Survey Questions ANNEX B
Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024
Personal and Community Empowerment
2.1 Please rate the following (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Disagree nor Agree, Agree, or Strongly Agree). I feel empowered when:
I am living and working in community
I feel connected spiritually
I am practicing my culture
I am surrounded by like-minded people and get to share my experiences
I can voice my opinions or actively participate in discussions
I can work with youth in my community
I can be a role model
I am out on the land learning about traditional ways and practices
I can be myself and am respected for who I am
I am participating in community-led projects
I can see the impact of community or community member-led projects
I can envision a good future for myself and my community
My culture is acknowledged and respected
I am supported in taking care of my mental and physical health
I have enough time to rest
2.2 Please tell us about a time (or times) that you felt empowered!
2.3 If you had to pick only the five most important goals to achieve in your lifetime, what would they be? The options that mention community can refer to your home community, the community you live in now, the city you live in, or any combination of those.
Living a balanced life (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically)
Being healthy and happy regardless of where the road takes me
Having children
Building a family
Strengthening my connection to and knowledge of my culture
Strengthening my connection to my community
Learning my language(s)
Contributing to the growth and empowerment of my community
Contributing positively to the health of the land, water, and animals in my community
Finishing High School
Finishing College or University
Having a successful career or job
Being financially self sufficient
Creating generational wealth
Private home ownership
Other (Please specify):
2.4 What gives you the motivation and confidence to be able to achieve these goals? Select all that apply.
Believing in myself
Having my authentic self be seen, supported, and loved
Support from my family and friends
Culturally relevant mental health supports
Connection to my culture and/or spirituality
Having good mentors or role models to guide me
Access to services and resources
Having financial support
Other (Please specify):
2.5 Are there any other goals or motivations you have that you’d like to share? These can be goals for yourself, for your family, for your community, etc.
2.6 Thinking about the goals you have and the path you want to take to achieve them, what are the barriers in your way?
2.7 How do you define community?
2.8 What are the strengths of your community? This can be anything from language, elders, community events, programs and services, connection to land, family support, etc. List as many strengths as you would like. You can speak about your home community, the community you live in now, the city you live in, or any combination thereof.
2.9 What makes you feel connected to your community? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Being able to learn and speak my ancestral language
Having access to traditional ceremonial sites
Participating in community and ceremonial activities/practices
Being heard in my community
Being accepted in my community
Having access to mental and physical wellness supports
Beading
Sewing
Weaving
Painting or illustrating
Reading work from Indigenous writers
Going out on the land
Learning from and spending time with Elders
Having opportunities to meaningfully contribute towards community development
Having access to resources, services and infrastructure in my community (eg
Libraries, community halls)
Other (Please specify):
2.10 What kinds of programs or resources do you think would best strengthen youth empowerment in your community? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Cultural teachings / learnings
Arts and craft-related programs
Sports and other recreational activities
Youth council and opportunities to be a role model
Language learning opportunities
On-the land learning
Youth-Elder programs
Mentorship
Job coaches or job shadowing
Mental and physical wellness supports
More programming and spaces for Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ youth
Opportunities to connect with Indigenous youth from other communities
Climate justice & environmental advocacy programming
Other (Please specify):
2.11 Ideally, what would you like your community to look like in 5 to 10 years? What about generations from now? Think big!
2.12 How do you feel about the future of your community?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Cannot say
Culture, Language, and Wellness
3.1 How has culture shaped your life? You can also talk about how you’ve experienced being disconnected and/or your experience reconnecting to your culture.
3.2 What makes you feel connected to your culture? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Spending time in my community
Access to Elders and cultural supports
Receiving and engaging with teachings
Sharing teachings with others
Access to language programs
Singing, dancing, and/or drumming
Beading
Weaving Carving
Festivals
Participating in ceremonies
Harvesting, including hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering plants and medicines
Other (Please specify):
3.3 Where you currently live, are there spaces available to you that support your connection to culture? If yes, what are those spaces like? (Examples include lodges, feast halls, arbours, community centres, etc.)
Yes
No
Comment:
3.4 Which option best describes your experience with learning your language?
I have learned my language and am now fluent
I am in the process of learning my language
I would like to learn my language but there’s no way for me to do it
I would like to learn my language but haven't yet looked into how to do that I am not interested in learning my language
Other (Please specify):
3.5 If you know or are currently learning your language, can you talk about your experience speaking or learning it? Are you accessing any specific supports or programs?
3.6 What barriers do you and other Indigenous youth run into when you want to connect with your culture? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Not knowing where to start / who to go to
Not enough time/energy after work / school / other responsibilities
Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or other types of discrimination
Mental health
Lack of programming
Financial barriers/cost of living
Bullying or lateral violence
Other (Please specify):
3.7 What supports or resources would enable more Indigenous youth to establish or strengthen their connection to their culture?
3.8 Does money play a role in your ability to access your culture and participate in cultural practices? How so?
3.9 How does your connection to culture impact your sense of wellness?
3.10 What do you do for self-care? These could include things you do to take care of your mental, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and/or physical wellness.
3.11 What barriers do you and other Indigenous youth run into when supporting your own wellness? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Not knowing where to start / who to go to
Not enough time/energy after work / school / other responsibilities
Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or other types of discrimination
Mental health
Effects of climate change on yourself and the land
Lack of programming
Bullying or lateral violence
Lack of access to traditional foods
Lack of access to healthy, affordable foods in stores
Financial barriers/cost of living
Other (Please specify):
3.12 Has climate change had any effect on your wellness? If yes, how so?
3.13 In the next 5 to 10 years, what changes would you want to see to support positive cultural identity and connectedness for you and other Indigenous youth?
3.14 How do you feel about these changes being achieved?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Cannot say / Other (please specify)
Education and Meaningful Work
4.1 In western societies, education often refers to classroom-style learning through an institution such as school, college, or university. What does education mean to you? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Learning on the land through observation and practice
Learning through lived experiences
Pursuing my passion/sports/hobbies
Oral teachings
Learning by participating in ceremonies
Completing an apprenticeship or trades program
Getting a degree or diploma from educational institute
Other (Please specify):
4.2 In the next few years, how likely is it you’ll be doing the following
(Not at all likely, Somewhat likely, Very likely, Not applicable)?
Work a job in the community I live in
Moving away from my current home or community for work
Using my education to contribute positively to empower my community
Using my lived experiences to positively contribute to my community
Taking park in programming in my community (on the land programs, beading workshops, etc.)
Volunteering in the community where I live
Moving away from my current home or community for school
Attending college, trade program, or university for the first time
Upgrading previous education to get into a trade or academic program
Finishing High School
Obtaining a trades certificate (completing an apprenticeship)
Obtaining a college diploma
Obtaining a university degree (Bachelors or Masters)
Obtaining a university degree (PhD)
4.3 Success can mean and look different for different people. What does success in education and work look like to you? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Being able to focus on collective success rather than individual gain
Being a role model to family members and/or community members
Working towards the advancement of Indigenous people
Being in a position to help out my family and community
Building skills in order to contribute to my community’s success
Having abundant opportunities to progress towards my goals
Building meaningful relationships with family, peers, communities
Completing courses that are relevant to my life goals
Post-secondary school completion for achieving career goals
Working a job/living a life that does not harm the earth
Having flexibility to balance life and career
Getting a job that will keep me connected to my community
Achieving financial stability
Having a job where I am paid fairly for my work
My idea of success does not include employment
Other (Please specify):
4.4 How would you define “meaningful work”?
4.5 What supports do you need to find or maintain meaningful work? Please list as many as possible.
4.6 What kind of impact would you like to see from the work you do? This could be at the personal, community, national, and/or global level.
4.7 What kind of supports are most needed for you and other Indigenous youth to pursue your educational aspirations? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Financial assistance (e g , scholarships, living expenses, education funding, or tuition waivers)
Local or online education
Upgrading essential skills
Social, emotional, or cultural supports provided by the school you are attending
Having a safe or supportive learning environments
Access to reliable transportation
Caregiver supports
On or near campus subsidized housing for Indigenous students
Indigenous-led education programs
More Indigenous educational institutions
More Indigenous teachers
Other (Please specify):
4.8 What kind of supports are most needed for you and other Indigenous youth to pursue meaningful work? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Upgrading essential skills
Social, emotional, or cultural supports
Indigenous youth job training programs
Career information or advice
Mentors, job coaches or job shadowing programs
Having a safe or supportive work environments
Access to reliable transportation
Caregiver supports
Indigenous-led career opportunities
More Indigenous employers
More employment opportunities within my community
Wage equality
Basic universal income
Other (Please specify):
4.9 How optimistic do you feel about opportunities for meaningful work being made available to you and other Indigenous youth in the future?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Not sure
4.10 How optimistic do you feel about educational opportunities being made available to you and other Indigenous youth in the future?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Not sure
Reconciliation and Solidarity
5.1 How do you define reconciliation? Select the five most applicable options to you.
Honouring treaties
Land back
Climate justice
Access to education
Being safe generally
Abolishing police
Abolishing the Indian Act
Access to meaningful work
Self-governance for all Indigenous Peoples
Ending all institutional racism
Reparations (financial compensation for harms done)
Other (Please specify). If you’d like, please also use this area to talk about your selections above.
5.2 Is reconciliation important to you?
Yes
No
Not sure
Choose not to answer
Optional – Please use this space to talk about why it is, or why it isn’t, important to you.
5.3 Over the past few years, how much progress do you think the Government of Canada has made toward reconciliation with Indigenous nations and communities?
A lot of progress
Some progress
No progress
Unsure
5.4 Please let us know why you chose your answer in the last question (5.3).
5.5 Please rate whether you agree with the following statement: “This sector is committed to reconciliation.”
5.6 Do you feel like your own community is committed to reconciliation? What does that look like?
5.7 How do you define solidarity between communities? What specific actions or relationship practices feel like solidarity to you?
5.8 How do you define allyship? What specific actions or relationship practices feel like allyship to you?
5.9 Is solidarity with other marginalized communities (e.g., racialized communities, gender diverse communities) important to you? Please explain why or why not. “Solidarity” in this context refers to concrete actions from non-Indigenous communities to demonstrate unity for a cause.
Yes
No
Unsure
Choose not to answer
Comment:
5.10 Is settler allyship important to you? Please explain why or why not “Allyship” in this context refers specifically to settler or white efforts to support Indigenous communities.
5.11 How often does your community connect with other marginalized communities today? This could be to share resources, hold events together, make statements together, and/or generally support each other on advocacy.
Always
Sometimes Rarely
Never
Cannot say
Please use the comment box to talk about actions of solidarity you have seen between your community and other marginalized communities, if any.
5.12 What kind of activities and practices undermine solidarity and allyship?
5.13 In the next 5 to 10 years, what actions towards solidarity would you like to see?
5.14 How optimistic do you feel about the solidarity actions you described above (in question 5.11) happening?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Cannot say
5.15 In the next 5 to 10 years, what actions towards reconciliation would you like to see?
5.16 How optimistic do you feel about the actions you described above (in question 5.15) happening?
Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Neither optimistic nor pessimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Cannot say
Additional Thoughts
6.1 Is there anything else that you feel is important to share?