National Aboriginal Day – Equitas Celebrates Aboriginal Youth Leadership Across Canada

Project #1 – Speaking Up About Mental Health! (Manitoba) As Part of Equitas’ Young Women Speak Up! Program in Winnipeg, young women from Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata created a live magazine to raise awareness about and address issues of mental health.

“We are still showing the video and sharing it with the community, a lot of the time the youth in the video are recognized and are the go-to youth for others when they need help or resources.”

Project # 2 – Pride, confidence and leadership – Youth Fusion (Québec) As part of a youth leadership camp organized by Youth Fusion, sixty youth from 8 northern communities came together for 4 days in Waswanipi, Québec. Equitas is proud to have collaborated in this project through the creation and facilitation of leadership workshops.

« Ce que je veux c’est que ces jeunes-là aient confiance en eux, qu’ils soient fiers de leur identité, qu’ils se rendent compte qu’il y a plein de choses qu’ils peuvent accomplir. Présentement, on développe massivement leur confiance en eux, leur fierté et leur sentiment d’accomplissement! » – André-Yanne Parent, directrice de la programmation éducative pour les projets dans les communautés autochtones, Fusion Jeunesse.

Project #3 – « Tout ça, juste parce que je suis autochtone! » – Autochtone Montréal (Québec) As a human rights education centre, Equitas develops workshops that give tools to young Montrealers (and more that 100 000 young Canadians every year!), including aboriginal youth. Autochtone Montréal creates opportunities for aboriginal youth to understand their rights and put them into action. Equitas collaborated in the project by putting together and facilitating various workshops.

Aujourd’hui, je veux que ça change!

Aboriginal youth talk about discrimination, their aboriginal identities and the reasons why they want to fight against discrimination. #ParceQueJeSuisAutochtone Locataire recherché #ParcequeJeSuisAutochtone from Native Montreal on Vimeo. Project #4 – #iambeautifulconfident – Place Maillardville Community Centre (British Columbia) As part of Equitas’ Young Women, Young Leaders Program in BC, Aboriginal young women developed a public awareness poster campaign promoting positive body image, self-confidence, and self-love to promote mental and physical health of young women. Project #5 – Redefining Beauty, promoting Gender Equality – Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship (British Columbia) Centre Society – Young Aboriginal women participating in Young Women, Young Leaders in BC, interviewed girls and young women in their community to begin a dialogue on what “beauty” means to girls and young women, how to redefine and promote different ideas of beauty and talk about gender equality and safety in their community. They are sharing their video in the community to keep the conversation going.