About IYR
Founded in 2008, Indigenous Youth Roots (previously Canadian Roots Exchange) is a national Indigenous youth-led non-profit and registered charity (832296602RR0001). We collaborate 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 aged 14-29. IYR envisions 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 us in our work and in the way in which we relate to each other:
About CIPR
The Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research (The Centre) 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.
The policy stream within the Centre hosts programs such as 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.
Our research stream publishes research tying Indigenous youth realities to today’s policy conversations We also undertake innovative youth-based research through our large-scale research projects
The Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer: Building Connected Futures
What is the Barometer?
Led by the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research at Indigenous Youth Roots, and building off the National Youth Reconciliation Barometer (2019), the Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024 focuses on how Indigenous youth (ages 18-29) envision their futures. This in-depth report delves into themes such as culture, wellness, education, meaningful work, solidarity, and reconciliation, identifying the barriers to their progress and showcasing the visions and hopes Indigenous youth hold for their thriving futures
To capture a diversity of voices, we engaged 1,125 youth through in-person and online sharing circles, as well as an online survey. Youth actively participated throughout the research process supporting, leading, and contributing at every stage emphasizing their role as empowered and dynamic leaders within their communities
The Barometer and Research as an Advocacy Tool
As we know, there is very little large-scale research data that exists that is designed and led by and for Indigenous youth. It is our hope that the Barometer 2024 can support in changing that and highlighting the importance of empowering youth engaged research, especially as it relates to exploring concepts of reconciliation and meaningful attachment to Indigenous worldviews and futures Approaching research with a focus on empowering youth means youth are not only active participants contributing their insights and perspectives to the project, but that they support, lead, and contribute at multiple stages during and after the completion of the report.
The goal of the Barometer 2024 is to have youth voices guiding the direction and format of the research, while also fostering their skills and capacity to use it as an advocacy tool to impact their communities outcomes following the completion of the report.
Relatedly, Indigenous youth and their communities have made it clear that the language of reconciliation can't and shouldn't be invoked without tangible action that supports the selfdetermination and prosperity of Indigenous nations. This project recognizes and approaches reconciliation as something that must be measured next to how and whether Indigenous youth and their communities are empowered to thrive safely and in a self-defined way
Decolonizing Research
Western research about Indigenous peoples has been, and is, inherently colonial, applying violent practices for the purposes of knowledge extraction. Western research has frequently been used to impose solutions on communities, rather than taking a collaborative and reciprocal approach to issues faced by Indigenous communities When we talk about the value of using research in this toolkit, and in all research activities that CIPR conducts, we are referring to research that is Indigenous-led and community based.
As a department, CIPR prioritizes Indigenous ways of knowing and being in all our research activities and adhere to our organization’s seven guiding principles outlined in the About IYR section. At each step of the Barometer 2024 research project,
Ensuring that Indigenous youth were leading the project at every step: Indigenous youth directly shaped the project’s scope and focus at the outset of the project and on an ongoing basis through our Advisory Circle (comprised mostly of Indigenous youth and some non-youth Indigenous youth advocates), who helped to guide the project from inception through to report writing To ensure that we captured Indigenous youth voices accurately and in a way that was meaningful to them, youth participants also reviewed the draft report and provide feedback before publishing.
Compensating Indigenous youth for their time, energy, and knowledge: Honoraria were provided for all project activities to honour the time and knowledge shared with us by Indigenous youth.
data types
Quantitative data measures information in numbers and statistics, while qualitative data refers to more narrative information such as stories, quotes, or direct observations.
Foregrounding Indigenous youth stories: We also ensured that the experiences of Indigenous youth were forefront in the report, using qualitative data whenever possible to back up quantitative data, providing a storytelling aspect to the Barometer 2024 report.
Upholding Indigenous Data Sovereignty: To protect the knowledge and wisdom of Indigenous youth and their communities, we work to ensure that Indigenous youth are always the primary beneficiaries and owners of their knowledge and information We also sought to ensure we were open and transparent with participants about why we were collecting their data, how it would be used, and how to get in touch with us to access it. In addition to protecting their anonymity youth were and are free to remove themselves and their data from the project at any time
Building a Policy / Advocacy Ask
A policy or advocacy ask is a proposed measure that works toward addressing a problem It can look like an ask for funding, or for specific changes to - or implementation of – certain policy measures Advocacy asks can come from individuals and from organizations that exist specifically to advocate on certain issues, and are arguably most compelling and undeniable when coalitions calling for the same thing are formed.
Case Study: the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Indigenous women and their families campaigned for decades about the need for the government and the criminal justice system to act and respond to high rates of violence, murder, and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls. Organizations like Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations campaigned for years for the Government of Canada to fund a national, multi-year inquiry into the problem and to bring the RCMP to account for it
The Government of Canada answered the call in December 2015, pledging $53 86 million over two years to appoint a commission that would hear testimony from victims, families, and experts on the issue, and produce recommendations for all areas of Government. After two years of testimony, the Commissioners of the Inquiry ultimately concluded that the violence and murder perpetrated against Indigenous women is technically genocide under international law.
While the Inquiry had its gaps and shortcomings, it was the result of years of tireless advocacy work by community, and provided a publicly-funded forum for survivors and families to share their stories, and publicly document their ideas for comprehensive law and policy reform The Government has since produced a National Action Plan for implementing the Calls to Justice from the Inquiry
As best practices for developing your advocacy asks, ensure they are:
Responsive: Measurable:
Your ask is rooted in the needs and realities of the communities impacted by what you’re advocating for, rather than imposing ideas or solutions.
There’s a way to check whether the approach you’re advocating for is working.
Clear: Collaborative:
Your ask is specific and well-defined (for example, if it’s connected to poverty or criminalization, make sure you are defining those ideas!)
Your ask was developed in collaboration with others.
If you're having trouble getting started, check out the flowchart below, and explore the worksheet section of this Toolkit! If you’re having trouble getting started, try reflecting on these prompt questions!
What’s a problem you are passionate about? How does it impact you and/or your community?
What’s the government(s) doing about it? Is it working? Why or why not?
Are there non-government groups trying to solve this problem? This could be volunteer community groups, Friendship Centres, non-profit service providers like the Red Cross or United Way. Is what they are doing helping the problem? If so, what kind of supports are they calling for to be able to expand their work? If what they are doing isn’t helping, what needs to change?
Is your idea for solution supported by your community?
What outcomes will your ask have, and how can those outcomes be measured?
Is your ask a short, medium, and/or longterm one?
IdentifyIssue Research
Example Advocacy As
Implementing Universal B
Research Evidence: In the Barometer 2024, we asked Indigenous youth what supports they need to pursue meaningful work. When looking at responses, 37% of youth who live with a disability said they need universal basic income (UBI) to pursue meaningful work, compared to 17.2% of youth not living with a disability. This means that Indigenous youth living with disabilities are more likely to be impacted by poverty and to face financial barriers when finding and maintaining meaningful work, so a UBI program (and/or other robust monetary supports specifically for Indigenous youth living with disabilities) is responsive to a known need and has the potential to have a high impact on the well-being and quality of life for that community
Funding solidarity-based
Research Evidence: In the Barometer 2024, we asked Indigenous youth if solidarity with other marginalized communities was important to them. Two-Spirit LGBTQIIA+ youth were more likely to say “yes”, with 80.9% of 2SLGBTQIIA+ youth saying so, compared to 65.2% of non-2SLGBTQIIA+ youth. Additionally, Afro-Indigenous youth were more likely to say that solidarity with other communities was important to them, with 83 3% saying so (compared to 70% of First Nations youth, 75% of Inuit youth, and 80% of Metis youth). None of the Afro-Indigenous youth we surveyed said solidarity was not important to them, with the remaining 16.7% responding “unsure”. Across all demographics of Indigenous youth, 73% said that solidarity with other marginalized communities was important to them The Barometer 2024 report also highlights that most Indigenous youth want to see their own communities’ leadership building more relationships and connections with other marginalized communities.
““ In the next 5 to 10 years, I hope to see
2024 Participant more cross-community collaborations, working together to address shared concerns. For example, organizing joint events, promoting resource-sharing initiatives, and collectively advocating for social justice and equality.
-Barometer
Colonial Jurisdictions
Since the colonial state of Canada was established, responsibility for different types of services and infrastructure were assigned to federal, provincial, territorial, and/or municipal governments. When one of these governments is responsible for these services and infrastructure, it means it falls under their jurisdiction Jurisdictional lines laid out by the Canadian Constitution and laws like the Indian Act dictate whether a service (like healthcare, education, or road maintenance) is paid for and delivered by the province/territory, the federal government, or some combination of both Jurisdictions are inherently colonial and have served to keep Indigenous leaders and communities out of decision-making spaces that directly impact their material realities.
Jurisdiction
refers to the range of authority and responsibility a community (or country, province, territory) has over something.
Jurisdictional responsibility for paying for and delivering services frequently overlap and intersect depending on where the service is being administered and who it is being delivered to All of this is complicated further by the Indian Act and the way the Government of Canada has chosen to enforce, restrict, and administer Indigenous rights. Healthcare delivery, for example, is usually the responsibility of provinces/territories where the care is being delivered, but when the care is delivered on-reserve, it is the federal government’s responsibility. This goes for education as well, and access to both health care and education are rights guaranteed by the Constitution, regardless of where you live. Sometimes, the federal government will also directly fund community-based initiatives in addition to or instead of providing funds to the province or territory (such as with some community health programs in Inuit Nunangat).
This lack of jurisdictional clarity has led to disagreements between governments on who is responsible for what, which has caused real, irreparable, harm to Indigenous people, such in the case of Jordan River Anderson, who Jordan’s Principle is named for.
On-Reserve and Band Jurisdictions
First Nations bands are generally responsible for delivering their own local services; however, most bands themselves are still administered through the Indian Act – meaning most of the control still lies with the federal government. Some communities are now self-governing, which means in this case, they control their own lands, resources, and services
Some bands are also part of tribal councils. Tribal councils are groups of First Nations communities that have joined together to provide services to their member communities. These can be things like education, environmental services, or public works, as examples.
Additionally, while the federal government is responsible for administering First Nations status, many individual bands are responsible for their own membership This means that depending on the community, you may have to apply separately with the band for membership.
This all means that when advocating for rights, proper access to services, and systemic change, it’s often not clear where to start. It may take a bit of research to determine which jurisdiction(s) your advocacy asks fall under. To help, we’ve outlined below some rough guidelines of where you can expect things to fall. When deciding where to direct your advocacy, it can be useful to keep these jurisdictions in mind – esp
Provincial
Federal
Indigenous relations and services
First Nations reserves
International affairs and trade
National defense
Citizenship and immigration
Climate policy
Federal policing (RCMP)
Veterans' affairs
Fisheries and oceans
Emergency preparedness
Employment Insurance (EI)
Canada Dental Care and
Pharmacare programs
National infrastructure
Federal &
Provincial
and/or Territorial
Labour and minimum wages
Post-secondary education and training
Environmental policy and protections
Natural resources management
Transporation (i e , highways, rail)
Infrastructure and economic development
Indigenous relations
Disability supports
Elementary and secondary education
Early childhood education/daycare
Healthcare delivery
Longterm care
Correctional services
Consumer protections and services
Energy (i.e., electricity and natural gas)
Provincial& Municipal
Public Local policing (sometimes)
Social services
Municipal
Public transportation
Municipal water services and other utilities
Libraries
Emergency services
Public health
Public housing
Local parks and recreation
Local heritage preservation
Worksheet: Building Your Advocacy Ask
Policy/Advocacy Area:
(examples: Land rights, climate change, health care, child and family and child services, criminal justice, Two-Spirit rights)
Who controls this area of policy/advocacy?
(If you’re not sure, take a look at the colonial jurisdictions section of this toolkit!)
The problem I’m trying to solve: (try to use one sentence and be as specific as you can!)
The
solution I’m proposing:
Why I think it will work:
(here is where you can mention communitybased research, storytelling, and lived experiences that back up your solution)
Worksheet: Building Your Advocacy Ask
How will I know it’s working?
(What organizations and/or communities take the same or similar stance to you?)
(These are your indicators – this is what would need to be tracked to make sure your policy / advocacy approach is effective) Who are my allies? Who do I need to convince?
ast step!
Using all the information you’ve filled in so far, use this space to write 4-5 sentences explaining your ask, why it’s the right approach, and what research backs it up.
(Who do you want as an ally in this fight?)
Pushing Your Advocacy Ask
Once you have your ask, there are a few different ways to get it out into the world and make sure it has an impact, and knowing how, when and where to push your ask is key. No matter which path you choose to push your advocacy ask, remember that advocacy is always more effective in numbers and building relationships with other advocates and connections across causes is always going to be louder and create more momentum for change
Accessing the Federal Legislative Process
In the context of national-scale advocacy, it’s important to know where the access points are in the federal legislative process and to understand how the different pieces of machinery in the Government of Canada structure work together.
Submitting a Brief
Before becoming law, all bills go through stages of reading and vetting throughout the House of Commons and Senate As part of this, bills are assigned to committees where Members of Parliament and Senators review the bill, hear from experts on the subject of the bill, and make recommendations for amendments. While a bill is being studied at committee, anyone can submit a written brief offering comments, perspectives, and recommendations about the topic or law in question You can find information about submitting to a Senate committee here, and to a House committee here When writing a brief, keep in mind:
Note that they are part of public archives and can be published online once you submit!
Be as specific as possible
Review the guides for submitting to the house of commons and senate respectively to keep in mind length requirements
If you have questions, get in touch with the Clerk for the committee you’re thinking about submitting to!
Check out these collaborations fighting for Indigenous Rights at various levels!
Bill C-53 - Joint Submission by the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, Saugeen First Nation, and Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Legal Strategy Coalition on Violence Against Indigenous Women (LSC) Native Youth Sexual Health Network and Action Canada for Sexual Health and RightsJoint Submission to the United Nations
Petitions
Anyone can submit a petition to Members of Parliament (MP) with a specific ask or to highlight a specific issue. Petitions must follow certain guidelines and be signed by a minimum number of people (25 for a paper petition, and 500 for an e-petition) To have a petition read in the House of Commons, an MP must agree to do so You can draft your petition and talk to an MP to ensure it is worded correctly, and to ensure they agree to present it, prior to getting signatures.
Reach out to your Member of Parliament (MP)
Your Member of Parliament (MP) is responsible for representing everyone living in their constituency and it’s part of their job to respond to you! You can reach out to your MP for any matter that is federal jurisdiction (see the earlier section on jurisdictions). For example, you may want to reach out to your MP about difficulties accessing Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), since it’s delivered through Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) - or to share your concerns about a bill being debated in the House of Commons. When contacting your MP, keep in mind: You can connect by phone call, email, mailed letter, or even through social media. Typically, you will get a quicker response by calling or emailing. You may speak to one of the MP’s staff first, but they can hear your concerns and help you to set up a time to talk to your MP.
If you must leave a voicemail, or don’t hear back from your email after a week or so, follow up! Try to be clear and concise when talking about your concerns. It can also be helpful to include personal experiences (if you’re comfortable) to really illustrate how the issue is affecting you and others
If you can do research ahead of time and be able to refer to specific policies or bills, it may help get the conversation started too!
You can find a list of all current Members of Parliament here, along with their contact information
Government Electronic Directory Services (GEDS)
GEDS is a comprehensive directory of federal public servants across the country. You can search directly for someone’s name or job title You can also search through department directories if you are not sure who to reach out to yet This directory is for public servants - you will find information for employees of the public service, rather than elected officials (MPs).
Other Ways to Use Research for Advocacy
Funding Applications
When looking for funding for certain programs or projects, it can be helpful to include data to show there is a need for what you are asking for funding for – especially when applying for competitive funding streams. Many funders want to know that they are helping to fill a gap with the resources they are providing
You can make it clear that what you are asking for funding for will help fill a gap in programs or services by including data that clearly shows that gap exists. For example, in the Barometer 2024 report, we asked Indigenous youth about their experiences in learning their languages. We heard that for some Indigenous youth, there is no way for them to learn their languages If you were looking to fund a language program in New Brunswick, you could point to the data in the Barometer 2024 that says 28% of Indigenous youth in New Brunswick have no way of learning their language. Including data in your funding application can also help to show you have a strong understanding of the topic at hand and further solidify your case
Data can also be used as an indicator of success after the implementation of your project or program. You can compare the same data points from your funding application to after to measure its success.
When looking for data to include in a funding application, it’s important to ensure that the research you are citing is ethical and decolonial. This helps to ensure you are accountable to community and aren’t being extractive.
Some examples of organizations and other entities that conduct ethical and decolonial research that you can start your search for data from include:
Canadian Climate Institute – Indigenous Research
First Nations University
Yellowhead Institute
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)
Indigenous Climate Action
Social Media Campaigns
Social media can be used as an effective tool for advocacy. If you are making a post or planning out a social media campaign to raise awareness on an issue you are advocating for, ensuring your campaign is rooted in accurate, well-sourced information is important. Additionally, having statistics to back up your call can help gain traction and help to effectively back up your point - check out the examples below to see what we mean!
Ecojustice – Extirpation: The Steppingstone to Extinction
Act Alberta – Red Dress Day
Indigenous Watchdog – Food Insecurity
Additional Reading & Resources
Child & Family Services
Employment and Social Development Canada
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
Yellowhead Institute – An Act respecting First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children (Bill C-92 Analysis)
Healthcare
Health Canada
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Health
Indigenous Services Canada – About Indigenous Healthcare
Indigenous Services Canada – Indigenous Health (about services provided by ISC)
Library of Parliament – The Federal Role in Health and Healthcare
Land Rights
Assembly of First Nations – Land Rights & Jurisdiction
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Natural Resources
Senate of Canada – Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
Senate of Canada – Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
Senate of Canada – Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
Yellowhead Institute – Land Back: A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper
Other Resources
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
House of Commons – Guide for submitting briefs to House of Commons Committees
House of Commons – List of Standing Committees
House of Commons – Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Indigenous Services Canada
Senate of Canada – List of Committees
Senate of Canada – Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Peoples
Senate of Canada – Submitting a Brief to Committee
