
A new report by Deloitte Canada and Indigenous youth from across the country is putting a spotlight on Indigenous sovereignty.
The report is titled ‘Honouring Indigenous sovereignty toward a future of collective prosperity,’ and sheds light on the challenges youth face asserting their sovereignty while offering recommendations on ways to take action.
This is the fifth and final report in a series focused on reconciliation through the eyes of Indigenous youth and is in collaboration with Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR), a national Indigenous youth led organization.
Paris Pepen is an Indigenous youth representative from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. She hopes the report can begin shifting the mindset of the public.
Audio Player
A few of the challenges youth pointed out in the report when trying to exercise their sovereignty included having a say over what happens to their land, organizing as collectives in response to community needs, working with and within non-Indigenous systems and other people’s attitudes and mindsets regarding sovereignty.
They also identified four key priority areas for action in combating those challenges and advance Indigenous sovereignty:
- Indigenous People and Land, which involves respecting Indigenous people’s sovereignty and relationships with the land
- Self governance, being able to facilitate community relevant self-governance
- Nationhood, instilling reciprocity by honouring Indigenous nationhood
- Truth telling and learning, which focuses on everyone taking responsibility by engaging in truth telling and storytelling
There are 10 total recommendations in the report based on these four key priority areas the youth identified.
Some of those recommendations include returning land decision-making to Indigenous nations and sharing the land, affirming and upholding treaties and cultivating environments that welcome Indigenous identities and harness their potential.
Byron Jackson is from the Piikani Nation in Alberta and is the Director of nation building advisory services at Deloitte. He believes there is no better time than now for a report like this that has youth speaking up.
Audio Player
Jackson added that while the report may be published, a lot of the hard work is only just beginning.
Audio Player
When asked by IYR in its survey about what makes them feel empowered, Indigenous youth most frequently said when they could be themselves and respected for who they are, a point Pepen agrees with.
Audio Player
The recommendations in the report are directed to policymakers, corporate Canada, the legal profession, cultural and heritage institutions and the general public.
The report can be read in full here.
Comments