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Call to Action # 66 : Youth Programs (66)

A Labour of Love: The Unpaid and Exploited Labour of Grassroots and Community-Based Indigenous Youth Groups

April 17, 2023

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This report was funded by Justice Canada – UN Declaration Act Implementation Secretariat to amplify the voices of Indigenous youth in the implementation of the UN Declaration Act, including the development of an Action Plan. We believe that TRC 66, if implemented in a good way, responds to Articles 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 39 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This report was funded by Justice Canada – UN Declaration Act Implementation Secretariat to amplify the voices of Indigenous youth in the implementation of the UN Declaration Act, including the development of an Action Plan. We believe that TRC 66, if implemented in a good way, responds to Articles 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 39 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The TRC’s 94 Calls to Action was released in 2015, and seven years later, most of the Calls to Action have not been fully implemented or are only in progress. Seven years is a significant amount of time in a young person’s life, and it is too long to wait to address the urgent needs of Indigenous youth. Seven years is also a significant portion of a young person’s childhood and growth. Growing up without proper support and having basic needs met can set up a young person for years of failure and struggle as they transition into adulthood. The most painful reality is that many youth are no longer with us due to preventable deaths such as suicides, overdoses and the endemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two‐spirit peoples.

Indigenous youth are at the heart of TRC 66. It is meant to support the holistic needs of Indigenous youth to remedy the legacy and ongoing effects of colonization and ensure they have access to programs and services rooted in community, culture, land, language, and ceremony.

Immediate Next Steps to Implementing TRC 66

Unfortunately, a lot of the requirements to implement TRC 66 were outlined in The Roadmap on the Implementation of TRC 66 in 2018 however there has been little to no movement on this roadmap by stakeholders that have the power to move the needle, such as the federal government.

The last federal Indigenous youth funding program, Cultural Connections of Aboriginal Youth (CCAY) sunsetted in 2015 and there is no federal funding program dedicated to Indigenous youth to date. Next steps would be as follows:

  1. Fund Existing Community‐Based Youth Groups as a Pilot
    • Funding must be multi‐year
    • Funding must be defined by each youth group (i.e., administrative and program needs)
    • Review with Youth Groups collectively after one year
    • Adjust as needed, including for adaptability, context andincreased need
    • Reporting designed by the youth group and it has a purpose/role for the group
  2. Establish and fund a Panel of Experts to Advise on Creating a Permanent TRC 66 Fund
    • Youth Groups would co‐create a vetting process and ethical screen for the Panel of Experts
    • Panel would advise on:
      • Defining values and ethics of mechanisms
      • Defining operational approach to distributing and monitoring fundsiii. 
      • Defining selection criteria for fund
      • Support with outreach and engagement
    • Panel of Experts should include Youth Groups in Pilot but should not only be limited to these youth groups
    • Panel of Experts should include mainly Indigenous youth and allies determined by community with experience in youth movements, organizing and supports
  3. Establish a Multi‐Year and Core Support Funding Mechanism Supporting the TRC 66 Fund
    • Work with Youth Group Pilot to formalize the Mechanism
    • Consult with existing Indigenous youth funding mechanisms
    • Must be an Indigenous youth peer reviewed process
    • Must offer Ethical Budgets (See Ethical Budget Requirements)
    • Panel of Experts would offer strategic advice and guidance
  4. Establish an independent Accountability Mechanism
    • An Accountability Mechanism would:
      • Oversee the implementation of TRC 66
      • Review and report on Canada’s obligations to Indigenousyouth wellbeing
      • Advice on removing barriers to meet Canada’s obligations, duties and responsibilities to Indigenous youth
      • Provide advice and guidance to funders on how to make their funding ethical