Youth ask for what was taken away from them

By Marci Becking
TORONTO – The 23 Participating First Nations that are part of the Anishinabek Education System met in Toronto on Feb 27-28 with provincial school boards, and Ontario and Canada representatives. This time, they brought along their youth.
Director of Education for the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body, Kelly Crawford, summarized what the youth had to present to the some 200 education forum participants.
“One of the items requested was for the truth to be told,” said Crawford. “That is very powerful. Asking for a safe place, asking for transportation, asking for a connection to land, and asking for relationships to be developed and built, requesting support of Aboriginal Wellness Workers. Asking for opportunities for inspiration for our own people. Asking for the language. Asking to have the opportunities to experience relationships with our Elders. So for me, sitting there listening, they’re asking for everything that was taken away from them. They’re asking us to do better. It’s not a lot to ask. I want to say Chi-miigwech for sharing that. I feel that collectively, we need to make a commitment to these youth in a lot of these areas.”
Participants had an opportunity to listen teachings from key note speakers like George Couchie and Alan Corbiere.
Couchie, a retired OPP officer, says that when he trains police officers he says, “When you look at youth in a community, you are looking at three or four generations. You have to look past the individual and look at the greater picture to understand.”
Couchie also gives talks to educators and other groups.
“I talk about the importance of women in our community. They are the givers of life. It is our job as men to protect those women. We don’t hit them, we don’t abuse them. We need to teach the men why women are so important. Women are making the changes in our community.”
Couchie also shared some real statistics about human trafficking and homelessness.
“When we talk about the trafficking across Canada – 52% of women are First Nation who are trafficked. 25% of the homeless people in Toronto are First Nation.
He is part of an initiative that will bring 4500 students to Memorial Gardens in North Bay on June 21.
“We are bringing all of the North Bay school boards together. Partnering with Nipissing University and Canadore College. Drummers, singers, outside venues, how to build a wigwam and other educational booths outside. It will be a Pow-wow and a day of learning, bringing community together and showcase who they are. The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre is also involved. This will be good for community healing.”
Alan Corbiere says that there are five things that are important to your Anishinaabe identity: name, song, clan, community/land and nation.
Corbiere comes from M’Chigeeng – Aki: Michigiwadinong is a place that is surrounded by bluffs that are in step formation – slate of rock.
He emphasized how language is connected to the land.
“Caribou and Buffalo clans used to be in southern Ontario,” he says. “Because the land was cleared for activities such as farming and the construction of cities, the caribou and buffalo were pushed out.”
“When you really understand who you are, you start to put it all together,” he says. “Your name, story, song – each song has a teaching – clan and clan song. “Imagine how rich we would be with knowledge? We would be resuscitated – revived.”