‘Ottawa’ Attawapiskat Youth Learn Leadership Skills at Ottawa Forum
With their northern Ontario community plagued by suicide attempts in recent months, three young people from Attawapiskat joined dozens of others from across Canada in Ottawa this week to learn leadership and community-building skills.
In April, chief and council of the Attawapiskat First Nation on James Bay declared a state of emergency after dozens of community members attempted suicide beginning in early March.
The crisis has been weighing on the mind of 19-year-old Skylar Hookimaw, who appreciates the opportunity to come to Ottawa from Attawapiskat for the Activate Leadership Forum.
“This opportunity is honestly the best I’ve ever had — it’s really exciting. I get to meet new people, learn new skills,” he said.
“I think it’s awesome that so many people are trying to help us out and doing their best to inspire us in any way they can — and to them, I thank you for that.”
40 young people at leadership forum
Hookimaw and two of his peers from Attawapiskat — 20-year-old Sky Koostachin and 16-year-old Tattum Nakogee — have been in the capital since Wednesday.
They’re part of a contingent of 40 young people selected from all over Canada to participate in the national forum organized by Motivate Canada.
The event bills itself as a youth leadership program that inspires, trains, and supports youth leaders, with funding from the federal government.
A series of workshops, classes, and networking opportunities for people between the ages of 16-24 emphasizes sport and physical activity projects that the participants can take back to their home communities.
“It’s all youth-led. If you see the youth, they’re running the show,” said Dan Dubeau, manager of the forum.
Once they’ve completed five days of training, the so-called “activators” use what they’ve learned to start community-based projects that improve the health and well-being of other young people. This is the event’s 12th year.
Adjustments made to bring Attawapiskat youth
Organizers had already chosen the delegates when news broke of the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat, but they made adjustments so that youth from the James Bay community could attend the forum based at the YMCA Bonnenfant Camp in Dunrobin, at the western edge of Ottawa.
“Some of them have leadership experience, some have no experience. We have youth from northern communities, a lot of Aboriginal youth, youth from big cities, and they’re connecting, meeting each other — it’s very exciting,” said Dubeau. “We actually have one youth from Nunavut who’s never seen a tree before!”
Asia Winter-Sinnott, 17, volunteers at a youth camp for girls in her home of Mayo, Yukon.
“It’s been really fun. I’ve been learning lots of new things, learning different ways of teaching I can bring back to my community,” she said.
The forum will close on Saturday after an address by the federal Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, Carla Qualtrough.