Indigenous Youth Advocacy 2024
Final Report
In collaboration with:
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About IYR
As a national Indigenous youth-led organization, Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR, formerly Canadian Roots Exchange or CRE) collaborates with communities to provide programs, grants and opportunities that are grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being and designed to strengthen and amplify the voices of Indigenous youth. IYR is a registered charity that provides Indigenousbased leadership, learning, and experiences to every youth that participates in our programs. We envision a future where Indigenous youth are empowered and connected as dynamic leaders in vibrant and thriving communities.
Centering Indigenous youth perspectives, we have 7 deeply held principles that guide our work and guide the way we relate to each other:
• Reciprocity
• Innovation
• Advocacy
• Reclamation
• Resurgence
• Solidarity
• Accountability
Together, we build the resources and capacity to respond to the needs of Indigenous youth and their communities.
About CIPR
The Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research (CIPR) prioritizes youth policy development and research to support Indigenous youth in advancing their vision of meaningful reconciliation. Through a wide range of programs and initiatives, we create spaces for new leadership and provide tools and resources to empower Indigenous youth to create impactful change.
Within our policy stream, The Centre runs the Indigenous Youth Policy School, Policy Hackathons, the Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week and works to create more spaces for Indigenous youth to lead policy conversations on issues that impact them and their communities.
Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week - Overview
Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week (IYAW) is a collaboration between IYR and Deloitte’s Future of Canada Centre, and the first edition of the program launched in April 2022. IYAW seeks to provide Indigenous youth with opportunities to connect with government leaders and policymakers to share their ideas, visions, and priorities for federal policies on a range of key issues. The program also aims to bring attention to the importance of creating opportunities to include youth voices in decision-making processes.
In the early stages of the program, CIPR staff began to schedule meetings with MPs (including Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries) and Senators holding portfolios related to a wide range of issues affecting Indigenous youth. Staff also reached out to NIO leadership for participation in this year’s program. In scheduling the meetings with parliamentarians and Indigenous political representatives, CIPR staff reached out to sitting MPs of each political party and worked to include a wide diversity of regional, provincial, and territorial representation. This is the first year we included leaders from National Indigenous Organizations in our guest outreach, and one was able to participate. Differing from previous years, youth were grouped based on availability as opposed to by interest or topic.
Theming IYAW: Self-Determination
In the typical run of IYAW, youth identify topics that they are most interested in bringing to discuss with politicians in the advocacy meetings. This year, we adjusted the IYAW structure by choosing an overarching theme for the week that still allowed youth to bring their desired interests and topics to the meetings. This year’s theme was self-determination, and youth were encouraged to lead conversations with the theme in mind.
Through conversation and with consideration of program goals, the intention behind the theme of self-determination was clear: conceptually, it is firmly rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and it reflects what Indigenous youth frequently distill the needs of Indigenous communities down to. Indigenous self-determination relates to restoring and upholding Indigenous peoples’ inherent rights – particularly within the social, cultural, spiritual, economical, and land-based structures and systems of so-calledCanada. Through this theme, youth were able to engage in conversations with a focus: participants had the opportunity to act as youth advocates, ensuring Indigenous autonomy was at the center of Advocacy Week meetings– doing so in a way that aligns with their unique life experience and interests.
Capacity Building Sessions
The first four weeks of the program were reserved for capacity-building sessions. The capacity-building sessions are an integral part of the program that ensures youth feel prepared for the meetings, have space to ask questions, and feel emboldened and empowered to bring their unique perspectives to the meetings. Participants were required to attend four capacity-building sessions on effective advocacy, storytelling, conducting research, communicating with government officials, and caring for yourself as an advocate. Guest facilitators at the capacity-building sessions included Carrington Christmas, Tai Salih, and representatives from Deloitte’s Future of Canada Centre. Participants were also provided with an Advocacy Week welcome package that provided introductory information relating to Indigenous rights and policy in Canada, and about what advocating to government can look like. Additionally, CIPR staff provide additional context on what youth can expect in their meetings. All participating parliamentarians and the National Chief were provided with a package outlining our program guidelines and expectations, as well as information about what to expect in the meetings and an outline of this year’s theme of self-determination.
Between November 5 and 14, youth participants attended a total of 15 meetings with parliamentarians and the National Chief. Each meeting was 3045 minutes long and included between 2-5 Indigenous youth, as well as one or more IYR staff to support with facilitation, note-taking, and to document any commitments or follow-up needed after the meeting.
Demographic Summary
Participants Demographics
For the 2024 iteration of Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week, 28 youth were accepted into the program and 22 of those youth participated in and completed the program.
The majority of youth were from Ontario (27%) and Alberta (18%). Most youth (64%) live in urban areas, with rural, remote, and on-reserve comprising 18%, 4%, 15% of the youth participants, respectively.
Most of the participants selfidentified as First Nation (90%), followed by Métis (5%) and Inuit (5%) - these numbers include participants who identified with more than one Indigenous community.
36.4% of participants fell between the ages of 24-26, he average age of all participants being 24.
Selecting all that apply from a list, 45% of participants identified as cisgender women, while 14% identified as cisgender men. Of all participants, 32% selected Two-Spirit as one of their gender markers, and 9% indicated they identify as nonbinary.
As a national Indigenous youth-led organization, our goal is to obtain representation from across Canada in our engagements. However, it is important to note that this year’s participants of Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week had gaps in representation of British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories. IYR continues to build its network to better connect with and reach Inuit and Métis youth to ensure their full inclusion in our programs. We also continue to work to ensure we reach additional participants living rurally or on-reserve.
Guest Demographics
Youth participants attended a total of 15 meetings with parliamentary and Indigenous political representatives. This included the National Chief from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), 4 Ministers, 5 non-cabinet Members of Parliament, and 5 Senators. The statistical information broken down here represents meetings that occurred, though others were scheduled that had to be cancelled for various reasons.
Regarding geographic and regional representation–the government officials and National Chief who agreed to participate were most commonly from Manitoba or Ontario. Participating MPs were largely members of the Liberal Party, with two members of the New Democratic Party joining. While we also reached out to members of the Conservative, Green, and Bloc Québécois parties, none were available to meet. One of the five participating senators was a member of the Independent Senators Group, and another was a member of the Progressive Senators Group. The three remaining senators were non-affiliated.
Overview of Meetings
Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week provides an impactful platform for Indigenous youth to share their perspectives and advocate for meaningful change to political leaders. During the meetings with parliamentarians and the National Chief, the youth voiced their priorities and aspirations for a more equitable and inclusive future. This section highlights the key themes that emerged from these discussions:
• Healthcare
• Community Safety
• Foster Care and Family Services
• Environmental Justice
• Equity, Infrastructure, and Leadership
These themes reflect the collective vision and determination of the participants to address pressing issues affecting youth and their communities from coast to coast to coast.
Health Care
A prominent and recurring theme that arose throughout many of the discussions centered on healthcare. During the meetings, many youth strongly emphasized the urgent need for more accessible and culturally appropriate mental health supports. They highlighted the alarming rates of mental health crises in their communities, including states of emergency driven by suicide epidemics, particularly among young people. Furthermore, participants expressed deep concern over the inappropriate and often harmful response of law enforcement to mental wellness calls, advocating instead for trauma-informed and culturally grounded interventions led by mental health professionals.
Several youth also shared the pressing struggles of folks facing addictions, underscoring the unacceptable wait times for treatment and the frequent need for individuals to leave their communities to access care, further isolating them from their support systems. Youth raised critical concerns about systemic racism and discrimination in healthcare, particularly malpractice targeting Indigenous peoples and Indigenous women more specifically. They also spoke to the pervasive feeling that Indigenous patients are not always heard by their healthcare practitioners, leading to mistrust and worsened outcomes. One youth shared their journey in seeing doctors, one after the other, who would dismiss them and their symptoms. It wasn’t until their white-passing parent attended an appointment that a doctor finally listened, landed on a diagnosis, and scheduled immediate surgical intervention – a course of action the youth intuited all along.
Participants called for increased funding and structural support for programs like Jordan’s Principle, that provide critical services to Indigenous children but remains challenging for families to navigate due to bureaucratic barriers and insufficient coordinators. Additionally, some youth advocated for the NonInsured Health Benefits (NIHB) program to expand its coverage, particularly for diverse therapeutic modalities beyond talk therapy, acknowledging the need for culturally relevant approaches. One youth who works in the mental health and addictions field shared that their Indigenous clients often express a desire for practices that incorporate culture and Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Finally, Indigenous youth called for greater integration of Indigenous wellness practices within Western and conventional medical systems that better serve
Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit individuals. According to the youth, an important piece of the response must relate to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit individuals (MMIWG2S). To mitigate high crime and violence rates, there must be stronger efforts in prevention, justice, and accountability relating to MMIWG2S+. They also expressed their frustration with the insufficient implementation of the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice.
Additionally, youth advocated for greater control over the professionals who come into their communities to serve them – such as police officers, healthcare workers, and emergency responders. Participants drew on personal stories of professionals who came into their communities and committed harmful acts against community members. One youth shared
In the discussions, the need for enhanced supports for Indigenous youth in foster care and those transitioning out of the system was outlined as a highpriority issue. A couple of youth described their own journeys of having been in foster care and the need for support for youth like them. They also expressed their concern over the alarming rates of addiction, incarceration,
and poverty among individuals who have experienced foster care, emphasizing the need for targeted programs to break these cycles.
They called attention to the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in
For parents whose children have been taken away, youth stressed the importance of providing comprehensive supports to help them navigate the process of reunification and to address underlying challenges. These themes spotlight the critical need for a change in approach that focusses on
Environmental Justice
Indigenous youth emphasized the critical importance of environmental justice, particularly the need to secure clean drinking water for their communities. They stressed that access to clean water is a fundamental human right and expressed frustration over the continued lack of safe, reliable water sources in many Indigenous communities. The youth called for urgent action to address these inequities, expressing that clean water is not only essential for physical health but also integral to cultural and spiritual well-being.
In addition, youth highlighted the need for land-based programs that connect individuals with their traditional territories. They envisioned such programs being utilized for cultural ceremonies, teachings, education, and holistic approaches to treatment and therapy, including substance abuse detox and recovery.
The youth also demanded accountability and remediation for lands degraded by industrial and economic activities such as mining, oil extraction, and forestry. They called for policies that are rooted in environmental stewardship and respect Indigenous relationships with the land, ensuring these sites are restored and protected for future generations. These themes reflect the youth's commitment to safeguarding their traditional land as a vital part of cultural continuity, community health, and ecological justice.
Additional Themes (Equity, Infrastructure, Leadership)
The youth raised concerns regarding the inequities embedded in the secondgeneration cut-off rule for treaty status. They emphasized that this policy undermines Indigenous identity and cultural continuity, calling for reforms that respect the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples to determine their own membership. The youth highlighted how this rule negatively impacts their families and communities, leading to exclusions that exacerbate intergenerational trauma and inequities. One youth shared it was not until after she became a mother that she discovered her children would not inherit the same treaty status and rights that she has. Minister Arif Virani had committed to looking into this further with his team.
Additionally, youth expressed the dire need for critical infrastructure development in northern and remote communities, particularly the construction and maintenance of reliable roads. They noted that inadequate infrastructure restricts access to essential services, including healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, while increasing isolation.
Lastly, youth stressed the importance of kindness and empathy in leadership. They called on politicians to foster a culture of respect in their interactions with both each other and their constituents, emphasizing that kindness is foundational to impactful and trustworthy leadership. These themes reflect the youth's vision for a future founded on fairness, inclusivity, and compassion
Impacts, Learnings, & Next Steps
To conclude the program, a closing engagement was hosted for the youth to provide them a space to debrief and share their experiences about every aspect of the program, especially what impacted them the most, and how we can continue to grow future iterations of IYAW. The session included the live creation of a graphic recording by Tanya Gadsby, from Fuselight Creative (Appendix A).
Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week is designed to provide space for Indigenous youth to not only practice meeting with government officials, but to do so with tools that leave them feeling ready to advocate for their priorities in those meetings. Ultimately, IYR’s goal is for youth to feel empowered to continue
working in policy and advocacy, to help them access those spaces, and affirm the sense that they belong there. When applying for the program, participants expressed their interest in gaining experience doing advocacy work and their hopes to foster connections with other Indigenous youth leaders. The closing engagement, held at the end of November, indicated that the program was effective in meeting these goals and that the youth hold a desire for further initiatives that expand on hard policy and advocacy skills that, in tandem, create a setting for networking and community building.
According to the youth, participation in Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week left them feeling a sense of empowerment, belonging, and motivation to continue the important work of policy and advocacy. When asked at the end of the event why the spaces created by IYAW are needed, participants clearly asserted that the people and groups making decisions that impact Indigenous youth must be informed on the issues they are making decisions about. Indigenous youth have always had a voice – and a powerful one at that – and IYR aims to support in providing meaningful platforms in which youth can be heard, and listened to, by these decision makers.
Capacity-Building Sessions
This year’s capacity-building sessions were thoughtfully designed to incorporate feedback from last year’s closing engagement, resulting in some new and impactful additions. A notable enhancement was the inclusion of a self-care and well-being component, led by activist and founder of Red Ma’at, Tai Salih. This session provided participants with tools to prioritize mental and emotional health during their advocacy work. Another valuable addition was a CIPR staff-led briefing designed to prepare youth for their meetings. This session covered essential topics such as finding information on the House of Commons and Senate websites, conducting research, and preparing effectively for meetings. The program also retained two highly regarded sessions from previous years. Deloitte’s Telling Your Story workshop continued to empower participants to articulate their experiences and messages with clarity and impact. Additionally, Carrington Christmas returned to facilitate the Leading from Within: Indigenous Youth Leadership Workshop, which focused on fostering confidence and leadership skills rooted in Indigenous perspectives.
The capacity-building sessions received positive feedback from the youth, who appreciated the opportunity to connect with one another and gain valuable insights ahead of their meetings. Many participants noted that the sessions provided a strong foundation for their advocacy work, both during the program and beyond. Youth emphasized the comprehensive and informative nature of the sessions, with one participant stating, “they helped inform my approach going into Indigenous Advocacy Week but also helped build my skills for advocacy and facilitation work outside of IYAW!”
Furthermore, youth highlighted the inspiring and motivational atmosphere fostered by the sessions, particularly through the opportunity to share stories and experiences. Many valued the collaborative aspect of learning and preparing together, with one youth noting, “I liked connecting with youth and gaining more information based on the topics that were provided.”
While the feedback was largely positive, youth also offered thoughtful suggestions for enhancing next year’s pre-meeting sessions. Some participants expressed a desire for more tailored and specific sessions, such as opportunities to discuss community-specific issues or to explore the Indian Act in detail. Others suggested incorporating more collaborative activities, such as group research on representatives or joint agenda-building exercises. Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week is a program that is responsive to youth feedback each year we take evaluation from youth and incorporate it into further iterations and versions of the program in ways that will best serve participants.
The youth were overwhelmingly appreciative of the program's youth-centered approach, with one participant summing it up: “This whole experience was amazing. I love that it’s for youth by youth.” These reflections offer valuable insights into both the strengths of the pre-meeting sessions and potential areas for growth in future programming.
Support and Logistics
When asked about general support, structure, and logistics related to their Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week experience, many of the youth expressed that in general they felt well supported throughout the entirety of the program. Regarding communication throughout the program, one of our main forms of communication between staff and youth is Slack, which allows for groups to connect prior to meetings and for important updates to be shared in a timely manner. Participants noted that a more streamlined process may be helpful to stay on top of correspondence and their meeting schedules. Youth expressed appreciation for having an Elder present at all the capacity-building sessions.
Youth also highlighted that it would be helpful for them to have more intentional time with their meeting groups to plan their agenda for the meetings, noting that it was difficult to plan on their own time due to differing time zones and schedules. With participants located all across the country, further clarity could be had if meeting times were provided in all times zones when the calendar invites were sent to help folks get familiar with the structure. Many of the youth mentioned that the best part of the program for them was connecting with their peers and that they wanted to have more time within the program outside of the meetings and capacity-building sessions to connect with and get to know the other participants. We are excited to find ways to facilitate more connections, including through our constantly growing Policy Alumni Network.
Advocacy Week Meetings
The meetings between the youth, parliamentarians, and the National Chief were profoundly impactful. Youth articulated the critical importance of advocacy, describing it as a means to amplify voices, address community concerns, and drive meaningful change. One participant shared, “Advocacy is important to me because it allows me to have a say on decisions that affect me, the people I love, and the people I pray for.” Others noted how advocacy unites individuals around shared issues, creating a platform for collective action and healing. For many, these meetings symbolized hope for future generations, as youth recognized the importance of setting an example for others to follow.
The opportunity to engage directly with elected officials and policymakers was a transformative experience for many participants. Youth reflected on how these meetings gave their voices “more volume,” as one participant noted: “It let me reach something beyond my community.” The chance to share personal stories and advocate for their communities was empowering, instilling confidence in their ability to influence decision-making processes. Many parliamentarians were forthcoming in continuing to form connections with the youth participants after the meetings, with many offerings of differing avenues and contact information for the youth to follow-up with them or other relevant policymakers in the future. Additionally, many were receptive to taking actionable steps forward with youth by following up and looking into the issues youth were advocating for in the meetings. For example, Minister Arif Virani’s team took notes during the meetings to follow-up with youth and left the meeting with action items relating to legislation relating to researching the second-generation cut-off and providing housing statistics in a participant’s home community. Additionally, MP Jenica Atwin shared her email address with youth in her meeting and requested they send materials they have relating to barrier-free access to mental health supports in their community, stating that she will help facilitate advancement in any way she can. Several youth described the experience as a gateway to further opportunities, with one stating, “It really opens the door for me and others who are involved. There are more opportunities to move forward on this journey.”
Engaging with National Chief Cindy Woodhouse was particularly meaningful for participants, as their conversations resonated on a personal and cultural plane. Youth appreciated the shared understanding and lived experience of the National Chief and Indigenous representatives, which created a safe and relatable space for dialogue. One participant remarked, “What’s so nice about talking to FNMI leaders is they have a fundamental understanding of FNMI perspectives and firsthand issues.” Another noted, “The meeting with Chief Woodhouse was one of my favorite ones – she was hurting with us, not just for us.” These interactions illustrated the importance of collaboration between youth advocates and appointed Indigenous leaders in driving systemic change.
The meetings also provided an invaluable learning opportunity, equipping youth with skills and insights to continue their advocacy work. Many
participants reported feeling more confident navigating government spaces and engaging with policymakers in the future. One participant shared, “This gave me the push that I am just as important – a title is a title, but who you are and what you stand for is what will be known.” Youth expressed enthusiasm for continuing conversations with officials and using the tools they gained to build on their advocacy efforts.
Conclusion
For many participants, the program solidified their commitment to ongoing advocacy and policy work. Youth left the meetings inspired and motivated, with one participant noting, “I was so nervous going in, but the meetings couldn’t have gone better. I loved how I felt during and after my meetings.” The program not only validated the experiences and knowledge of Indigenous youth but also empowered them to take ownership of their advocacy journeys. Through these meetings, participants gained a stronger sense of their ability to influence change, creating momentum for a new generation of leaders committed to justice, equity, and reconciliation.
Appendix A: Graphic Recording
Graphic Recording created by Fuselight during Closing Engagement.
Appendix B: Questions Asked by Youth
List of questions the youth asked Non-Cabinet MPs:
• How can we navigate working with provinces in light of the Alberta MP amending the healthcare bill of rights?
• Regarding Bill C-92 and the child welfare system, will there be anything for that when it comes down to when the tribunals go through? Will there be a chance for people to speak about what happened and how we can make this better? What is the goal for those coming out of foster care?
• Regarding plans to enhance roads and other infrastructure projects in northern communities: projects like these should be addressing the limited infrastructure and access to healthcare and other essential services. How are you ensuring that Indigenous communities are not just consulted by included in the project process?
• How can we set Indigenous youth up for success? What can we do to help youth cope in healthy ways, how can we support them?
• What inspired you to participate in Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week?
• How can we support parents in Indigenous communities? How can we support them in teaching Indigenous parenting?
• Will conversation with Elders be a priority in working with communities to find solutions for the water infrastructure issues in Indigenous communities?
• What are your thoughts on the present service delivery of Jordan’s Principle?
• How can we be effective advocates?
• How does the government address the lack of gynecological care in Manitoba? What is being done to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive family planning services?
List of questions the youth asked Senators:
• Where is the support and resources for Indigenous parents to access to raise successful children?
• In what ways do you center hearing youth voices and the issues that affect them?
• what steps can be taken that will address Indigenous youth in foster care and help provide them with culturally relevant services?
• How can we work together to ensure the foster care system can provide trauma-informed care?
• How do we advocate to protect the rights for children in the foster care system?
• What is your stance on reforming the Indian Act to be able to pass on status to future generations even if they are mixed and addressing the second-generation cut-off?
• how can we ensure that Indigenous youth in foster care are able to stay connected to their communities?
• What does reconciliation mean in your specific role?
• What steps is Parliament taking to ensure that Indigenous-led programs that center healing and culture are being offered to support families?
• Why did you decide to take part in Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week?
• What are some steps have you taken, and what are you most proud of that you were able to be a part of that affected Indigenous issues?
• How do you bring your social work background into your policy work? How and when did you know that you wanted to go into social work?
List of questions youth asked Ministers:
• Regarding the millennial scoop, many affected Indigenous youth who live off-reserve have had their identity impacted and have lost a lot of connection to culture as a result. From your point of view, where do they stand on facilitating more support for off-reserve children?
• For those who work within their communities with members struggling with addition, what, in your opinion, can we do to better support people coming into their communities?
• How can we increase supportive housing both on and off-reserve?
• How would you describe your approach to thinking through how policy affects communities on the ground level?
• How can Indigenous mental health professionals like me be more involved directly in policy?
• Regarding necessary treatment for addiction in Indigenous communities, what are the plans reduce the waiting times for these essential programs?
• How can we as youth participants go about making submissions of those more concrete suggestions in a way where they see results or feel heard?
List of questions youth asked the National Chief:
• What supports are available for youth both currently in and aging out of foster care?
• Is there anything that can be done to address the harm in having police show up to mental health calls in our communities?
• How can we advocate for more mental health supports, particularly for youth, in indigenous communities?
Appendix C: Participating Parliamentarians and National Chief
• National Chief Cindy Woodhouse
• Minister Arif Virani
• Minister Patty Hajdu
• Minister Sean Fraser
• Minister Ya’ara Saks
• MP Blake Desjarlais
• MP Brendan Hanley
• MP Jaime Battiste
• MP Jenica Atwin
• MP Leah Gazan
• Senator Kim Pate
• Senator Marilou McPhedran
• Senator Mary Jane McCallum
• Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson
• Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard
