlooked and forgotten, has played many important roles in the history of my people, the Metis Nation. It's one of the oldest Metis communities in the homeland. It was a hub of activity during the fur trade and the War of 1812, a war in which our community took up arms to defend itself. It was a war that Britain could not have won without our assistance.
In 1816, our community rallied once more to send a small band of warriors to Red River to support Cuthbert Grant at Victoire de la Grenouillière, better known as the Battle of Seven Oaks, the 200th anniversary of which just passed a few days ago.
In 1849, another member of our community, Guillaume Sayer, found himself on trial in the Red River for violating the Hudson's Bay Company monopoly. Louis Riel Sr. rallied the community around him. They won his case; they were victorious.
In 1850, a year later, our community, under the leadership of our chiefs, Eustache Lesage and Charles Boyer — along with the First Nations community — took on the mining companies and the government that were illegally stealing our resources from a place called Mica Bay, two hours north of where I live in Sault Ste. Marie. As a result of this action, the Robinson-Huron Treaty and Robinson-Superior Treaty were concluded much to our dismay and against the protests of the First Nations leadership. Our community was left out of the treaty. Promises were made to protect our river lots, and promises were made to return a year later and sign another treaty with us. It's 160-some years later. We're still waiting, and we're ready whenever you are.
These promises to protect our land seem to mean nothing. Within 10 years, 90 per cent of our village in what is now downtown Sault Ste. Marie had been forcibly taken from us through a variety of different means. Our community was dispersed into smaller communities north and east of Sault Ste. Marie and west to Red River.
Roughly 100 years later, after the loss of our village there at Sault Ste. Marie, the same thing happened again when Ontario decided to create Lake Superior Provincial Park, and they relocated one of our communities out of Agawa Bay and burned down their houses. That's within living memory of the elders in my community; they still remember when that happened. There is an elder I work with lots who said, "I remember the day that floatplane landed and told us we were to leave.'' These are living memories.
In the 1960s, my community started working with others in Ontario to assert our rights as a people. We did this through the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association. In the 1980s, we joined the Ontario Métis Aboriginal Association.
In the 1990s, we came to a point where we were no longer interested in being an advocacy group; we were prepared to stand on our own as a government. We, with other communities, formed the Métis Nation of Ontario. In my lifetime, my community was called to fight once again for our rights and our place in the world.
Throughout my childhood, two men from my community were on trial — our community was on trial; in fact, our entire nation was on trial. I refer to the Powley case, where two men from the community, Steve and Roddy Powley, were charged for hunting illegally. They asserted they had a right as Metis people to live off the land and to exercise their Metis rights.
The government's argument against our community was that we had no rights, because we did not exist, because we were not real. The beautiful thing about this story is that not only did we win, but the truth prevailed. Not only did we prevail, but the truth of history prevailed. By the end, 14 judges at four levels of court had agreed with us that we were an indigenous nation in North America and that we had rights that had to be respected.
I share these stories with you not as a history lesson of the Metis community in Sault Ste. Marie but as a lesson of what makes me who I am and what gives me the strength and the courage and the determination to do the work that I do.
My political activities began at a pretty young age. I started organizing. We organized the first Aboriginal student association at my high school, and we successfully lobbied the school board to create an Aboriginal studies program in the high school, and that program is stilling running today. I still volunteer with that program when I'm able to.
I started volunteering with the Métis Nation of Ontario as youth rep on the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council when I turned 16, and two years later I started as a regional youth rep for Region 4 Sault Ste. Marie on the north shore of Lake Huron.
Four years ago, I was elected president of Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council, and two months ago, I was re- elected to my second and final term.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn appointed me to two terms on the Premier's Council on Youth Opportunities where I helped with an amazing group of young people to advise 18 different ministries in Ontario around issues affecting young people.
I'm a First Degree Midewiwin of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge and a graduate of Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and Algoma University, where I studied history and Anishinaabe studies. In 2014 I was awarded the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers, and in 2015 the Charlie Hunter Scholarship. In my day job, I'm the Anishinaabe Studies Program Coordinator at Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig. I'm currently working with elders in my community to compile an edited collection of stories from our communities, and I'm working with Kelly on a children's book to tell a lot of these stories.
I have been referred to by some people in my community as a leader. I'm very cautious about accepting that title. I hesitate. I'm more comfortable saying I'm a politician, because there is a lot less meaning in that.
If this is true, if for a second I allow myself to accept that premise, then it's because of the stories I spoke about a few moments ago. My entire world view has been shaped by those stories, because they have lived on in my community in different forms and different places, but they have survived in one way or another. My entire outlook has been shaped by the lessons in those stories. I have had the opportunity to hear those stories, and I have relentlessly pursued them, seeking to know as much as I can about those stories, because those stories have given me a foundation from which to work.
My community carried those stories on, and today, I do what I can to carry them on. In my spare time, I do a lot of beadwork. I try to continue the Metis floral beadwork tradition. This vest I'm wearing now is made of classic Hudson's Bay Company material — the Hudson's Bay Company that used my people to create their empire, that then worked against my people in Sault Ste. Marie and across our homeland when we were asserting our rights.
If you look here at this big flower, it's surrounded by black beads. When I was putting this together, it represented to me that darkness that surrounded our community. But in the centre, we survived; we just kept going and doing what we had to do. But we survived at the centre. Out from there, there is new life, new buds and new energy coming out of there. But there is a lot of room up here for more — more victories and more re-emergence that I hope to see in my time.
The Hudson's Bay Company a few years ago was bought out by an American investment company, and my community is still here and we're thriving. So make of that what you will.
As I conclude, one of the few questions we were asked to consider was about our future plans. This is a pretty difficult question for me; it was actually the most difficult question. Beyond dinner, I have a hard time with personal plans. But my community has been really busy making plans. They have been organizing and planning for generations now. That work continues today. We are organizing and preparing, and we're seeking justice for our community.
I just want to be a part of that movement. Those are my plans. With that I say thank you for your time.
The Chair: Unfortunately, we will have to move on. We are running a little late.
Our next presenter is Alethea Arnaquq-Baril from Iqaluit, Nunavut.
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Iqaluit, Nunavut, as an individual: Hi. Happy Aboriginal Day.
Thank you to Caitlin for welcoming us to Algonquin territory, and thank you to this committee for having us here today.
It's always a little bit awkward as an indigenous person who comes from a colonized people to present to a government that still pretends to pledge allegiance to the Queen, but I do appreciate the positive work you're trying to do here today and the opportunity you're giving us to speak to you and to the Canadian people.
[Ms. Arnaquq-Baril spoke in her native language.]
My name is Alethea Arnaquq-Baril. I'm from Iqaluit, Nunavut. My parents are Naullaq and Peter. My grandparents Baaqtitaq and Anugaaq were from the area nearby the community that is now known as Kimmirut.
I studied computer science and then I studied illustration at Sheridan Institute. Today I'm a filmmaker. In addition to my film work I've served on the local district education authority in my community for years in the past, and I continue to volunteer with various initiatives.
I'm a member of the board of directors for the TV Nunavut Educational Broadcast Society, which aims to launch an Inuktitut-language regional educational broadcaster in Nunavut. I'm also a member of the Qanak Collective, qanak.com. Our collective is very similar to the Our Voices project that Kluane spoke about. If you want to learn more about that you can go to qanak.com.
I'm passionate about the arts and the potential of filmmaking to be one of the key economies for Inuit, an economy that not only provides cash income but also strengthens our language and culture while also enabling us to advocate for our people.
Advocacy is important to those of us who live at a disadvantage. I have to say that Bill C-51 scares me, and I hope it will be repealed so that people like me can speak out without fear of being criminalized for caring and trying to do something.
I made a documentary about traditional Inuit women's tattoos. Our tattoos were a rite of passage into womanhood, their celebration of womanhood and the strength it takes to be a woman and to be a mother. It's a beautiful tradition, and the meanings behind tattoos vary from region to region, but one thing we all have in common across Inuit lands is that for women it helped us prepare for the pain of being a woman and the pain of being a mother through childbirth and also through the emotional pains.
I think it's a beautiful tradition for young girls, as they grow up, to look forward to being a woman, to earn the marks that say that they're good, that they're kind and skilled and that they have a purpose and responsibility to their community.
Unfortunately we were shamed out of using this tradition by the Canadian government and the church and by Canadians of European descent. As it was with our tattoos, it was with our language, our culture and everything about us. Much of my work is designed to reject the shame that the Canadian government tried so hard to put on us and that all Canadian citizens and political leaders are still complicit in continuing to put on us by underfunding our recovery from the abusive policies of the past and by leaving in place the abusive policies of today.
All I want to do is talk about the strength of my industry and what I need from people like you to support it. But I have to take this opportunity to talk about a huge barrier to the success of my people, and that is housing.
I'm very happy to hear that this committee is addressing this issue and looking into it. Due to many racist policies of the Canadian government, enabled by Canadian citizens, we have a housing crisis all across the North. While we were once independent, we were forced off the land and crammed into poorly planned communities. Many Inuit were lured into town with promises of good housing and rents that would never go above $5 a month.
There are former government employees living today who remember and corroborate these Inuit stories. Through coercion, lies, forced relocations, kidnapping of children, shooting of many thousands of sled dogs, restriction of hunting grounds by law and by resource development, we have a housing crisis.
Many of our skills and resources for independence were taken away from us. Our people were brought to their knees. This housing crisis was caused by disastrous policies and is perpetuated by the tolerance of their continued existence.
Today, some rape victims have to choose between living with their abusers or sentencing them to death by forcing them out into the cold. In the Arctic, this is no choice. With 14 people living in a three-bedroom house, when one of those people has suffered trauma then the whole rest of that family is exposed to the fallout of their trauma.
PTSD and addictions can be contagious. They are also totally treatable. Insufficient housing makes it impossible for us to contain and treat these problems.
My people have survived for millennia in one of harshest climates on earth. We know how to survive: We're efficient, we're resilient, we're creative, innovative and adaptable. Our will to live can be compared to none. It runs so deep in our bones. Our wisdom, passion and knowledge have been honed and perfected for the place in which we live. So why are we dying by our own hands at the worst rates in the world?
When some of the most resilient and adaptable people on the planet are dying by our own hands, what does that say about the conditions we're living in? We have to stop the spread of trauma; we have to stem the bleeding.
All I wanted to do today is talk about filmmaking and what it means to me: that my most recent film won the Audience Choice Award at the biggest and most prestigious documentary festival in North America — Hot Docs in Toronto.
My film Angry Inuk is about how Inuit have been affected by animal groups that have long campaigned against seal hunting. Animal groups paint a picture of little activists fighting big corporations, but in reality they bring in hundreds of millions of dollars a year while the few thousand sealers in our country live in poverty — the majority of whom are Inuit. The majority of commercial sealers are Inuit.
We need the income from seal skin sales to be able to continue hunting and feeding our families. Sealing is a sustainable industry in a land where there are very few economic options that don't cause massive damage to one of the most pristine and sensitive ecosystems on the planet.
I wish that I could talk about the concrete and very doable steps we could take to make it so that other young Inuit have the opportunities I've had to create sustainable jobs that strengthen our language and culture. We need an Inuktitut TV channel. We need a port. We need a university. We need an arts centre.
I want to be able to do what I'm good at. I know a lot about film policy, the arts and sustainable industry in the Arctic. Many of us have great ideas on how we can expand the sustainable industries that strengthen our language and culture, that provide jobs to Inuit with dollars that would tend to stay in our territory and would tend to go to the people who need it most.
Many industries require us to weigh financial benefits against the losses to culture and language. Many jobs take our people away from the land and away from opportunities to use our language and our intimate knowledge of the land and sea. But filmmaking and seal hunting are two industries that do the opposite: they strengthen who we are as a people.
But it's hard for artists to contribute and help build strength and resilience in our communities when victims of abuse have to live with their abusers due to housing shortage.
As an artist, I wanted to spend my 10 minutes talking about how important art is and how badly we need art infrastructure. But I felt that today, with this short opportunity to speak with you, I don't have that luxury. The housing crisis in the North doesn't allow any of us to focus on what we're really good at. We have to constantly worry about whether or not an innocent child is being exposed to violence, which can so easily be avoided.
If only the government would make a real commitment to public housing. I'm tired of seeing budget allocations for housing that barely scratch the surface. I'm tired of commitments that not only don't fix the problem but don't even keep up with the status quo. When Canadians are reluctant to keep up with population growth, we're sliding backward, and it ends up costing us all more. It costs all Canadian taxpayers more money, and it costs indigenous Canadians more than money.
Enough with the allocations for housing that are just a drop in the bucket. Solve it for real. Build sustainable economies that strengthen culture and language. If the Canadian government can fix the housing problem that it created, it would allow us to do what we're good at.
We as Inuit have an iron will to survive. It's built into us. We've got the creative spirits to find solutions. Please just help us find the space we need to do our work. Qujannamiik.
The Chair: Thank you very much. We will now move on to our final speaker, Shelby Angalik from Arviat, Nunavut.
Shelby Angalik, Arviat, Nunavut, as an individual: Hi. Thank you for having me. My name is Shelby Angalik, and I'm 18 years old from Arviat, Nunavut. As some of you may know, my town has the fastest-growing population in Canada.
I just graduated from high school, and I wanted to talk a bit about myself to show people that as Aboriginals, we're not just the issues that we go through. I want to get rid of the stigma that we're all struggling and that's who we are. I want to talk about myself and what I've done to get rid of that stigma, that we're not the problems that we go through.
Last semester, in January, I created a reading program called Imagination's Destination — [Ms. Angalic spoke in her native language.] — to increase Nunavut literacy rates. I got a grant from our hamlet to get some books from Inhabit Media in both English and Inuktitut. They all have Nunavut content, with Inuit legends and myths.
I'm a member of our wellness committee. Recently I received a TD scholarship for committee leadership. I was the flag bearer for Nunavut at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
I've been in nine plays with our Arviat drama club. Recently we performed a play that talks about all the issues that we go through, from alcohol abuse and suicide to domestic abuse and sexual abuse. I feel that Inuit are privileged in some ways with free health care and free schooling, but that doesn't mean anything when we don't have proper schooling. So I decided to take advantage of that, and I think more Inuit should also take advantage of that.
I was raised with our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles, such as working together — [Ms. Angalic spoke in her native language.] — and that got me to push through obstacles and brought me to where I am today.
I also want to talk about the teachers in my community. My former teacher is here supporting me today.
My teachers have really influenced me a lot with choosing universities to helping me apply to other things, like scholarships and jobs, and helping me create my program and create sports teams after school and clubs and activities. They do this in their spare time, because they really do care a lot about their students. I wanted to thank all of my teachers. Even though our school isn't up to the standards of schools down South, the teachers are the ones who really make it better.
The people in my community have also been very supportive, almost as much as my family has been. They've been encouraging me a lot, even walking down the street. They are so happy to see a young Inuk achieve so much.
This September I'm going to Brock University and I'm going to major in English. Hopefully I'll become a librarian, come back to Nunavut and expand my reading program.
The Chair: Thank you very much. We have time for a question or two.
Seeing none, I want to thank all of our speakers this morning. It was very inspiring. All of you represent incredible role models for the people in your communities, and it's clear that you are all incredible leaders as well. Many themes came out today about reclaiming your language and your culture, finding out who you are and feeling the responsibility to take your lessons forward and help others who come after you. I want to thank you for that.
On behalf of all senators, thank you very much. I know you have a busy day ahead of you. With that, we will end the session.
Senator Patterson: Very quickly, Madam Chair, I would also like to thank all the presenters. This has been inspiring.
One of you suggested that we should build on this presentation and find ways of continuing to engage with youth. I think that's a meritorious idea. The presentations were very moving.
In closing, forgive me, but I'd like to make a plug for my constituent, Alethea. You're all invited to a screening of the Angry Inuk tonight at seven o'clock in Room 256S. It's a very powerful film. Qujannamiik.
The Chair: Thank you. The meeting is adjourned.
(The committee adjourned.)