Alberta Indigenous youth call for meaningful action on reconciliation in new report

Dozens of Indigenous youth surveyed in a new national report say they don't believe Alberta is committed to reconciliation, but they do envision a bright future for themselves and their communities.

Researchers engaged 1,125 youth across Canada, including 178 from Alberta, for Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024: Building Connected Futures.

The report presents a snapshot of how young Indigenous people see their futures through the lens of empowerment, culture, wellness, education, work, solidarity and reconciliation.

Twenty-two per cent of Alberta youth said they believe the province is committed to reconciliation while 39 per cent responded neutrally.

Thirty-nine per cent of Alberta respondents, or 70 youth, said the province is not committed to reconciliation.

Among them is Cochrane's Logan Beauchamp, 26, an adviser for the report, whose upper knuckles are tattooed with a clear message: L-A-N-D  B-A-C-K

"Alberta is always going to be more on the side of resource development than they are of First Nations Inuit and Métis people," Beauchamp told CBC News, pointing to the dispute that erupted between Woodland Cree and Obsidian Energy over drilling rights earlier this year.

The 194-page report is the result of in-person and online sharing circles and an online survey from October 2023 to February 2024 of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth ages 18 to 29.

Respondents said furthering reconciliation requires "more consistent, meaningful work" on completing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action — including honouring treaties and ending institutional racism —  and the calls for justice from the National Inquiry into Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Also key, according to participants, is seeing more progress on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to ensure access to clean water, safe housing and affordable food for all.

"Basic needs must be met before any true progress toward reconciliation can be trusted," the report says.  

Megan Lewis, director of the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research at Indigenous Youth Roots, the national organization that spearheaded the study, said youth feel empowered when they envision a good future for themselves and their communities, which was the case for 80 per cent of Alberta participants.

The top goal for youth countrywide, at 74 per cent, is to live a balanced life — mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Forty-eight per cent of youth identified with a goal of "being happy and healthy regardless of where the road takes me."

Other goals included contributing to their communities (34 per cent), becoming financially self-sufficient (39 per cent), and strengthening connection to their culture (49 per cent).

Barriers to those dreams are many, the report found, from mental health issues to child-care costs and a lack of mental health and educational supports, as well as safe, affordable housing, and drinking water services.

Other barriers outlined include racism, poverty, nepotism, lateral violence, lack of access to elders and mentors, and support for LGBTQ2S+ youth.

"It's very important to ensure that we're supporting young people and trying to dismantle those barriers in order to set them up for that thriving future that they outlined so beautifully and meaningfully in this report," Lewis said.

"They'll believe that the government is being responsive to their needs when they see their community being healthy and sustainable."

Province reviewing report

In an email, the Alberta government said it is making meaningful progress on economic reconciliation as well as in areas such as education, justice and health, inviting everyone to stay updated at www.alberta.ca/reconciliation-in-alberta.

"We are actively involving Indigenous Peoples in decision-making, ensuring their voices are not just heard, but respected and acted upon," said Callum Reid, press secretary to Rick Wilson, the minister of Indigenous Relations.

"I look forward to reviewing the findings of this report in more detail to see how it can help inform our policies and actions."

Another area youth hope the province will address is around meaningful work opportunities where 67 per cent of Alberta respondents said they feel less optimistic.

Beauchamp grew up in Whitecourt, Alta., and now lives in in the southern Alberta town of Cochrane, but works remotely for a Métis organization in Ontario.

"To have that impact on your community and to be able to work in your community and uplift your community — there's a lot less focus and funding for community work like that," he said.

His connection to his own heritage and two-spirit identity only deepened as a young adult when he finally met Métis elders through his work with Indigenous Youth Roots.

"Meeting two-spirit Métis elders and forming relationships with them — they were able to affirm that in me, and really just give me the confidence to keep being me and continue that journey of reconnection," he said.

Two weeks ago, Beauchamp tattooed the lower knuckles of his right hand.

Now, he can display a different message: H-O-P-E  B-A-C-K