Report
Executive summary
In 2016, the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples invited Indigenous youth leaders to appear as witnesses on National Indigenous Peoples Day. This initiative became an annual committee event, currently known as Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders (VYIL).[1] As part of this event, the committee selects Indigenous youth from across the country to come to Ottawa, participate in activities, including meetings with senators, and provide testimony about their priorities at an official committee meeting.
For the 2023 edition of VYIL, the committee asked Indigenous youth to submit a short text outlining their educational experiences in public, private, traditional and non-traditional Indigenous education systems as well as through post-secondary institutions. This year, the committee received 123 applications from Indigenous youth.
Eight Indigenous youth leaders were invited to appear before the committee on June 7, 2023.
The committee wishes to thank the Indigenous youth who participated in this year’s event for sharing their stories, experiences, priorities and hopes for the future with us. The committee agrees that Indigenous youth have powerful voices and vital perspectives that are essential to our work. Over the years, Indigenous youth have contributed greatly to the committee’s work by highlighting their leadership initiatives and recommendations for change.
[1] This event was formerly known as Youth Indigenize the Senate.
Montréal – Curriculum changes, improved teacher training and additional funding and resources to support Indigenous students would help break down barriers and improve their experiences within traditional and non-traditional settings, says a new Senate report based on testimony provided by young Indigenous community leaders.
Released Wednesday, November 15, 2023, the report, Celebrating Leadership in Indigenous Education, outlines what the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples heard from eight Indigenous youth leaders during two official committee meetings on June 7, 2023. The participants were invited to meet with senators in Ottawa and testify about Indigenous education as part of the committee’s annual Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders event.
The first part of the report highlights the participants’ experiences and challenges within various education systems, and their vision for the future of Indigenous education. The second part describes participants’ contributions to their community and priorities they raised, including Indigenous health and well-being, food security, and environmental issues.
The committee extends its heartfelt gratitude to the eight Indigenous youth leaders for coming to Ottawa and taking the time to share their stories, experiences, priorities and hopes with senators — and now, the rest of the country.
Quick Facts
- In 2016, the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples invited young Indigenous leaders to appear as witnesses before the committee on National Indigenous Peoples Day. This initiative became an annual event for the committee, now known as Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders.
- For the event’s 2023 edition, Indigenous youth were asked to apply by submitting a short text outlining their educational experiences in public, private, traditional and non-traditional Indigenous education settings, including post-secondary institutions. The committee received a total of 123 applications.
- The committee invited eight Indigenous youth leaders in 2023 to come to Ottawa, participate in activities — including meetings with senators — and provide testimony during two official committee meetings on June 7. Read more about each participant in the Senate’s online magazine.
Quotes
“Indigenous youth deserve to provide input on matters that affect their lives. This year, the committee heard their visions and recommendations for the future of Indigenous education loud and clear. Following this report, we hope to see changes that improve the education system for Indigenous students of all ages and abilities.”
- Senator Brian Francis, Chair of the committee
“The Indigenous youth leaders who testified before the committee this year all overcame significant barriers to achieve academic success. We celebrate their triumphs and resilience, but governments and institutions must take steps to ensure future generations of Indigenous students do not face the same challenges.”
- Senator David M. Arnot, Deputy Chair of the committee
“As a former educator, I appreciate how Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders exposed me to various perspectives and realities. I’m grateful to this year’s participants for opening my eyes through their compelling testimonies — especially to the needs of deaf Indigenous youth, who must often decide whether to attend school within or outside their communities.”
- Senator Yonah Martin, member of the committee
“I was deputy chair when we first started inviting youth to share their perspectives and recommendations for change with us. We did it because we recognized the power of youth and wanted to look for ways to give a platform to young Indigenous leaders across the country. It has now burgeoned into something with significant impact on the work of this committee.”
- Senator Dennis Patterson, member of the committee
Associated Links
- Read the report: Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders 2023: Celebrating Leadership in Indigenous Education.
- Read the Senate’s news article about VYIL 2023: ‘Our voices will only get louder’: Indigenous youth talk education with senators
- Follow the committee on social media using the hashtag #APPA.
- Subscribe to email alerts for Senate committees.
- Sign up for the Senate eNewsletter.
For more information:
Jérémie Spadafora
Communications Officer | Senate of Canada
343-550-6111| jeremie.spadafora@sen.parl.gc.ca
Multimedia
Paula MacDonald, from Pasqua First Nation in Saskatchewan, testifies before the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples on June 7, 2023.
Senators and participants of Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders 2023 pose in the Red Chamber.
Senators and Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders’ participants turn their attention to Paula MacDonald during her testimony.
Helaina Moses, from Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation in Yukon, testifies before the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples on June 7, 2023.
Inuk Elder Ruth Kadlutsiak, sitting at the Clerk’s table, lights a qulliq and describes its history and use in front of Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders participants, senators, Senate staff and other guests in the Red Chamber.
Elder Simon Brascoupé recites a traditional prayer at the start of the Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders’ opening ceremony in the Red Chamber. Senators Michèle Audette and Brian Francis listen from behind him.
Senators Margo Greenwood and Patti LaBoucane-Benson listen to testimony during a Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples meeting as part of Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders.
Katherine Merrell-Anderson, from Elizabeth Métis Settlement in Alberta, testifies before the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples on June 7, 2023.
Dina Koonoo, Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders participant, holds her notes as she testifies at a committee meeting with other participants listening behind her.
Elder Reta Gordon recites a traditional prayer during the Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders’ opening ceremony in the Red Chamber.
Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders participants, Senator Brian Francis, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon and her husband Whit Fraser stand side by side for a group picture in Rideau Hall’s ballroom.
Senators David M. Arnot and Yonah Martin listen to testimony during a Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples meeting as part of Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders.
Senator Brian Francis poses with the report after releasing it at Indspire’s National Gathering for Indigenous Education in Montréal on November 15, 2023.
An attendee holds a postcard featuring the report’s cover during a session at the National Gathering for Indigenous Education.
Senator Brian Francis, chair of the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples, presents the report at Indspire’s National Gathering on Indigenous Education on November 15, 2023, in Montréal.
Senators who participated in this study
Brian Francis
PSG - Prince Edward Island
David M. Arnot
ISG - Saskatchewan
Michèle Audette
PSG - Quebec (De Salaberry)
Mary Coyle
ISG - Nova Scotia (Antigonish)
Margo Greenwood
ISG - British Columbia
Nancy J. Hartling
ISG - New Brunswick
Yonah Martin
C - British Columbia
Dennis Glen Patterson
CSG - Nunavut
Donald Neil Plett
C - Manitoba (Landmark)
Paul (PJ) Prosper
CSG - Nova Scotia
Karen Sorensen
PSG - Alberta
Ex-officio members of the committee: The Honourable Marc Gold, P.C. and/or The Honourable Patti LaBoucane-Benson, The Honourable Donald Neil Plett and/or The Honourable Yonah Martin
Other Senators who have participated in the study: The Honourable Renée Dupuis, The Honourable Kim Pate, The Honourable Wanda Thomas Bernard