Engaging indigenous youth by involving them in group activities to solve personal and community issues.

1. Youth Summit, July 2018 1
Youth Summit and Problem-Solving Workshop
The youth summit and problem-solving workshop took place on July 17th, 2018 at Maskwacis Cultural College
in Maskwacis. The summit was attended by youth from two different Indigenous Communities, youth from
Samson and Louis Bull. The total attendance was of 41 Indigenous youth ages ranging between 15 and 31
years old.
The Summit consisted on one day, broken down into two sessions. The morning session was a discussion on
youth participation and engagement in community concept mapping and project design, in addition to the
right to participation and a presentation on community concept mapping and project design. The second part
of the day, an elder joined us, giving some teachings before the session moved into problem solving and
solutions.
Youth Engagement and Participation
During the summit the youth had the opportunity to learn about indigenous rights and child rights and youth
engagement and participation. During the youth engagement and participation session, a presentation on
concept mapping and project design was done where youth were surveyed about their current involvement
in community planning and project design. An approximate number of 5/41 youth expressed that they had
been involved/consulted in community planning. Meaning that an approximate of 87 % of youth present
were not involved or engaged in community planning. The youth expressed their desired to be involved.
After the session on community planning and project design, two youth from Louis Bull approached to be
considered to be facilitators for concept mapping and project design future programming.
Problem Solving and Goal Setting Session
The problem solving and goal setting session consisted in introducing a problem-solving method, followed by
brainstorming on issues things that are currently affecting the youth or need improvement, then categorizing
them and selectin one to tackle on the problem tree. The problem treegave them an opportunity to reflect
on the effects that the issued selected have on them and their community and work through to find the root
causes, therefore facilitating the brainstorming for solutions.
The youth were broken into 5 groups. From the brainstorming session of issues that are currently affecting
youth, needs and needs for improvement, the results were as follows:
Mental health
Issues affecting me and my community
 Use of drugs by my friends
 Alcohol consumption in the family
 Let’s shack and make babies

2. Youth Summit, July 2018 2
What needs to be done
 More conversations and dialogue
 More activities
 More sharing circles
 Safe place to talk
Education
Issues affecting me and my community
 Kids not going to school
 Parents of guardians don’t support in school
or think it’s important
 No one encourages further education
 Don’t understand the heart of that
indigenous student
 Youth dropping out
 Wish kids in our community would stay in
school and not do drugs
 Low education system
 Teachers in public school don’t care for
indigenous success
 The education
 No educational experience in the
household
What needs to be done
 Facilities proper up to date education,
books, knowledge, obtained skills.
 Reproductive health education
 Educational activities, involvement in the
community
 Giving an opportunity for those who never
got an education
 Better planning in school
 Focus on education and planning for a
better future (better focus on education.
 Better education system on reserve (books
etc.)
 Better school funding
Language and Culture
Issues affecting me and my community
 Not knowing the culture
 Our medicine like sweet grass, smudge
should be sacred and not sold, cultural
items shouldn’t be sold.
 Loss of cultural identity
 Loss of language
What needs to be done
 Learn to speak cree fluently
 Practice more spiritual ways within the
community
 Opportunities to learn cree
languages/ways outside of school
 Ceremonies (x3)
 Reconciliation, know the truth first
 More inclusion for 2 spirit community
 More cultural events and opportunities for
the community (x3)
 Get the community more into our culture
 Understanding intergenerational DNA
trauma, reconciling
 Learning about my culture
 Birth rights
 Opportunity for our youth to get closer to
our culture

3. Youth Summit, July 2018 3
 Activities for our community to get closer
to one another
 Truth, learning the history- better
curriculum and land base learning
 Encouraging people to speak in social
setting-establishing ok to make
mistakes
 Spending time with elders and time in
ceremony
 Digital resource
 Ahkameyimok
Drugs, alcohol, and violence
Issues affecting me and my community
 Black market
 Addictions (x2)
 Suicides in the community
 Natives bullying each other
 Plugs (dealers)
 Drugs (x2)
 Racism (x2)
 Missing and murdered indigenous women
 Alcoholism
 Cyber bully
 Mischief, vandalism (spray painting
buildings)
 Gangs
 Violence issues
 Bullying
 No animal abuse
 No elder abuse
 No more rez dogs, especially pitbulls
 Drug and alcohol abuse
What needs to happen
 Tie your dog up and love it
 Feed the rez dogs so they don’t try to bite
me
 Rehab
 No racism
 No bullying
 Treat others the way you want to be
treated
 Charge bullying, cyber and in person
 No more bullying
 Get rid of drug trafficking
 No more taking people’s dogs
 No gang violence
 No guns
 Less swearing in public (quietly)
 No more rez fights
 No more under selling smokes and enews
 No more parties/drinking “thinking it
benefits you”
 No more underage kids asking people to
get them liquor
 Less theft
 I’d rather put as much activities for youth
to get out of gang life and out of the drug
life
 No reckless driving
 No more dealers
 No graffiti
 Help people realize what lying and theft
does
 Help with addictions
 Stopping the gangs in the community to
have a healthier and respectful personality
 Suicide prevention
 Chief and council kick out gang members
 Stop drinking and dance more
 Keep drugs and alcohol off the rez
 Solve problems without drugs or alcohol
 Get rid of suppliers
 Have more support for the youth that don’t
have it within the household
 Lower crime ratein youth
 Interventions
 Therapy to quit

4. Youth Summit, July 2018 4
Community Environment structure
What is affecting me and my community
 Litter
 Water
 Proper housing
 I think I’dlike to change is my community
 Transportation
 Housing
 No cooperation
 No ball court
 No funds/transportation
What needs to happen
 No loitering where you are not supposed to
be (x2)
 Better transportation for the elderly
 Clean up around the rez (garbage)
 Help keep community clean
 Make a place where the youth can relieve
stress, like more recreational buildings
 Self sustaining eco-friendly infrastructure
 Community clean ups/community activities
 More help from housing for the houses
who need it. Ex. Bed bugs, mold,
cockroaches etc.
 Better ways for youth to connect, such as a
hangout space, better recreation areas.
Governance
What is affecting me and my community
 Violation to youth funds (money used on
things we don’t need for our community)
 Proper people working at their jobs
 Chief and council not helping the
community
 Lack of youth leadership
What needs to happen
 Get better people that qualify for chief and
council that actually do something for the
people and not themselves
 Bridging technical divide
 Legible youth council
 Reclamation and implementation of
traditional structures of governance
 Nation sovereignty
 Youth leaders
 Chief and council should stop spending money on themselves and more on the youth
Youth programming, social support and services
Issues affecting me and my community
 I’d like to change or wish to change the
contact between families in foster care
 Get rid of AKO
 Not a lot of recreational stuff to do
 Not a lot of jobs/employment for summer
students/youth (x2)
 No stable jobs
 No basketball team
 Child abuse
 No jobs
 Lack of opportunities (x2)
 Not using a condom
 No programs for youth
 Sickness (I know some are preventable and
fixed)

5. Youth Summit, July 2018 5
What needs to happen
 Healthy living for families in low income
houses
 Financial support for families that are
struggling to live
 Better support for children who are
different from other children (LGBTQ+,
mental needs, etc.).
 Reduce unemployment
 Reduce teenage pregnancy
 One positive impact would be really great
for the community is more youth
conferences. To help kids to have a better
life and future.
 Donations for food
 More jobs
 Motivation to exercise
 Fundraise for more activities for youth to
stay out of trouble
 Lower cost in activities to give
opportunities to children, teens that can’t
afford to pay
 Opportunities for jobs for youth need
more.
 Art/music programs on the reservation
 More activities for our youth to keep them
active
 Programs/opportunities for more youth
involvement in cultural practices
 Opportunities for our youth to travel and
get more into the world around us to
better our future

6. Youth Summit, July 2018 6
Other important factors, support, self and coping
Issues affecting me and my community
 Equality
 Lacking reality (less social media)
 Intergenerational trauma passed down through families from effects of residential schools
 Stereotype first nations people
 Suicide issue
 Lack of youth motivation
 I’d like to change the way my family deals with its situations (yelling wise)
 Peer pressure
 No voice in media
 Distracted by media
 No family support
 No motivation
 Low self esteem
 No support
 Bad rep
What needs to happen
 More independence
 End of poverty and starvation
 Being kind and helpful to others in the community
 Build self esteem
 Help build up confidence to the people in our community to aim for high achievements
 Counselling
 Support from families
 Civil
Pictures posted on http://youthengagementi.blogspot.com/
For more information contact Manisha Khetarpal, mkhetarpal@mccedu.ca