As the fastest growing demographic in Canada, politicians should be paying more attention
By Rachel Braeuer
Photos courtesy of Zhiigiwan Kwe Whetung
The emphasis placed on one of the three biggest stories in the news last Monday really told a depressing story: a group of First Nations kids walked 1600 kilometres to send a message to Stephen Harper, but he went and visited some pandas instead, however the desperate Liberals will talk to the youth — just not these ones.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’ll spell it out for you. Inspired by the Idle No More movement, David Kawapit Jr. of the small and isolated community of Whapmagoostui, Quebec started off on a 1,600 kilometre trek with six others to raise awareness of the living conditions on reserve communities such as his in hope of a better future for tomorrow’s youth. By the time the group, known as the Nishiyuu Walkers, reached their goal of Ottawa, they had swelled in numbers to almost 300.
Rather receiving Kawapit and the other Nishiyuu, Harper elected to receive two gift pandas from China. “These pandas will help [Canada and China] to learn more about one another while serving as a reminder of our deepening relationship,” Harper said of the symbolic gift.
Many have already criticized Harper for his choice, and rightfully so. “He should be getting his priorities straight, especially with the position he holds,” commented Sebastian Bearskin, one of the walkers. While the panda’s public arrival may aid a trade relationship, ignoring First Nations youth sends an equally strong message, deepening the divide between politicians and their needs and concerns.
“How many more kilometres need to be walked before this Conservative government listens to First Nations people?” asked Niki Ashton, Manitoba NDP MP in parliament. A fair question, if you know the history of First Nations activism in Canada. In response to Trudeau’s proposed patriation of the Constitution that would have wiped away Aboriginal treaty rights, approximately 1,000 First peoples, from grandmothers to toddlers, made the 4,500 kilometre trek in protest.
How much farther until any government takes First Nations, and especially First Nations youth, seriously?
Aboriginal youth are the fastest growing demographic in the country. “They are so often told they are the leaders of tomorrow. I’m here to say they are the leaders of right now. They are the leaders we’ve been waiting for,” announced Shawn Atleo, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, as the Nishiyuu’s journey came to an end. If First Nations youth are out in droves, willing to walk 1,600 kilometres in a political demonstration, why wouldn’t politicians want to meet them?
For all of the Liberal talk about the youth vote, I didn’t see Justin Trudeau at the walker’s rally. Sure, he tweeted “The Journey of Nishiyuu shows commitment to a better future for FN communities. Let’s equal that with real engagement” in both English and French, but a tweet just doesn’t suffice.
Canadian politicians’ lack of real engagement with First Nations youth, who are statistically more likely to be incarcerated than graduate high school, is an affront to their efforts to challenge this and many other dismal statistics. Do you get that, Trudeau, or are you the same as your father?
Instead of engaging with people who only care about approval from people with nice hair, or panda bears that only care about shoveling bamboo in their faces (and not the trade deals that will help decimate their natural habitat), politicians should be talking to the First Nations youth showing up on their doorsteps.
