Plain Talk 1Youth & Advocacy

Use to: quickly find out what different people think about the issue, whether it’s important to them and ideas to change.

Use to: provide space for dialogue, gather detailed feedback, build relationships, and awareness.

Use to: quickly and safely gather information, without the need to do first-hand research.

Use to: share and learn with key stakeholders and build alliances.

Use to: gather detailed personal insights and the human story behind the issues.

Use to: gather the views of community members.

A full brief is useful for you and your team and can be used for those who are really interested and involved. It should include: What the problem is and how it can be changed.

A quick-fire message to get your message across quickly (in less than one minute) to people who might be interested.

Adapted messages for your specific audiences. Find ways to link the interests of the people you want to influence with your advocacy issue.

Brilliant messages are: 

1. Simple; 
2. Solution-focused; 
3. Practical and reasonable in their requests; 
4. Evidence-based—include real life stories, facts, and stats; 
5. Appropriate for the audience in language and content; 
6. Personal—they show why you care.

Good for getting noticed, showing strength, bringing groups together, motivating supporters. Things to consider:

• Strength in numbers
• Get permission from police and authorities, if necessary
• Be as visible as possible
• Keep everyone safe
• Keep the energy and group spirit up

Here are some videos of successful Rallies and Marches for First Nations: Edmonton Rally in Support of Wet’suwet’en First Nation, Rally for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Justice for Colten Boushie Rallies.

Good for raising awareness, building support locally, getting people to act. Things to consider:

• Make it obvious what you are there for
• Make it attractive
• Have information for people to take away
• Find a place where a lot of people will pass by
• Make people feel comfortable to come and talk to you
• What are you asking people to do? (e.g., sign a petition, ask their school, etc.)

Good for getting media coverage, raising awareness, having fun. Things to consider:

• Planning—one chance to get it right
• Invite the media
• Think big, think creative
• Timing is key! (e.g., do it before an important policy decision).
• Decide on your approach to get attention—humour, serious, scale, etc.

Good for outreach to new audiences, raising awareness and understanding, giving voice to the voiceless. Things to consider:

• Give audiences the chance to really understanding the reality of the situation
• Opportunity for out of school children to share their experience
• Choose your approach to attract your target audience
• Explore participatory methods to engage the audience

Here are some amazing examples of performances from First Nations peoples that address issues: N’we Jinan Artists, Performance of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.

Good for involving the wider community getting views and ideas from the public, holding decision makers accountable. For many First Nations communities, the Chief and Council are responsible for their people, and addressing your concerns to them can be key to moving your cause forward. Things to consider:

• Think about how to get a good mix of your community to the meeting. It would be a great time to bring up an issue at a Membership meeting for your First Nation
• Make it as accessible as possible
• Make sure the seating and process are right so everyone can be involved and have a say
• Start planning early and think about logistics and safety for large numbers
• Invite decision-makers to explain the situation and their decisions directly to the people

Good for raising awareness and understanding, getting conversations started, hearing from different stakeholders. Things to consider:

• Use lots of visuals to get your message across
• Record or transcribe the presentation and share it
• Give a platform to those demanding their voice be heard
• Involve the audience and get them talking to each other
• Engage a wider audience and open the conversations online if possible (e.g., get people tweeting using a specific #)
• Practice!

Here are some great examples of First Nations youth making a presentation: Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to Live & Succeed, Native Youth Are More Than Statistics, Resilience: Turning Failure into Success.

Good for putting pressure on decision-makers by showing evidence of support, giving large numbers of supporters a way to contribute easily. Things to consider:

• Provide concise and compelling background information to inspire people to sign
• Ask people to sign up for the ONE thing that will really make a difference
• Make it easy to share. Ask people to forward, hand-out, etc.
• Go global! Look at e-petition sites to increase your reach
• Ask for people’s contact information so you can keep them updated and involve them again

Here are websites that assist in petition-signing: Parliament of Canada, Change.org.

(Interview occurred after the Youth Forum in 2019, which made the Calls to Action)

What are you studying? How do you spend your free time, do you volunteer or are you involved in any community leadership, etc.

I graduated from high school a couple of weeks ago. I wore a regalia to my graduation in memory of my uncle because he always pushed me toward education. I’m currently on the Youth Council for the Anishinabek Nation and a youth representative for the Huron region. I attend many council meetings and sit on behalf of youth. I am also planning on organizing a youth committee in my community, because individuals ages 14-20 are the most vulnerable and need representation.

What was your most important takeaway from the Forum?

I learned that it is important to make connections with First Nation youth across Canada, because we all seem to face the same issues. I think it’s important to connect with youth to have their say and create connections for these issues.

How do you apply what you learned, discussed and shared in your daily life, work, school, community?

I learned more about getting into practicing my culture and ways to incorporate it into my community. When I went home, I hosted a youth gathering and workshops at our local complex and 30 youth showed up. The workshops made me very happy because I witnessed the younger youth becoming more comfortable with the idea of regalias and traditional dancing. This made my spirit very happy.

Describe your Call to Action #2 and how it’ll make a difference for you and/or your family and/or peers?

I was on the planning committee for our school’s renovations. The school is incorporating a lot of First Nations symbolism including a smudging room and renaming a number of areas to reflect the language and culture.

Who should be acting on this call and how? What can the average Canadian do? What can people in your community do?

Learning about your own First Nation’s culture needs to be done throughout the family. Non-Indigenous Canadians and classmates are encouraged to attend Pow-Wows to learn about our food and culture or reading about Indigenous Peoples can make a difference. Learning culture and seeing Indigenous perspectives is important. Education is the sledgehammer to break through the walls of stereotypes. 

(interview occurred after the Youth Forum in 2019, which made the Calls to Action) 

What was your most important takeaway from the Forum?

I gained a better understanding of what each Indigenous community faces, such as their education, funding, medical, and their hardships. I can see the need to reunite all Indigenous people together. I also see the importance of speaking to the government to see if they could help us.

How do you apply what you learned, discussed and shared in your daily life, work, school, community?

Just the boost of confidence. Attending this Forum opened me like a cocoon and made me spread into a butterfly. It gave me a huge boost of confidence and mental health. Courage is definitely something I took from it.

Describe Call to Action #5 and how it’ll make a difference for you and/or your family and/or peers?

Answering the Call to Action #5 will help others feel more accepted in school. From my experience, finding teachers that accepted me and willing to talk with me and learn about my struggles. Experiencing this made me want to go to school, and I ended up getting 96% in my course. If the faculty understood Indigenous students as people, all of us would be successful.

Who should be acting on them and how? (What can the average Canadian do? What can people in your community do?

One thing the government can do is to increase funding for Indigenous Peoples to have the opportunity to receive education on- or off-reserve; some Indigenous Peoples don’t like to get taught off-reserve. Teachers can take a history course on Indigenous Peoples so that they can better understand our history and current circumstances. 

(interview occurred after the Youth Forum in 2019, which made the Calls to Action) 

What are you studying? How do you spend your free time, do you volunteer or are you involved in any community leadership, etc.

I just graduated from high school this year and I plan on going to university. However, I want to take a gap year and help with some funding. I’d eventually like to build my way up to obtaining my Masters in community planning. For volunteer work, I join song groups and sports. For my free time, I love to go canoeing, play water sports, and other competitive activities. I’m very competitive!

How do you apply what you learned, discussed and shared in your daily life, work, school, community?

When I went back to school, I talked to the teachers about my experience at the forum. We should utilize those who have knowledge that can reach out to the youth about traditional knowledge. The way I’d like to share what I’ve learned is by helping the ones who need the support. I’ve done this by planning lunches during the school year where two Elders came in and talked to the kids during lunch.

Describe your Call to Action #2 and how it’ll make a difference for you and/or your family and/or peers?

It gave the government a better understanding on how they should actively listen to the youth’s voice. Youth hang around the aboriginal education room now—they want to learn about their culture. It’s important to have that space (e.g., education room) where you feel welcomed and have the weight lifted off your shoulders. You can go in there and you’re just welcomed and helped. It’s a safe feeling.

Who should be acting on Call to Action #2, and how? What can the average Canadian do? What can people in your community do?

Teachers can learn different things based on what the Elders are telling them and bring it to the classroom—especially in biology; they can bring in Elders to talk about plants. Elders can be brought in to talk about it in their own way—it would give students and teachers a different perspective. They would have something to bring home.

What inspired you to become an advocate?

When I first was brought into the leadership industry, I had no idea what to expect. I went to my very first conference with the AFN as a Carrier of Hope in 2019. I felt different like I had a whole new perspective on my surroundings. I was brought in to see the real issues in Canada. I realized that I was striving to make these changes. After seeing what I had created and sharing ideas with other youth gave me comfort. Our culture is so diverse, and the issues we deal with can be fixed. I want to be a part of that journey to make those changes.

What advice would you give to other youth who want to advocate? 

Many people ask this question, and I always give them the same answer. It’s quite simple, express your ideas from the bottom of your heart. Please don’t do it for others but yourself. If you are advocating for the pleasing of others, then you should not do it. You have to want it, and it’s not about popularity or fame. If you are honest and truthful, then you will succeed.

What were the successes you have seen as a result of your advocacy? 

When I noticed my voice was being heard and people started to do something about it, it paid off. Suddenly, I was getting recognition for expressing my thoughts through speaking and I became a Citizen of the year. I received local rewards and opportunities to attend conferences and meetings. I was travelling almost every other weekend to do something for the youth. I became an Ambassador of Hope and a mental health advocate. I also started a Cree class at my school. These things would have never happened if I hadn’t been involved. It’s crazy what life throws at you, but you do have to work hard for what you want. You have to make sacrifices to be great.

How have you created your own support system? 

This is a crucial question that is needed when being an advocate. My support system is beyond amazing. Right from the beginning, I had supportive parents. They believed in me and knew I was capable of anything. They were there to support me. When things get tough, and I didn’t feel like going to them, I could always turn to my friends. You must have someone who understands you and will be there to provide comfort when you need it.

What have been the challenges of being an advocate? 

One of the biggest challenges I struggled with was my mental health. Soon over time, I realized that it was distressing knowing I was helping others and creating change. I enjoyed travelling and being away from home when I felt sad or upset. It felt like a reset, and I could live and breathe on my own. Many people think that being an advocate is easy. Everyone will struggle with mental health at least once in their lifetime. When I first started being an advocate, I was younger than others, felt like I couldn’t do as much. Your age should not limit you, because it doesn’t matter. If you show them what you’re made of, then your age is just a number. Don’t let your age ruin your confidence. There will always be people around you who will try to bash you. You have to be the bigger person and ignore it.

What inspired you to become an advocate?

A big part of what inspired me to become an advocate was to create positive change, whether it be locally, nationally, or globally, and use my voice to represent others who cannot.

What advice would you give to other youth who want to advocate?

The advice I would give to youth who want to advocate would be to speak up and use their voice. As Indigenous people, we have been conditioned through colonization to be quiet; that is why it is essential to speak out and use your voice. We all matter, and your voice is important!

What were the successes have you seen as a result of your advocacy?

The first experience I had with advocacy was writing a letter to leadership. I wrote to the Chief and Council in my community, the Principal and Vice-Principal at my high school at the time, and the Superintendent of my school district on the subject of raising the Mi’kmaq Grand Council Flag at our high school. In this letter, I wrote about the importance of raising the flag. With all of the work and pressure placed by many other people in our community, the Mi’kmaq Grand Council Flag was raised over a year later.

How have you created your own support system?

My support system for everything has always been my mom, Rose Vicaire. Ever since I could remember, she was there to help me and push me to work hard! Next to that would be my close family and friends who continue to support me. However, as I slowly started working on projects involving advocacy and going to university to study leadership, I found many people along the way with similar interests and passions that I can lean on if I need help.

What have been the challenges of being an advocate?

I think the greatest challenge of being an advocate would be confidence. I am still learning on this journey, and there are many times where I feel I am not confident enough of myself on what I believe. However, I think that may stem from the fear that others do not believe in what I share, but that is inevitable; there will always be someone who has different views, and I think a big learning goal would be to understand others’ worldviews.

Who inspires you and why?

Regarding advocacy, many people inspire me; however, I will try to bring it down to three. The first person is my mom, Rose Vicaire. Ever since I can remember, she has always been a very hard working woman that does not wait and rely on others to get things done. The second person would be my cousin, Ali Barnaby. Similar to my mom, she works very hard as well. I aspire to reach her level of commitment to further better my role as an advocate. My third and last person on my list is Wendell Metallic. He is an elected official as a Councilor in our community of Listuguj and has been working in First Nations politics at a community and national level for over twenty-eight years! His commitment to his community truly inspires me.