Agents for change Our youth

Agents for

OUR YOUTH change We know we should “walk the talk” , “work together” , “education is the key” and that the “children are our future”. Time now to move on from the words and do it!!

Kowanyama Project is a bit selfish in one way walking the talk if indigenous communities are wanting to find the highest achieving students to move forward into what is an uncertain graduating from their years to take future for everyone. Kowanyama Culture Centre forward. It is time for the community, schools and Our young are giving their early years to a High administration to think outside the square in School education away from their home and creating job opportunities with meaning for family. Students find they return home and indigenous communities. This can only happen there are no jobs for them. Kowanyama has if everyone works together. Again, how often few opportunities of employment have we all heard those words! for High School graduates who return. Working towards an Kowanyama Council and School began talks last year on ways to Many drop out in the early stages of their away from home high school education which is a serious interesting job in cultural engage students during their home holidays from college. The issue of job opportunities for problem for them and our studies graduating students in the future community. was also on everyone’s minds. Those who do graduate wonder why they Kowanyama Project would like to think that bothered at all spending all that time away. the Cultural Centre and the Kowanyama Collection are left in good hands as part of Some Native American communities find that continuing maintenance of the cultural more and more graduates are not returning heritage of the ancestors and their children. home because there seems to be nothing at Other Kowanyama agencies also need to be home on the reservation for them to do. Some actively creative in providing jobs for find employment in cities off reservation and graduates. others fall into a life of crime and drug addiction. Our Indian colleagues call it in We know education is one of the keys to a Washington State “Brain drain”. better future for Kowanyama. We all now How often have been to meetings over the last need to help give meaning to the decades to hear that “the children are our education of our youth with jobs and a future”. They are! It is as sure as the nose on brighter future. our face. This is a serious community issue, of That is the challenge for Kowanyama in 2021.