Studying Change: The Final Evaluation is the final report in the evaluative reporting series from the More Than Words Project. The initial baseline report “More Than Words: The Beginning, A Baseline Report for WAGE'' was produced in June 2020 and highlighted the foundations and community contexts of the project, focusing on the first six months of work. “Studying Change: Checking in. A midterm report for WAGE” was produced in January 2022. The midterm studying change report assessed the initial impact of the project, analyzing and contextualizing the field work taking place within each site, within the larger context of the project’s goals. Additionally, this report highlighted the unprecedented “year 2” of the project as COVID-19 dramatically impacted the original project plans and led to many adjustments and innovations in response to community needs. Notably our ‘organic evaluation’ approach was developed by the implementation team and continues to be applied throughout this report, showcasing community relevant and creative approaches to evaluation.
This report contains seven sections:
• Section 1: Introduction to More Than Words and The Project Sites (p.3)
• Section 2: Important Considerations (p.5)
• Section 3: Organic Evaluation (p.7)
• Section 4: Evaluating Field Work (p.9)
• Section 5: Outputs from the Project (p.29)
• Section 6: The Trail (p.40)
• Section 7: Findings & Conclusion (p.43)
SECTION
INTRODUCTION TO MORE THAN WORDS AND THE PROJECT SITES
More Than Words: Studying the impact of arts based survivor engagement on families and communities (MTW) is a 4-year project, funded as part of the Department for Women and Gender Equality’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program under the second pillar of It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence – which is “support for survivors and their families.” MTW builds on the SSHRC-IDRC Partnership; Networks for Change and Well-being: Girl-led ‘from the ground up’ policymaking to address sexual violence in Canada and South Africa, where Indigenous girls and young women in Canada and Black Indigenous girls and young women in rural South African collaborated on youth-led activism against sexual and gender-based violence. MTW continues this work with three communities: Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation (Unama'ki, Nova Scotia), Rankin Inlet (Kangiqliniq, ᑲᖏᕿᓂᖅ, Nunavut), and Treaty 6 (Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon, SK). MTW investigates and learns from the use of Indigenous-focused youth-led survivor engagement through the arts, looking at the impact on the producers themselves, other young people in the community and their families in relation to their experiences of addressing SGBV. The title of the project symbolizes action and also refers to the significance of images and art as opposed to only words, as critical entry points to reflection and meaning-making.
MTW is based upon a network of relationships and partnerships between Indigenous youth, community leaders, knowledge keepers, researchers, academics, administrators and many other individuals and groups with shared interests and goals. The diverse and rich relationships of MTW create space for community work to be aligned with cultural values and protocols while being funded by a Federal research grant and administered though higher education institutions Through conscious power sharing these authentic and reciprocal relationships, also, create safe spaces for youth-led work to take place. The youth participants, their families and community leaders know and have relationships the university-based implementation team of MTW, including the Principal Investigator, administrators and research assistants. These connections, relationships and networks are at the heart of the projects positive impacts and outcomes as individuals navigate personal, community and institutional dynamics together.
Eskasoni, is located on Cape Breton Island, within the Unama’gi district of Mi’kmaq territory (Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada). Young people in the community have been engaging with the topic of sexual and gender-based violence and what it looks like in Eskasoni since 2014. The youth-group is named “Break the Silence; Be The Change” and their work has taken many forms including the production of a large public mural, a Mi'kmaq colouring book for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and the creation of a memorial garden for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in their community. Culture and language revitalization are key concern of youth as they recognise how these are tied so innately to wellness and self-love.
Rankin Inlet is an Inuit community located on the Kudlulik Peninsula, on the west coast of the Hudson Bay in Nunavut, it is the 2nd biggest community in Nunavut with a population of 3,000. This field site is the result of recognition in the community for the need to create a space where
local Inuit girls and young women could come together and express themselves creatively. The group in Rankin Inlet is named Girls Expressing Themselves Through Art (GET Art). The girls have experience engaging with participatory visual methods as they have produced music videos and cellphilms addressing GBV, bullying and food insecurity. Cultural connection is key to the youth group work in Rankin Inlet and women leaders from the community are invited to take part in activities and share aspects of Inuit traditions, such as katajjaq (throat singing), kakiniit (traditional tattoos) and other cultural activities.
Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Metis, Saskatoon, is the home of Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (YIWU). This girl group was created in response to the colonial and gendered violence that Indigenous girls and young women experience daily in inner city Saskatoon. Prayer and ceremony are at the centre of their gatherings, youth are empowered by each other and their Nehiwayan and Michif ways. These young women explore self-love as a first form of resistance through activities like cellphilming, authorship, dance and mural-making YIWU have published two books, the self-titled; Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (2019) and KîYÂNAW OCÊPIHK (2022). They have been recognised for their work in community in many different ways and are recipients of the 2020 Indspire Guiding The Journey Educator Award.
SECTION 2: IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
COVID-19 was highlighted in the two previous studying change reports as having significantly impacted the project plans and anticipated outcomes. COVID-19 impacted each site of the project differently, as provincial, territorial and reserve regulations and resources varied widely. Statistics Canada reports that “the COVID-19 mortality rate was significantly higher for racialized populations (31 deaths per 100,000 population) compared to the non-racialized and nonIndigenous population (22 deaths per 100,000 population)” and this was something felt deeply by the Indigenous participants of the project. Many participants lost loved ones to covid-19 and were hugely affected by the related issues of increased alcohol and drug use, mental health crises and domestic violence. Access to healthcare, vaccines, personal protective equipment looked different in each community, as did restrictions relating to in-person activities, visitation and travel. School closures and lock-downs impacted participants financially, physically and mentally. Across all three sites there were significant periods of time when youth participants were not able to meet in-person with each other, group facilitators and site leaders.
As the implementation team pivoted to virtual meetings and gatherings, inequalities of access revealed themselves in relation to internet, cellular service and data. The youth in Rankin Inlet were the most restricted from participating in virtual meetings due to unreliable internet connection in northern remote communities.
COVID-19 impacted the project’s ability to connect with project participants and made it impossible to develop new relationships with “blueprint sites” as originally planned. Travel restrictions and changing priorities made it challenging to form meaningful relationships with new communities. In the midterm studying change report, we noted that the blueprint sites would require re-envisioning. The re-envisioning of the “blueprint sites” took a more local and logical approach through on-campus relationship building and the development of connections with people and groups already in close proximity to the youth groups and implementation team.
The McGill based implementation team developed connections with the Indigenous Mentorship and Paid Research Experience for Summer Students (IMPRESS). Five of the young women attached to this project were engaged in the testing of several key areas of the Trail of Promising Practices. Through collaboration with research assistant Emily Booker and the Pathy Foundation Fellowship., the project was able to support the development of a pop-up youth group in North Vancouver. Members of Native Montreal’s Youth Council and the Assembly of Seven Generations worked alongside the youth participants at project retreats to test and evaluate parts the trail of promising practices. Youth participants from each site have facilitated trainings at a variety of organisations and conferences to share components of the promising practices, including delivering workshops to classes at York University in 2020 and 2023, presenting“Community Arts As A Source Of Resistance” at the 2020 Indspire National Gathering of K-12 educators, presenting at the International Girls Studies Association Gender Studies Conference in 2019, delivering workshops at the Atlantic Summer Institute policy forum in 2022 & 2023 and many more formal and informal trainings and tastings of promising practice components.
Deaths in Community
Both the baseline and midterm studying change reports noted that the community of Eskasoni was impacted by a number of young people from the community dying by suicide. The entire community of Eskasoni was greatly impacted by these deaths. MTW project activities were put on pause while the community grieved.
The midterm report highlighted the impact of the overdose and drug poisoning crisis in Treaty 6 and specifically in Saskatoon. Since the midterm report, the crisis has worsened. 2023 has the highest rate of deaths from overdose or drug poisoning the province has ever seen. Hundreds of families and many communities in the city and across the province are mourning the loss of loved ones. In Treaty 6 priorities and needs have shifted with the simultaneous crises of COVID-19 and toxic drug supply which continues to effect project youth directly in the community.
Uncovering of Unmarked Graves at Residential Schools
During the project, the remains of 215 Indigenous children were uncovered in a mass unmarked grave at the Kamloops residential school, in British Columbia, on the lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Since the uncovering of the mass grave at the Kamloops residential school, the grounds of residential schools across Canada are being searched for unmarked graves. The number of unmarked graves of Indigenous children found at residential schools is over 3,000 and the total death toll of residential schools is over 5,000 including the Indigenous children who passed away while at residential schools who are named in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report. Communities across Turtle Island continue to call for different residential school grounds to be searched. Uncovering of these graves confirmed what Indigenous communities already knew about the abuse Indigenous children suffered in residential schools and the death that was a core part of these institutions.
The uncovering of thousands of Indigenous children who died while at residential schools brought up trauma and difficult feelings in Indigenous communities, this was further exacerbated by regional and territorial health orders preventing communities from gathering. Once again priorities in the sites shifted, responding to the hurt and trauma within their communities. YIWU, in Treaty 6 and Break the Silence: Be the Change in Eskasoni created space for their communities to come together to mourn and heal. Sensitive to the difficult times in community, mourning and healing were prioritized over MTW activities and notably over the additional labour required from the sites to complete evaluations.
The midterm studying change report introduced the concept of organic evaluation. Organic evaluation is the evaluative approach created by the MTW implementation team and used throughout the project. The particularly challenging times of 2020 and 2021 led the universitybased implementation team of to seek out ways for these team members to take on more of the evaluative work, leading to the development of the organic evaluation method. Organic evaluation is a process that maximizes existing data and information that has been shared with researchers and project managers to study change and fulfill evaluative needs. Researchers and project managers asses the outcomes and create reports using the stories, artwork and conversations shared with them by the project participants. Organic evaluation aims to reduce the burdens that are often inherent in traditional evaluative methods and participating in research. This community centered approach challenges the top-down academic norms of research and evaluation by producing evaluations that are participant-centred and align with community values. Since the midterm report, the organic evaluation approach has been further refined as we have continued to work with participants and Indigenous scholars to best assess the impact of the MTW project. Suzanne Methot, an Asiniwachi Nehiyaw (Rocky Mountain Cree) writer, editor, educator and community worker, reviewed the organic evaluation approach and the midterm report that was created using this approach.
A briefing paper has been published to share the approach with other community-based researchers and organizations. Broadly, organic evaluation is comprised of four steps: collecting data, creating evaluative questions, studying change and participant and outsider validation. To studying change in MTW, evaluative questions were developed based on the short-, mediumand long-term outcomes. These questions were organized into different “phases” of the project. The move from years to phases was intentional, as it allowed the implementation team to understand work that happened early in the project as having the potential to meet medium- or long-term goals. This was particularly crucial during 2020 and 2021 when different factors impacted the ability for the project to go as planned. Moving away from a linear approach to evaluation, highlighted how traditional evaluation risks missing out on impacts and differences that might not have been anticipated at certain points in the project.
For this studying change report, the medium- and long-term outcomes were reframed as questions and categorized in “Phase 2” or “Phase 3” of the project. Phase 2 is “Mentorship and Leadership Training: Generation 1 youth receive leadership/mentorship training and learn how to facilitateart-making workshops with a view of working with generation 2 group members”. Phase 3 is Mentorship in Action: Gen1 mentor/facilitate art-making workshops for Gen2 & Gen2 make artwork and share with their families and community members”. Phase 1 “Making and Sharing: Generation 1 youth continue to make art and share it with their families and communities” was addressed in both the baseline and midterm studying change reports. The charts created to originally keep track of information being shared by the sites, continued to be updated throughout the project. The studying change chart document is over 100 pages long. The charts have been shared with each site to validate the findings. The site leaders reported back that is both inspiring and motivating to see all the different work they had accomplished and that it was
important for the participants to know that the implementation team was seeing and acknowledging all the work that was happening on the ground in their communities.
Studying Change Chart example. Phase 3- Eskasoni.
Studying Change Chart Example. Phase 3- Rankin Inlet
Phase 2: Mentorship And Leadership Training (Gen1 receive leadership/mentorship training and learn how to facilitate art-making workshops with a view of working with the Gen2 group members)
The second phase of the project focused on developing culturally relevant and safe mentorship and leadership skills among the generation 1 participants. This phase of skill development was crucial as the groups expanded to work with new and younger members: the generation 2 participants. The evaluative questions for phase 2 have been formulated to examine the impact of MTW on the generation 1 youth as it relates to their leadership skills and interactions with the generation 2 youth as mentors and role models. To answer each question different reports, events, conversations, films, interviews and artwork were analyzed and contextualized within the second phase of the project and the medium and long-term goals of the project. Notably, youth and site leaders from Eskasoni, Rankin Inlet and Treaty 6 all participated in A Conversation on Mentoring with Indigenous Girls and Young Women virtual event. This event brought together members of the MTW network, including the leader of a blueprint site, and project participants to discuss and reflect on the intricacies of mentorship and mentorship training with Indigenous girls and young women. The event report can be found here.
Question: What does mentorship and leadership training look like? (formal, informal, is there curriculum or is the process organic?)
Eskasoni
Eskasoni has primarily engaged in an organic mentorship process, reflective of the group’s youthdirected flexibility, that allows youth to come and go from the group as they have capacity and interest. The group primarily uses a cultural and community mentoring model. At the Conversation on Mentoring with Indigenous Girls and Young Women event the site leader evoked the image of a circle where youth are protected, and the communities’ goals and visions are aligned. Intentional spaces are created where youth who have been working on developing leaderships and mentoring skills can practice these skills. For example, Hannah Battiste, one of the generation 1 youth, received significant one-on-one support from the site leader to author and publish a poetry book: Out of Darkness. After this experience Hannah was invited to be a youth editor on the book Circle Back, creating additional space for her to learn and develop specific skills relating to her interest of publishing and authorship. Hannah is now using those skills to support generation 2 youth to author and publish their own book. Hannah’s journey from mentee to mentor is representative of the mentorship and leadership training approach in Eskasoni.
Rankin Inlet
In Rankin Inlet, an organic and culturally grounded approach to mentorship encouraged the generation 1 youth to take on leadership roles when they felt comfortable. This approach is grounded in Inuit cultural practices. Notably, mentorship skills and qualities have been role modelled for the generation 1 youth by other women and Elders in their community. The site
leader created intentional opportunities for the generation 1 to step into leadership roles as they have seen other women in their community do. In this process, two youth expressed a desire to become more formal mentors for the generation 2 youth in their community. As their roles and responsibilities as mentors started to become more significant the generation 1 youth expressed a desire to connect with other generation 1 youth from MTW. Honouring this request, these youth visited Treaty 6 to connect with YIWU. On this visit they had the opportunity to learn from the mentors in YIWU, hearing about their process to supporting generation 2 youth in Treaty 6, how culture informs their mentorship styles and the different ways they are leaders in the community. Since visiting Treaty 6, the generation 1 mentors in Rankin Inlet have continued to grow their leadership skills, taking on greater responsibility in the group including organization, planning and facilitation.
Treaty 6
The midterm report provided a comprehensive overview to the mentorship training approach being taken by YIWU. The site leader, Jenn Altenberg adopted a formalized approach to mentorship training grounded in Cree and Michif ways of knowing and doing. Centering culture in the mentoring training included finding Indigenous women in the community to come and lead workshop and role model Indigenous mentorship and leadership for the generation 1 youth. Additionally, generation 1 youth were provided with different spaces to practice their leadership skills, including facilitating workshops for York University students and co-planning activities with Jenn before generation 2 youth joined the group. The co-planning of activities took place at a mentoring preparation workshop, where the site leader helped the generation 1 youth plan the different activities they wanted to lead for the generation 2 youth. The combination of formalized training and role modelling helped the generation 1 youth become confident as mentors and identify traits they wanted to embody in their own mentoring practices. When the mentors from Rankin Inlet visited Treaty 6 there were additional opportunities for the YIWU mentors to share their skills, knowledge and practices with other mentors from the MTW project. While the initial training for the generation 1 was formal, different opportunities to continue developing mentoring and leadership skills have arisen organically for the youth.
How do the youth feel about being mentors? (Do they feel they are gaining skills? Confidence? Are their opinions about themselves and their abilities changing?)
Eskasoni
The midterm report highlighted the pride youth involved with the project felt as they had the opportunity to step into mentoring roles in their community and beyond. This was further observed as generation 1 youth had more opportunities to take on leadership roles. Notably, Hannah Battiste spoke at the Networks for Change Imbizo in July about the importance of taking on a mentoring role in Eskasoni to support other youth telling their stories and sharing their talents. This came to fruition in the final phase of the project as Hannah encouraged generation 2 youth to explore writing and authorship. Using her specific leadership skills in that area, Hannah has been able to work towards her goal and vision of youth from her community sharing their stories and their voices through writing. As a mentor and leader Hannah has, also, started important conversations in the community of Eskasoni about youth mental health and wellbeing.
Hannah has self-reported her self-esteem has improved because of her role as a mentor and leader in the community. Further, at two MTW events where youth participants from Eskasoni, Rankin Inlet and Treaty 6 came together to create art and reflect on the project, Hannah found great pride and confidence in being able to share her writing and authorship skills with other Indigenous youth and the MTW network.
Rankin Inlet
The generation 1 youth take great pride in being mentors to the younger youth in their community. Notably, they have reflected how important it is to share their cultures with the generation 2 youth This is crucial as the site leader is not Inuit. The mentors have expressed how much they enjoy being able to shape and help deliver the same programming that was very important to them as younger participants. The two main mentors, have continued to develop their skills and confidence as leaders, taking on greater responsibility in the planning and facilitation of the both the GET Art and BET Art programs in the community. Additionally, the mentors have reflected that they feel they have gained confidence as mentors as well as developed specific skills relating to facilitation and artmaking. Since becoming mentors, the youth have sought out new opportunities to participate in educational training and share Inuit culture that they would not have looked for, before becoming mentors. The generation 1 mentors have taken on significant roles representing the group at different MTW events, speaking about Inuit culture, and sharing the specific challenges and triumphs of youth in their community. Their confidence has increased significantly as it relates to public speaking.
Treaty 6
The generation 1 youth have thrived in their roles as mentors. They reported how much they like hosting and doing activities with the generation 2 youth, especially thinking about how they can see themselves in the generation 2 girls. In their book KÎYÂNAW ocêpihk, Kalan, a generation 1 mentor, noted “[b]eing a part of generation one and taking on the role of being a mentor is a great experience. It is like watching these little seeds blossom into flowers, it is amazing to watch, listen and learn from all these different perspectives. It also makes me realize how far I’ve come, from being this little shy 12 year old that was too shy to ask for help to becoming a mentor to Indigenous youth and being able to speak in front a university class full of students” (p. 17). This quote highlights the learnings and increased confidence that have come along as the generation 1 youth stepped into the role of mentors and took on greater responsibility supporting the generation 2 youth. As mentors the generation 1 youth noted increased confidence, self-esteem, social connections and pride in their cultural identities.
How do the peers, family and community members related to Gen1 feel about the girls taking on more leadership roles? (Do they value youth-led work? Are attitudes changing towards youth-led work)
Eskasoni
The midterm report highlighted how the community of Eskasoni responded positively to the youth taking on more leadership roles in the community, specifically with the creation of the memorial garden for MMIWG. The garden also served as a crucial space for the community to
grieve and connect as the bodies of Indigenous children were being uncovered at residential schools across Canada. The community acknowledged that the youth have created a safe space grounded in culture that everyone in the community could use. Since the midterm report, the priorities and interests of community leadership shifted, and the youth mentors found themselves receiving less support and engagement. While the change in support from community leadership was disheartening, it motivated the generation 1 youth to pursue their passions and take on greater responsibilities in supporting other youth in the community. Members of the community have acknowledged the importance of youth-led work. Notably, at the book launch of Hannah Battiste’s Out of Darkness in Eskasoni, the director of the Eskasoni Mental Health Centre was quoted by APTN saying “seeing her so open and vulnerable with people encouraged me to do the exact same thing, like seek help”. Generation 1’s perseverance and dedication to supporting youth in their community has been acknowledged by family and other community members, leading to greater support for and value placed on youth-led work.
Rankin Inlet
The community, including the site leaders, academic supporters and family members, surrounding the generation 1 youth in Rankin Inlet have all expressed how proud they are to see the generation 1 mentors grow and take on leadership roles. Notably, the generation 1 mentors have taken on greater responsibility in the planning and logistics for the group, including running the registration and developing activity plans. Rosie Ussak, who is related to the generation 1 mentors and a key member of the Rankin Inlet community reflected on how important the group has been for the generation 1 mentors, especially as a space for them to become leaders. Further, the site leader and academic supporter of the group reflected on how much more confident the generation 1 mentors have become over the years, especially as they have had the opportunity to share their work and discuss Inuit culture with other Indigenous youth and members of the MTW network. The community has become increasingly aware of what youth-led work looks like and how important youth-led work is.
Treaty 6
The community surrounding the generation 1 youth, including family, Elders and leaders in Saskatoon consistently express how amazed they are by the work that is being done by YIWU. The midterm report featured community feedback on the group at an event they held to unveil their mural “Creator Save the Matriarch”. The feedback was all reflective of how proud community members were of the generation 1 youth and how much the community appreciated the work YIWU was doing to support young Indigenous peoples in their community. Generation 1 mentors have had the opportunity to represent the group at both the national and international level. Gabby and Andie Daniel’s, generation 1 youth, attended “The National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth” in Ottawa as representatives of the YIWU. Additionally, generation 1 youth Gabby and Kalan attended the United Nation Forum on Indigenous Issues. Having generation 1 youth represent YIWU, Treaty 6 and Indigenous youth at these national and international events indicates the community’s support of youth-led work.
What changes have others (peers, family, community members, including elders), noticed in the girls? Is any growth, change in attitudes or perspectives observed?
Eskasoni
The midterm report highlighted how the open-door policy of the group created a space where youth could come and go as their needs, interests and capacities change overtime. This type of group connections has created long-lasting relationships between the site leader and the youth participants. Notable changes observed by the site leader and other community members in relation to the youth include increased confidence, increased social and community connections, greater independence, personal growth and overcoming of fears and anxieties. The site leader noted the strength and resilience of the youth as they have overcome specific obstacles in their personal lives and the challenge of community leadership disengaging with their work. Peers of the generation 1 youth have noted personal growth as the generation 1 youth have stepped into leadership roles, supporting generation 2 youth in finding their different passions and working together to address SGBV in their community.
Rankin Inlet
Significant changes have been overserved among the generation 1 mentors by their peers, family and community members, the site leaders and the academics supporting the work. Rosie Ussak, a relative of the generation 1 youth, has noted how much more confident the generation 1 youth have become since stepping into the role of mentors and having participated in the group. This confidence has been noted by the site leader and the academics supporting the work. Both the site leader and academic supporter reflected on how proud they were of the generation 1 mentors for taking on the responsibility of representing the group at MTW network events and throat singing at those events. Additionally, observations include increased passions and motivation among the generation 1 mentors, as they begin to seek out new opportunities to further their education and represent their culture.
Treaty 6
Increased confidence, independence, cultural pride and ambitions have been recognized in the generation 1 youth by their families, community members and group leaders. Members of the community have reflected on the maturity of the generation 1, as they support younger youth in their community engaging with challenging topics relating to SGBV and as they take on leadership roles outside of the community. Gabby and Andie Daniel’s attended “The National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth” in Ottawa as representatives of the group. The site leader noted how much confidence, strength and leadership it took to represent the group on a national scale and make decisions for the group. Further, the generation 1 youth attended The United Nation Forum on Indigenous Issues. Again their community noted what strength it took for generation 1 youth to take on this responsibility and leadership roles on an international scale.
Phase 3: Mentorship & leadership in Action (Gen1 mentor and facilitate art-making workshops for Gen2. Gen2 make artwork and share with their families and community members.)
The third and final phase of MTW focused on moving beyond the mentorship and leadership training of generation 1 youth to the practice of mentoring and artmaking with the generation 2 youth. When developing the evaluative questions to study change in this area, a series of prompts were developed that could be applied to assess the impact of MTW on the generation 1 youth, the generation 2 youth and communities/survivors. To answer each question different reports, events, conversations, films, interviews and artwork were analyzed and contextualized within the third phase of the project and the medium- and long-term goals of the project.
GEN 2
How are Gen2 youth sharing their artwork and lived-experience with peers, family and community?
Eskasoni
As previously noted, during the project the leadership of Eskasoni began to disengage with group and stopped supporting the youth in their different pursuits. Moving on from, this the generation 2 youth pivoted to find different ways to share their artwork. This included presentations and speaking engagements at the Atlantic Summer Institute and sharing their work within the MTW network including through the newsletters, MTW community events and the virtual exhibit Taking Action Together. The generation 2 youth are working on finishing up a book they are coauthoring with generation 1 youth that is Mi’kmaq affirmations. This book has a target audience of Eskasoni and other Mi’kmaq communities.
Rankin Inlet
The generation 2 youth in Rankin Inlet have been sharing their artwork and lived experiences through a variety of different channels. Notably, the generation 1 mentors and site leader have developed activities that include take home activities that include the families of the generation 2 youth in the work that is being produced and bring the family members into conversation with the artwork being created by the generation 2 youth. Further the artwork of the generation 2 youth has been shared in video summaries of their workshops and within the MTW networks including through the newsletters, MTW community events and the virtual and travelling Taking Action Together exhibition.
Treaty 6
The artwork and lived experiences of the generation 2 youth from Treaty 6 have been shared at community events hosted by YIWU, at national and international gatherings including The United Nation Forum on Indigenous Issues and “The National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth” in Ottawa”. Additional channels for sharing the work of generation 2 include an instagram account that YIWU runs as a group. The work of generation 2 youth are also shared within the MTW network including through the newsletters, MTW community events and the virtual and travelling exhibit Taking Action Together.
What are the main themes in the work of Gen2? What is most important to them?
Eskasoni
The main theme generation 2 youth in Eskasoni have been addressing include:
• Community
• COVID-19
• Cultural Revitalization
• Language Revitalization
• Cultural Pride
• Reconciliation
• Education
• Mental Health
• Sexual violence & survivor support
Rankin Inlet
The main theme generation 2 youth in Rankin Inlet have been addressing include:
• COVID-19
• Community
• Community-Safety
• Bullying
• Social Media
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Inuit Identity
• Inuit Story Telling
• Growing up in the North
• Mentoring
• Role Models
Treaty 6
• Matriarchy
• Cultural Identity & Pride
• Gender Identity
• MMIWG
• Self-Love
• Community
• Supporting the Unhoused
• Confidence
• Social Issues
What is the relationship like between Gen2 and Gen1? What are Gen2 ‘s reflection on their mentors?
Eskasoni
The relationship between the generation 1 and generation 2 youth is extremely close. This relationship is founded on mutual respect and a shared desire for personal success and growth. The generation 1 and 2 youth take turns in the role of “cheerleader” supporting each other and celebrating each other’s successes. Generation 2 has reflected that they have seen the generation 1 youth grow as mentors and leaders in the community. They have noted that seeing the generation 1 youth take on challenging projects, like building the community garden, and persevering through challenging times has inspired them to also take on challenges with confidence.
Rankin Inlet
In Rankin Inlet the generation 1 and 2 youth have a close relationship. Given how small of a community Rankin Inlet is, some of the generation 2 youth are relatives of the generation 1 youth. This has created both close bonds between the mentors as well as some challenges to overcome, including fears of participants sharing each other personal experiences or stories with family members. To overcome this barrier, the generation 1 youth have focused in on sharing positive experiences and role modeling good behaviour. Generation 2 youth have benefitted from seeing young Inuit women as leaders and supporters as they have been able to safely explore their shared cultural identities together.
Treaty 6
The generation 1 and generation 2 youth in Treaty 6 have a close relationship founded on mutual respect and understanding. Some of the generation 2 youth are relatives of the generation 1 youth. Generation 1 specifically recruited new participants to the group through their families, including younger sisters and cousins. The generation 1 youth are really proud of the generation 2 youth and their personal growth. The generation 1 youth have highlighted how exciting it is for them to be mentors and see the generation 2 girls get to experience what they did when they first joined YIWU, including becoming more connected to their cultures and finding their purposes and passions. In KÎYÂNAW ocêpihk Gaby, a generation 1 youth reflected “I think it’s important because it helped me get out of my shell and I know that my little sister is pretty shy, she’s in group two. So I think it’s going to help her be more confident and more active in the community and know more about her culture, because that’s how I learned more about my culture through group”(p.126). The generation 2 youth have a great deal of respect and appreciation for the generation 1 youth. They recognize how much work the generation 1 youth are putting into the group and how much the generation 1 youth care for them. Some reflections from the generation 2 youth on the generation 1 youth from KÎYÂNAW ocêpihk include: “What I find cool about the older generation mentoring us is the experience and knowledge they hold. I also envy their leadership skills” (Melody, p.11); “it’s cool to have older girls to look up to and girls that I wanna follow and who set a good example to be good people” (D’Lila, p.12); and “it’s cool to have the older girls mentor us because I know that they care about us and for who we are, and that they love and care about one another” (Nicoletta, p. 13).
Is this art and experience sharing generating engagement and conversation with Gen2’s peers, family and community members?
Eskasoni
Generation two youth in Eskasoni have mostly focused on sharing their artwork within the MTW Network in response to community leadership disengaging with the group. This approach to art and experience sharing has allowed the youth in Eskasoni to make critical connection with Indigenous youth from other communities and to start important dialogues about mental health, self-care and wellbeing. The generation two youth are hopeful that their upcoming publication of a Mi’kmaq Affirmation book will re-engage community members with their work.
Rankin Inlet
A number of different channels are being used to engage the community and family members of generation 2 youth with the artwork that they are creating in the group. While the community was a on strict lock-down, the generation 2 youth created social media posts sharing encouraging messages and advice in both English and Inuktitut. This was a great way to engage with the community while they were not able to physically mee. On the generation 1 mentors’ trip to Treaty 6, they screened a music video created by the generation 2 youth for members of YIWU This music video included personal reflections about the impact of COVID-19 on the generation 2 youth. The music video was well received in Treaty 6 and prompt conversations about similar experiences with COVID-19 for Indigenous peoples living in Treaty 6. Generation 2 youth were given “homework” as part of an activity where they asked their family members what traits they liked best about themselves. This creative type of work successfully engaged family members with the work happening in the group and prompted family members to engage in conversations surrounding the group broadly and the groups specific work on mentoring.
Treaty 6
Community members, peers and family members of generation 2 youth Treaty 6 have engaged with the artwork created by YIWU. YIWU hosted an unveiling event for their mural Creator Save the Matriarch after a co-hosting a smudge walk with Chokecherry Studios. In response to the smudge walk and mural unveiling Tamie from SCYAP, noted the mural is a beautiful piece for our community “you girls are going to have such a great impact on society, on Saskatoon and Saskatchewan”. In an on-the-street interview in response to the mural, an Indigenous teenager offered “I think it shows that they are proud to be Indigenous. It has good messaging for the community”, while other community members expressed how it was nice to have a new beautiful Indigenous art in the city that brings attention to an important issue. Overall, the community is engaged with and appreciates the leadership work the girls have taken on and notices the positive impact of youth-led work. Parents of the participants have noted that their daughters have increased confidence and are thankful for the opportunities for growth and leadership for their daughters. YIWU hosted a community self-love BBQ in partnership with Chokecherry studios where they made food for over 400 community members. This event also engaged the broader community with the work happening in the group. Generation 2 youth in YIWU have also engaged their community with their writing as they hosted a book launch at York University for
KÎYÂNAW ocêpihk. Additionally, generation 2 members of YIWU have read from their book and spoken about their group’s work and art at two events within the MTW network.
How do Gen2 feel their artwork is being received by their family and community members? Is there ‘genuine’ engagement from Gen2’s peers, family and community members?
Eskasoni
Generation 2 youth have reflected that the MTW Network has genuinely engaged with their work. They have especially enjoyed creating and sharing cellphilms with other Indigenous youth who are part of MTW. The conversations by youth participants of MTW and the academic supports of the project around the cellphilms created by youth from Eskasoni “Tongue Tied” about an Indigenous youth looking for connection and safe space in their community and “Revitalizing Languages”, about the role of young Mi’kmaq people in keeping their language alive, showed genuine engagement. Other youth noted how the topics of the cellphilms resonated with them and how they could see their own experiences as young Indigenous peoples reflected in this artwork.
Rankin Inlet
The community members in Rankin Inlet, including the peers and family members of generation 2 youth have been eagerly engaging with the artwork being created by the generation 2 youth. Notably, the site leader and generation 1 mentors have strategically created activities that encourage the generation 2 youth to have conversations with their family members surrounding the different topics their artwork is addressing. The engagement on Facebook with the COVID19 art campaign was extremely high and indicated the community was eager to be supporting the generation 2 youth and engaging with the work they were putting out. Similarly, in Treaty 6, members of YIWU and community members were deeply impacted by the music video produced by generation 2 youth from Rankin Inlet. This was indicated in their responses to the video in conversations after seeing it.
Treaty 6
Generation 2 members of YIWU have had their artwork positively received by their community. Community members from across Treaty 6 responded to the mural created by the group with appreciation. Tamie from SCYAP, noted the mural is a beautiful piece for the community saying, “you girls are going to have such a great impact on society, on Saskatoon and Saskatchewan”. In an on-the-street interview in response to the mural, an Indigenous teenager offered “I think it shows that they are proud to be Indigenous. It has good messaging for the community”, while other community members expressed how it was nice to have a new beautiful Indigenous art in the city bringing attention to an important issue. Additionally, a mother of two generation 2 youth has taken on an Auntie role with the group. In this role she is supporting the youth participants, helping facilitate and lead cultural activities and ensuring the youth can travel safely when the opportunity arises. Having a mother of two generation 2 youth volunteer to take on this role highlights the genuine engagement for generation 2’s family as they see how important this group is not only for their daughters but also for other Indigenous youth in the community.
How do the peers, family and community members related to Gen2 feel about the girls taking part in this work?
Eskasoni
The family members of generation 2 youth are excited about the participation of their relatives in this work. Notably, the generation 1 youth in Eskasoni are cousins and relatives of the generation 2 youth. The generation 1 youth recognize that participating in MTW has provided them and the generation 2 youth with opportunities to travel, share their stories, make an impact and to connect with other Indigenous youth.
Rankin Inlet
The family members of generation 2 youth are keen to have them participate in the work. There have been waitlists for the GET Art workshops, indicating parents want to have their children signed up to participate. Rossie Ussak, a parent of generation 1 youth and relative of generation 2 youth, has reflected on how important the group has been for youth in Rankin Inlet, acknowledging that participating in the group has provided unique opportunities for youth to travel and share about Inuit culture and the experience of living up North.
Treaty 6
The peers, family and community members related to generation 2 youth in Treaty 6 are proud of the generation 2 girls for participating in this work and incredibly grateful these opportunities exist for Indigenous girls and young women in their communities. Andie Daniels a generation 1 youth reflected on her cousin becoming a generation 2 member of YIWU “I just think it’s important because when I was twelve, I didn’t really want to do it when I was twelve, but over the past four years, I’ve noticed like changes. Like I can public speak now, I’m not shy anymore at all. I’ve gotten so many opportunities and I thought that was so special for her to experience the same exact way as me”. Teghan McKay an Auntie to the group and the mother of two generation 2 youth spoke about important it has been for her daughters to be able to participate in the group and how the group has positively impacted them. Other generation 1 youth reflected on their cousin’s participation as generation 2 youth highlighting how it has been good to see them become more engaged with their culture through the group.
Do peers, family, community members, including elders, value youth-led art-making and artsharing? Are their attitudes changing towards youth-led work in the community and the difference it can make?
Eskasoni
In Eskasoni, the community interest and acceptance of youth-led work has changed over the course of the project. At the midterm point of the project there was keen interest from the community in the work being led by the youth-participants. Notably, the Chief and Council thanked the youth for creating the garden for MMIWG and the garden became a central and safe space for grieving and healing as bodies of Indigenous children were being discovered at residential schools. Later, youth asked community leadership for continued support to improve
the garden, they did not receive positive support. The changing level of engagement and support from community members is an obstacle for the group. However, the youth participants are motivated to continue their work, and have found this experience further emphasizes why it is important to support young Indigenous peoples.
Rankin Inlet
GET Art
’s presence in the community over the past 4 years as a consistent space for young Inuit girls to come and express themselves as well as the growth and increased presence of mentors in the group and community has contributed to changing attitudes towards youth-led and artsbased work. Community members have acknowledged the value of having these spaces where youth can make art and particularly where young Inuit girls can make art that explores their cultural identities alongside mentors and leaders in the community. As the generation 1 youth have taken on greater responsibilities and leadership roles, they have demonstrated the power of youth-led work within the community
Treaty 6
The community of Treaty 6 values the work coming out of YIWU. YIWU has hosted many community events, including smudge walks, community BBQs and book launches. At all of these events YIWU has recognized the support they get from their community and in turn the community has supported the group. Leaders of organizations and not-for-profits, including SCYAP and Chokecherry in the Treaty 6 recognize the efforts of YIWU and particularly the value of arts-based work. Local politicians have also offered to support the group, further indicating the genuine engagement and value placed on youth- created artwork.
What changes have Gen2’s peers, family, community members, including elders, noticed in the girls themselves? Is any growth, change in attitudes or perspectives observed?
Eskasoni
Since joining Break the Silence: Be the Change, generation 2 youth have increased their confidence, increased their social connections and cultural connections. Additional changes noticed by the generation 2 youth themselves include increased motivation and academic achievements. The generation 2 youth have been awarded scholarships and and have recognized by their universities as being outstanding students. They are also now official collaborators on a CIHR grant studying youth engagement and mental health These youth have plans to return to work in the mental health sector in Eskasoni once they graduate. After a MTW event one generation 2 youth reflected : “The MTW retreat conference at McGill University is done, I’m so grateful for these opportunities and the amazing team I work with. I did an interview today and it went great, I spoke about some aspects of my personal life and why I’m going into social work. I also spoke about changes that need to be done in Indigenous communities along with listening to youth voices because they’re the future. I’m honestly so grateful for these opportunities because they help shape the social worker I aim to become. ����”. This reflection highlights the high level of reflection generation 2 youth are doing as well as the growth they are currently experiencing and future work they hope to do in their community.
Rankin Inlet
In Rankin Inlet, the site leader, mentors and family members of the generation 2 youth have reported increased confidence, greater social connections, increased leadership skills and strengthened cultural identities. Additionally, the site leader reported that generation 2 youth have indicated a desire to become mentors themselves and one additional mentor has been added to the team. Generation 2 youth are keen to follow in the footsteps of the generation 1 youth, indicating self-awareness of their increased leadership skills and confidence.
Treaty 6
In treaty 6 peers, parents and community members have noted that generation 2 youth have had their confidence increase as a result of participating in the group and connecting with the generation 1 youth. The generation 1 youth have observed how generation 2 have come out of their shells and are more engaged with the work and different projects over time. The generation 2 youth have self-identified increased knowledge on certain topics/ expressed that they are happy to have a space and the opportunity to be engaging with topics specific to Indigenous women and girls and their cultures. The project implementation team has also observed generation 2 youth becoming increasingly confident including speaking at events and sharing their feelings and reflections in group settings.
How does Gen1 feel about their experience and roles as leaders and mentors now?
Eskasoni
Generation 1 is proud of themselves and their roles as mentors to other youth in the community. In Circle Back Hannah Battiste noted “Our focus was the community, what we would want to see in the community and what we can do to change our community. We did many things and experiments, we came up with a youth building, youth programs, we learned more about safe places within our community, and so much more” (p.20). The generation 1 youth are proud of the work that have done in community and the changes they have made to better support generation 2 youth and other youth in Eskasoni. The generation 1 mentors have also used their platforms to connect with young people outside of Eskasoni, including at the Atlantic Summer Institute and through the MTW network.
Rankin Inlet
The generation 1 youth in Rankin Inlet express the view that they , love being mentors to younger girls and being leaders in their communities. The two core generation 1 youth in Rankin Inlet have expressed interest in finding permanent and fulltime work that would allow them to continue to support youth in their community. Critically, they also refer to their mentorship activities as part of their work. Highlights of being mentors for the generation 1 youth in Rankin Inlet include being able to participate in cultural activities with younger youth and role modelling culturally reconnection and revitalization. Generation 1 youth also have reflected on how being mentors has created opportunities for them to represent Rankin Inlet and Inuit culture within the MTW network, including through connections with other Indigenous youth and connecting with other folks supporting youth-led work addressing SGBV.
Treaty 6
The generation 1 youth in Treaty 6 say they happy to be mentors and role models for other Indigenous girls in their community and in their families. The generation 1 mentors have reflected on how special it is to get see younger girls in their community grow and experience new things as part of YIWU that made a difference in their own lives. Gaby Daniels, a generation 1 mentor reflected “I think its important because [YIWU] helped me get out of my shell and I know that my litter sister is pretty shy, she’s in group two. So I think it’s going to help her be more confident and more active in the community and know more about her culture, because that’s how I learned more about my culture”. The generation 1 youth have also expressed a great appreciation for Jen, their site leader, as they take on more responsibility with planning and facilitating workshops for the generation 2 youth, they are learning how much work goes into supporting Indigenous girls in Treaty 6.
How have their feeling changed towards their abilities and potential? Have they gained confidence?
Eskasoni
Generation 1 youth have reported that they have gained confidence. Notably, Hannah Battiste reflected that “The first time I had ever showed anyone my poetry was when I was in the program. I was not confident in my writing, but I found people who were. These amazing people published me and made me feel important; whatever I said mattered, and I finally had a voice” . Having other people recognize the potential and skills of generation 1 youth has in turn changed their self-perceptions. Hannah’s poetry book includes prompts for readers to reflect on their own experiences and lives. Hannah has also gained confidence through poetry readings within the MTW network including at York University, McGill University and in Eskasoni. Where previously Hannah did not believe others wanted to read her poetry, she is now using her experience with authorship and publishing to support the generation 2 youth in her group to publish their own book.
Rankin Inlet
In Rankin Inlet two key youth mentors, Haley and Julia Ussak, have continued to develop their mentorship and leadership skills as they take on greater roles and responsibilities in planning and facilitating GET Art programming for younger girls in their community and BET Art programming for boys and young men in their community. In a recent GET Art program Haley and Julia led an activity about spaces in the community that feel safe and unsafe based off an activity they did as participants of the program. Julia and Haley have also taken on the roles and responsibility of representing the group while travelling and sharing Inuit culture with other Indigenous youth and non-Indigenous peoples. This travel has included opportunities for Julia and Haley to throat sing at MTW events. The site leader and academic supporter of the group, both noted how much confidence it takes to throat sing in front of an audience of strangers. They noted that when Haley and Julia first joined the group, they were very quiet and shy, and they never imagined they would be sharing their culture and experiences with so much confidence and pride.
Treaty 6
The generation 1 youth in Treaty 6 have reflected on how far they have come since they first joined the group. Notably, becoming mentors to the generation 2 youth and seeing the generation 2 youth so shy and quiet in their first few sessions allowed the generation 1 youth to reflect on what they were like when they joined the group. These reflections highlight selfidentified increased confidence, social connection, cultural connection, and pride among the generation 1 youth. Additionally, as the generation 1 youth have taken on greater roles and responsibilities including representing the group and the community of Treaty 6 at both the national and international level. On a trip to Ottawa for “The National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth” two generation 1 youth represented YIWU and Treaty 6. After the trip they reflected on how special and important it was to represent the group at this level and to be trusted by the site leader and other youth participants to make decisions on behalf of the group.
Are Gen1 sharing their leadership experience with their peers, family, community?
Eskasoni
Generation 1 youth have been sharing their experiences with leadership and mentorship through various means. Hannah Battiste hosted a book launch for her poetry book Out of Darkness in Eskasoni. At the community book launch Hannah shared her reflections on her experiences and the importance of having safe spaces to start conversations about mental health for Indigenous youth. Additionally, generation 1 youth from Eskasoni have spoken about their roles as mentors and their personal growth journeys at two McGill University events for the MTW network and at York University. Hannah Battiste was the editor of the . , As the editor she had the opportunity to reflect on her leadership journey in MTW and share it within the MTW networks.
Rankin Inlet
The generation 1 youth have been sharing their experiences as long-term members of the group and as a mentors through various channels. Mentors from Rankin Inlet spoke at the MTW virtual session Conversation on Mentorship with Indigenous Girls and Young Women At this event they shared their experiences as mentors with the MTW network. They have further spoken about their experiences with the network at two McGill University based events: Community Connections and Dialogues 4 Change. At both events Haley and Julia talked about the work they were doing in Rankin Inlet, highlighting some of the challenges their community faces, the artwork their group is creating and their specific experiences as mentors. Additionally, the generation 1 mentors have shared their experiences in two MTW newsletters. Julia was the editor of the fall 2022 newsletter. Their experiences have also been captured in the virtualand travelling exhibit “Taking Action Together”.
Treaty 6
The generation 1 youth are sharing their experiences as mentors and leaders with their community, peers and families in a number of different ways. When the group’s mural Creator Save the Matriarch was unveiled after the smudge walk in Treaty 6, the generation 1 youth received star blankets at a community event, recognizing the growth and work of the generation
1 youth as leaders and mentors in the community. YIWU has an active instagram account that shares updates from the group, including highlighting the different work the generation 1 youth are doing. This has included spotlighting the generation 1 youth representing YIWU at the national and international stage as part of larger events and movements. The leadership of the generation 1 youth has also been captured in the virtual and travelling exhibit “Taking Action Together”.
What does Gen1 observe about the growth of Gen2?
Eskasoni
Generation 1 youth have observed personal growth, increased motivation and engagement among the generation 2 youth. They have noted how proud they are of the generation 2 youth for engaging in this work. In Eskasoni, there is a general recognition from participants and site leaders that the work they are doing is hard and challenging but very important. As a result, generation 1 youth are very appreciative for generation 2 youth engaging in this work and challenging topics. These feelings of gratefulness have increased as the leadership in Eskasoni began to disengage with the group, leaving the impression that generation 1 and generation 2 needed to support each other to keep the work going. Additionally, generation 1 youth have celebrated the academic achievements and goals of the generation 2 youth. Notably, most generation 1 youth have not pursued higher education themselves, but are the biggest supporters of the generation 2 youth pursuing higher education.
Rankin Inlet
The generation 1 youth have observed generation 2 youth become increasingly confident, develop interests and passions related the topics being addressed in the group and specifically strengthen their cultural identities. At the Conversation on Mentorship with Indigenous Girls and Young Women generation 1 youth reflected on how special it has been for them to participate in cultural activities alongside the generation 2 youth. Additionally, generation 2 youth have become increasingly more confident and interest in pursuing leaderships opportunities themselves as a number of generation 2 youth have expressed interests in becoming mentors.
Treaty 6
In Treaty 6 the generation 1 youth have noted that over the course of their time with generation 2, the generation 2 girls have become more confident and eager to participate in the work. Generation 1 youth noted that in initial meetings and workshops the generation 2 youth were extremely shy and quiet. Generation 1 mentors also noted that when they started to participate in activities with YIWU, they were also quiet and shy. Through this mentorship the generation 2 girls have become more confident and outspoken. They have increased social connections and community connections, including a strengthened cultural identity. Generation 2 youth will now present in front of larger crowds and are keen to be participating in activities and events with other Indigenous youth.
Are peers, family, community members, including elders, noticing more changes in Gen1 youth? Do they note further growth, changes in attitudes or perspective?
Eskasoni
The longer generation 1 youth stay connected and involved with the work, more significant changes have been noticed by family members, peers and community members. The site leader, speaking at the MTW retreat in Spring 2023 acknowledged the growth in the youth participants, overcoming their anxieties, fears and overcoming struggles including lack of support from community leadership. The site leader also spoke to being able to see generation 1 youth move through many different cycles of life, some youth became new parents, some youth started new careers and other pursued creative passions. Seeing the generation 1 youth go down different life paths, speaks to the growth of the participants as well as how the group supported them in finding their calling and passions.
Rankin Inlet
The community around the generation 1 youth have noticed positive changes in the youth. Notably, the community has been eagerly supporting the journeys of generation 1 youth as they have participated in MTW and become mentors and leaders in the community. The generation 1 youth are keen to share their experiences with MTW and MTW specific travel on social media, and it always receives a high volume of positive responses, including community members noting how proud they are of the girls for travelling and representing Rankin Inlet at different events. The site leader and academic supporter of the group, both noted increased confidence among generation 1 youth. This was demonstrated as Haley and Julia throat sang at two MTW events. They noted that when Haley and Julia first joined the group, they were very quiet and shy and they never imagined they would be doing sharing their culture and experiences with so much confidence and pride.
Treaty 6
The community surrounding the generation 1 youth in Treaty 6 have noticed increased confidence, greater cultural identity and pride, increased ambitions, passions and overall growth among the generation 1 youth. The site leader and academic supporter of YIWU have both reflected on how far the generation 1 youth have come, especially in their positions as leaders, educators and role models in the community and beyond. Notably, generation 1 youth have travelled on behalf of YIWU to represent the group at “The National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth” in Ottawa and at the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York. The community around generation 1 youth noted how much far the youth had come since they first joined the group to now be a voice for the group at the national and international level.
Community
Are mentorship and leadership activities contributing towards support for survivors? Are site activities, art-making and art-sharing filling gaps to supporting survivors? (awareness raising to needs? Feeling more supported? Having more Voice?)
Eskasoni
The mentorship of generation 1 youth in Eskasoni has continued to contribute to supporting survivors of SGBV in their community. Notably, the activities being led by generation 1 youth are culturally grounded and reflective of the needs and interests of the community. This work has started important conversations around mental health and support for survivors. At the book launch for Out of Darkness the director of the Eskasoni Mental Health Centre was quoted by APTN saying “Seeing her struggles made me realize, like, that I have dealt with some issues as well with my mental health,” he said. “So seeing her so open and vulnerable with people encouraged me to do the exact same thing, like seek help”. Further, Hannah’s book serves as a supportive tool for survivors and their families. Hannah’s experience with writing and publishing has helped her develop specific mentoring skills related to authorship. She is mentoring other members of Break the Silence: Be The Change as the group is writing a Mi’kmaq affirmation book, focused on language revitalization and supporting Mi’kmaq youth. This book will be a culturally grounded and relevant tool to support survivors in the community of Eskasoni as well as neighbouring Mi’kmaq communities.
Rankin Inlet
The opportunity to become mentors and take on leadership roles in the group for the generation 1 youth in Rankin Inlet has positively contributed towards supporting survivors and their families. The work of the group is filling critical gaps by raising awareness and connecting elders and youth in the community. For example, the work on Facebook filled community gaps during COVID-19, as it found ways to connect younger community members with elders during a time where that was not permitted to happen in person. The group has also prompted larger conversations in Rankin Inlet about gender-based violence, safety for girls and young women in the community and how to engage boys and men in the work. Additionally, as generation 1 youth have had the opportunity to share their experiences and speak about their work at events for the MTW network, they have also contributed to raising awareness about the specific issues facing northern communities in Canada.
Treaty 6
In Treaty 6 the mentorship and leadership of YIWU, including art-making activities, supports survivors and their families in various ways. The groups public art has helped bring attention to important issues including MMIWG and reclaiming/ re-affirming an Indigenous presence in Saskatoon. The group has also hosted a number of events to directly support community need, including creating self-love kits to hand out during COVID-19, hosting smudge walks for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and hosting a community self-love BBQ event where over 400 people were fed. YIWU has contributed to raising awareness and increasing the voice of survivors on critical issues in Treaty 6 and at the national and international level.
Is their increased capacity at the site for art-making activities and other work due to the empowerment of youth?
Eskasoni
As result of the youth participating in MTW, there is an increased interest and capacity to create art and engage in art-making activities in Eskasoni. Notably, other young people in the community have been engaged in creating cellphilms, youth participated in a cellphilm workshop at NSCAD and the cellphilm was screened at a MTW retreat. Since then, the group produced two additional cellphilms at MTW events. As generation 1 youth increased their confidence through mentorship, they have taken on greater roles supporting different arts-based activities in the community. Hannah’s mentorship is supporting other youth in the community to publish a Mi’gmaq affirmation book that will also fill a gap of cultural relevant support for survivors and their families.
Rankin Inlet
As result of youth participating in MTW, there is an increased capacity and interest to create artwork and engage in art-making activities in Rankin Inlet. Youth participants have been able to engage in a variety of different art making activities including drawing, cellphilms, poetry, song writing, storytelling, Inuit Tattooing and more. Notably, generation 1 has become increasingly confident in their roles as mentors and leaders in the group, taking on increased responsibility in the planning and facilitation of art activities. Generation 2 youth have expressed desires to become mentors themselves, demonstrating increased capacity in Rankin Inlet to facilitate and support arts-based work.
Treaty 6
The increased confidence and empowerment of youth involved with YIWU in Treaty 6 has resulted an increased capacity at the site for art-making and other activities addressing SGBV. Aunties and other community members associated with the group have created cellphilms after seeing the girls create them and submitted them to the International Cellphilm Festival. Generation 1 and 2 members of YIWU supported a cellphilm making workshop at Chokecherry studios for young Indigenous men to reflect on their experiences with COVID-19. The participants’ increased confidence and experience with different artistic methods have supported the community becoming more involved using different arts-based methods to explore topics and issues they are passionate about.
Are there organisations or stakeholders outside of the project interested in the site’s work? (Requests for information or collaboration)
Eskasoni
Break the Silence: Be the Change has connected with many organizations within Atlantic Canada as well as across the rest of the country. These organizations include:
• Atlantic Summer Institute
• Eskasoni Mental Health Centre
• Nova Scotia RCMP Human Trafficking Unit
• Nova Scotia Legal Information Network
• South Shore Regional Centre for Education
• Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education
• Mawi’omi Indigenous Student Centre at the university of Prince Edward Island
• Elsipogtog
• Eskasoni Mental Health
• Guys Work
• McGill University First Peoples House
• Impress (McGill)
• Branches McGill University
• North Van Girl Group
Rankin Inlets
Organizations within Rankin Inlet and beyond have connected with GET Art, including:
• Rankin Inlet Spousal Abuse Counselling Program
• Maani Ulujuk High School
• Boys Expressing Themselves Through Art
• Guys Work
• Chokecherry Studios
• McGill University First Peoples House
• Impress (McGill)
• Branches McGill University
• North Van Girl Group
Treaty 6
Organizations within Treaty6 and beyond have connected with YIWU , including:
• Chokecherry Studios
• Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming Inc.
• Remai Modern
• Indspire
• York University
• Guys Work
• Assembly of 7 Generations
• McGill University First Peoples House
• Impress (McGill)
• Branches McGill University
• North Van Girl Group
SECTION 5: OUTPUTS FROM THE PROJECT
BOOKS:
Young Indigenous Women's Utopia, Young Indigenous Women's Utopia 2.0 & Mandamin, Z. (2022). KÎYÂNAW ocêpihk (Daniels, B. Ed.).
Battiste, H. (2022) Out of Darkness: A Poetic Journey Through Trauma [IUniverse] More Than Words, McGill University & Everfair Research & Evaluation Consulting. ISBN : 9781663244079. ISBN : 9781663244062.
Battiste, H., Daniels, A. & Maome, B. (EDS.) (2021). Circle Back: Stories of Refection, Connection and Transformation. Participatory Cultures Lab, McGill University. ISBN 978-1-77247-027-7
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia. (2022) Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia [self published, E-Book]
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia. (2019) Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia [self published]
PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES:
Wilson, C., Flicker, S., & Restoule, J. (in press) Building Black and Indigenous Alliances for Health and Wellbeing. Harriet’s Legacies: Race, Historical Memory and Futures in Canada.
Wilson, C., Flicker, S., & Restoule, J.P. (in press). It’s all about relationships: The decolonizing potential of digital storytelling and collaborative mural making as research methods. Journal of Critical Anti-Oppressive Social Inquiry (CAOS)
Vanner, C., Goyeau, J., Logan, M., Ryan, K., Weenie, A. & Mitchell, C. (2024) Teaching about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People: Implications for Canadian Educators. Canadian Journal of Education. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 47:1.
Youth of Spaces & Places, Eskasoni, Liebenberg, L., Reich, J., Hutt-MacLeod, D., Denny, J-F., & Gould, M. R. (2022). Two-eyed seeing for youth wellness: Promoting positive outcomes with interwoven resilience resources. Transcultural Psychiatry.DOI:10.1177/13634615221111025 [IF: 2.221]
Flicker, S., Galusha, A., Sandberg, A.L., Altenberg, J., and Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia. (2023) Decolonizing, Indigenizing, and Making Space for Indigenous Girls Visiting York University, Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 16: 2 ( 118-134.
Vanner, C., 2023. The Centrality of Community in Education about Gender-Based Violence. Journal of Feminist Scholarship 22 (Spring): 18-33. 10.23860/jfs.2023.22.02.
de Finney, S., Bennett, K., & Adams, C. (2021). Centering Community-Led Indigenous Gender Sovereignty. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice, 4(1).
Gonick, M., Vanner, C., Mitchell, C., & Dugal, A. (2021). ‘We Want Freedom Not Just Safety’: Biography of a Girlfesto as a Strategic Tool in Youth Activism. YOUNG, 29(2), 101-118.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1103308820937598
Moccasin, C., McNab, J., Vanner, C., Flicker, S., Altenberg, J., & Wuttunee, K. D. (2021). Where are all the girls and Indigenous people at IGSA@ ND?. Girlhoodstudies, 14(2), 97-113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2021.140208.
Wall, D., Liebenberg, L., Ikeda, J., Penny, D., & Youth of Spaces & Places, Port Hope Simpson (2021). Understanding community, culture and recreation as resilience resources for Indigenous youth. In L. Moran, K. Reilly, & B. Brady (Eds.), Narrating childhoods across contexts: knowledge, environment, and relationships (pp. 163-187). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-55647-1_7.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-556471_7
Lamb, P, Vanner, C, Raissadat, H, Nyariro, M, & Sadati, H (2020), Researchers experience multiple embodiments in a cross-cultural, intergenerational event to support girls challenging genderbased violence Global Education Review, 7(2), 58-74.
Liebenberg, L., Jamal, A., & Ikeda, J. (2020). Extending youth voices in a participatory thematic analysis approach. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1-13. DOI: 10.1177/1609406920934614
Liebenberg, L. (2020). Reconsidering interactive resilience processes in mental health: Implications for child and youth services. Journal of Community Psychology. 1-16 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22331
Liebenberg, L. VanderPlaat, M. & Dolan, . (2020) Communities as enablers: broadening our thinking on core components of youth resilience. Child care in practice, 26:4, 331336, DOI: 10.1080/13575279.2020.1805988
Mitchell, C. & Smith, A. (2020). The lives of Girls and Young Women in the Time of Covid-19. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 13(3). https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/girlhood-studies/13/3/girlhoodstudies.13.issue-3.xml
Vanner, C., & Dugal, A. (2020). Activist networks: By girls, with girls, for girls. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 13(2).
Williams, T. (2020). Passing the Talking Stick: Resilience-Making through Storytelling. Girlhood Studies, 13(2), 134-136.
Chadwick, A. (2019). Imagining alternative spaces: Sexualized violence with Indigenous girls in Canada. Resurgent interruptions: Girls in settler and carceral states. [Special issue]. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3), 99-115.
de Finney, S., Krueger-Henney, P., & Palacios, L. (Eds.). (2019). Resurgent interruptions: Girls in settler and carceral states. [Special issue]. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3).
de Finney, S., Shezell-Rae, S., Adams, C., Andrew, K., McLeod, K., Lewis, A., Lewis, G., Louis, M., & Haiyupis, P. (2019). Rekinning our kinscapes: Renegade Indigenous stewarding against gender genocide. Resurgent interruptions: Girls in settler and carceral states. [Special issue]. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3), 80-98.
Flicker, S., Wilson, C., Monchalin, R., Restoule, J.-P., Mitchell, C., Larkin, J., … Oliver, V. (2019). The impact of Indigenous youth sharing digital stories about HIV activism. Health Promotion Practice, 1-9. DOI: 10.1177/1524839918822268
Hutt-MacLeod, D., Rudderham, H., Sylliboy, A., Sylliboy-Denny, M., Liebenberg, L., Denny, J.F., Gould, M.R., Gould, N., Nossal, M., Iyer, S., Malla, A., & Boksa, P. (2019). Eskasoni First Nation’s transformation of youth mental healthcare: Partnership between a Mi’kmaq community and the ACCESS Open Minds research project in implementing innovative practice and service evaluation Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 13(Suppl. 1), 42-47. DOI: 10.1111/eip.12817
Liebenberg, L., Wood, M., Wall, D., & Hutt-MacLeod, D. (2019). Spaces & Places: Understanding sense of belonging and cultural engagement among Indigenous youth. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 1-10. DOI: 10.1177/1609406919840547
Mitchell, C., Moletsane, R. & Choonara, S. (2019) What’s policy got to do with it? Girl-led ‘From the Ground Up’ Approaches to Policy Dialogue and Policy Change. Agenda.
Moreno, C. (2019). Love as resistance: Exploring conceptualizations of decolonial love in settler states. Resurgent interruptions: Girls in settler and carceral states. [Special issue]. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3), 116-133.
Vanner, C. (2019). Toward a Definition of Transnational Girlhood, Girlhood Studies, 12(2), 115132. DOI: 10.3167/ghs.2019.120209
Wuttunee, K. D., Altenberg, J., & Flicker, S. (2019). Red ribbon skirts and cultural resurgence: Kimihko sîmpân iskwêwisâkaya êkwa sihcikêwin waniskâpicikêwin. Resurgent interruptions: Girls in settler and carceral states. [Special issue]. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(3), 63-79.
BOOK CHAPTERS:
Liebenberg, L., Christmas, A., Stevens, R., Nicholas, K., Denny, D., & Bernard, A. (in press). Growing connections: Use of a garden to learn and heal in the context and legacy of systemic and institutionalised racism. In M. R. Carter, Y.-S. Huang, C. Mitchell, D. Ranjan, M. Sorensen, T. Starlight, T. Strong-Wilson, & A. Weenie (eds.). Seasons of Change: Interdisciplinary Pedagogies for Reconciliation and Redress. UBC Press.
Liebenberg, L., Reich, J., Sylliboy, A., Battiste, H., Bernard, A., & Christmas, A. (in press). Interrogating Indigenous gender identity in contexts of SGBV: Weaving together intersectional experiences using PAR and elicitation techniques. In T. Kovacic, L. Moran, & P. Prieto Blanco (Eds.), Reimagining Voices in Uncertain Times: Fragmentation, Legitimation and Reflexivity Bristol University Press.
Ussak, J.,Ussak, H., Barcial, J. & Gonick M. (in press) Be Well and Stay Safe: Facebook, Community Activism and Inuit Girls in the time of COVID. Girls Act Out. Berghahn Books.
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (YIWU) Girls Group, Altenberg, J., Mandamin, Z., & Flicker, S. (in press). “Creator save the matriarch”: Muraling young Indigenous women’s utopias. In M. R. Carter, Y.-S. Huang, C. Mitchell, T. Strong-Wilson, D. Ranjan, T. Starlight, A. Weenie & M. Sorensen (Eds.). Seasons of change: interdisciplinary pedagogies for reconciliation and redress (CH. 12). UBC Press.
Vanner, C., Holloway, A., J. Mitchell C. & Altenberg, J. (2022). Round and round the carousel papers: facilitating a visual interactive dialogue with young people. In C. Burkholder, J. Aledebi & J. Schwab-Cartas (Ed). Leading andlistening to community:facilitatingqualitative,artsbased & visual research for social change. Routledge
Chadwick, A. (2021). Alternative Imaginings: Re-searching Sexualized Violence with Rural Indigenous Girls. In Moletsane, R., Treffry-Goatley, A., Wiebesiek, L., & Mandrona, A. Ethical practices in participatory visual research with girls and young women in rural contexts. New York: Berghahn Press
Wall, D., Liebenberg, L., Ikeda, J., Penny, D., & Youth of Spaces & Places, Port Hope Simpson (2021). Understanding community, culture and recreation as resilience resources for Indigenous youth. In L. Moran, K. Reilly, & B. Brady (Eds.). Narrating Childhoodsacross Contexts: Knowledge, Environment, and Relationships (pp. 163-187). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave.
Gonick M, Vanner C, Mitchell C, Dugal A. (2020). ‘We want freedom not just safety’: biography of a girlfesto as a strategic tool in youth activism. YOUNG. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1103308820937598
Mitchell, C. & de Lange, N. (2019). Community-based participatory video and social action. In L. Pauwels & D. Mannay. Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods (second edition). (pp. 254266). London: Sage.
Mitchell, C.& Mandrona, A. (2019). Rural beginnings. In C. Mitchell & A. Mandrona (Eds.), Our Rural Selves: Memory and the Visual in Canadian Childhoods (pp. 3-19). Montreal: McGill Queens University Press.
Mitchell, C., & Mandrona, A. (2019). Our rural futures. In C. Mitchell & A. Mandrona (Eds.), Our Rural Selves: Memory and the Visual in Canadian Childhoods (pp. 243-262). Montreal: McGill Queens University Press.
Mitchell, C., Moletsane, R., MacEntee, K., & de Lange, N. (2019). Participatory Visual Methodologies in Self-Study for Social Justice Teaching: A reflexive eye. In J. Kitchen, A. Berry, H. Guðjónsdóttir, S. M. Bullock, M. Taylor and A. R. Crowe (Eds.), Springer International Handbooks of Education. Second International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education. New York: Springer
Moreno, S. (2019) Love as resistance: Exploring conceptualizations of decolonial love in settler states. Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 12 (3) 116-131.
The Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, MacEntee, K., Altenberg, J., Flicker, S., & Wuttunee, KD. (2021). Cellphilming and Consent: Young Indigenous Women Researching Gender-based Violence. In Moletsane, R., Treffry-Goatley, A., Wiebesiek, L., & Mandrona, A. Ethical practice in participatory visual research with girls and young women in rural contexts (pp. 110-133). New York: Berghahn Press.
BRIEFING PAPERS AND REPORTS:
Booker, E. (2023) Dialogues4Change Event Report. The Participatory Cultures Lab.
Booker, E. (2023) Spring Retreat Event Report. The Participatory Cultures Lab.
Booker, E. (2023) Looking at Change in Community-Based Research: An Organic Approach. The Participatory Cultures Lab.
Skahan, G. (2022). Collaborative Masculinities: Indigenous young men building positive masculinities and engaging in gender-based violence prevention: A review of literature, approaches, and programs. The Participatory Cultures Lab
Skahan, G. (2022) Collaborative Masculinities: Reflections & Resources to Support Gender Transformative Youth Work. The Participatory Cultures Lab. (in progress)
Booker, E. (2020) Mentoring Literature Review with a Focus on Indigenous Girls and Young Women. The Participatory Cultures Lab.
Booker, E. (2020, August). A conversation on mentoring with Indigenous girls and young women The Participatory Cultures Lab. Montreal, QC.
Booker, E. (2020 November) Addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence: A Dialogue on the Impact of Indigenous-focused Youth-led Engagement Through the Arts on Families and Communities. The Participatory Cultures Lab. Montreal, QC.
Flicker, S., Gagnon, M., Gilbert, J., Guta, A., MacEntee, K., Oliver, V. Sanders, C., Goldstein, A., Maitland, H., Malenfant, K., Newbigging, M., Switzer, S., Williams, D., and Antoniw, J. (2020). Changing the Rules: Ontario Teacher Reflections on Implementing Shifting Health and Physical Education Curricula Research report from the Enacting Sex Education Update: A view from Ontario’s Teachers Research Project. York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Girls Leading Change, & Booker, E. (2019). Girl Groups to Address Sexual Violence. Montreal, QC: Participatory Cultures Lab.
TOOLKITS:
Garcia, C, Mitchell, C., Carter, M. R., Ezcurra, M., Reid, N., Nyariro, M. Tissenbaum, S., (2022). Arts-based Interventions for Sexual Violence Prevention: A toolkit, McGill University. Montreal, McGill University.
Booker, E. & McCook, A. (2021). A Toolkit on Creative Approaches to Studying Change: Looking Back and Determining the Path Ahead. The Participatory Cultures Lab.
D'souza, N., Mitchell, C. (2021). Cellphones, Connections, & Community: Harnessing Technology to foster Community Communication and Connection. Montreal, McGill University.
Liebenberg, L., Bernard, A., & Paul, H. after Unsworth, R., Saskatchewan Prevention Institute and Green, M. (2021). The Way Forward: Conversations about healthy masculinity. Mi’kmaw Toolkit for implementing Guy’s Groups. Eskasoni Mental Health Services, Eskasoni.
Vanner, C., Ezcura Lucotti, M., Khan, F., Lamb, P., Mitchell, C., Nyariro, M., Raissadat, H. & Sadati, H. (2019). Creating Circles: A Handbook on Art-Making with Young People to Address Genderbased Violence. Montreal: Participatory Cultures Lab, McGill University.
CONFERENCE PAPERS & PRESENTATIONS:
Mitchell, C. (2023, April). The dismantling journey: Our research/our teaching/our institutions. . American Educational Research Association. Chicago
Altenberg, J. Flicker, S. (2023) "Creator Save the Matriarch": Muraling Young Indigenous Women's Utopias. More Than Words: Indigenous Girls, Public Art, and Public Pedagogy. AERA, Virtual Paper Session.
Booker, E. & Mandamin, Z. (2023, November 13). A Lesson Plan to Empower Youth. Indspire National Gathering. Montreal.
Bews, E., Nepton, S., & Mackenzie, M. (2023, November 12). Decoloni‘zine’: Building Community through Arts-based Projects. Indspire National Gathering. Montreal.
Battiste, H., Morris, E., Morris, J., Stevens, A. & Liebenberg, L. (2023, August 21). Advocating with Cellphilms: Using participatory research approaches to advocate for our needs. Youth forum workshop, Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy Communities Annual Forum, PEI, Canada
Mitchell, C. (2023, October 13). Disrupting shameful legacies. Girls and young women speak back through the arts to address sexual violence. Seminario Permanente de Etudios Canadienses. UNAM
Mitchell, C. (2023, October 30). TRANSFORM: Engaging with young people for social change. DTHF-IAVI Participatory Research Methods with Adolescents. University of Cape Town.
Vanner, C., Logan, M., Ryan, K., Goyeau, J., Weenie, A., & Mitchell, C. (2023, May 29). Teaching about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people: Implications for Canadian educators. Canadian Society for Studies in Education Conference. Toronto: May 27–June 1, 2023.
Gonick, M. (2022, April) Be Well and Stay Safe: Facebook, Public Pedagogy, and Inuit Girls in the Time of COVID. More Than Words: Indigenous Girls, Public Art, and Public Pedagogy. AERA, Virtual Paper Session.
Liebenberg, L., Battiste, H., Bernard, A., Paul, H., & Young, N. (2022, August 24). Applied tools for community problem solving and community resource development: Sparking the imagination!
Skills development workshop, Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy Communities Annual Forum, PEI, Canada.
Liebenberg, L., Battiste, H., Bernard, A., Paul, H., & Young, N. (2022, August 23). Applied tools for community problem solving and community resource development: Sparking the imagination!
Skills development workshop, Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy Communities Annual Forum, PEI, Canada
Battiste, H., Bernard, A., Paul, H., & Young, N., & Liebenberg, L. (2022, August 22). Learning about Community Resilience: How we did it & why it matters. Youth forum workshop, Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy Communities Annual Forum, PEI, Canada.
Liebenberg, L (2022, April) Growing Connections: Use of a Garden to Learn and Heal in the Context of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls More Than Words: Indigenous Girls, Public Art, and Public Pedagogy. AERA, Virtual Paper Session.
Mitchell, C. (2022, November). Jose Vanconcelos Invited talk. How we see it. Coimbra University.
Mitchell, C. (2022, November). Invited talk. How we see it. Albert Einstein University. Virtual.
Mitchell, C (2022, April). On the politics and pedagogy of making public. American Educational Research Association. San Diego.
Mitchell, C. & Moletsane, R. (October, 2021). On the ethics and politics of consent. Researching and writing histories of sexual violence. Methodological challenges and ethical complexities. University of Exeter.
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (2021, November) Community-Based Research Canada: Annual General Meeting Stories of Impact
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (2021, May). Saskwatonminiskak Speaker Series Chokecherry Studios, Saskatoon.
De Finney, S. (2020, June). Land-Body Retellings: Indigenous Responding to Colonial Gender Genocide. Keynote address given at Imagining Virtual Symposium Imagining the possibilities and potentials for pedagogies of reconciliation Canada, McGill University, Montreal, QC.
Mitchell, C., Moletsane, L., et.al. (2020, October). The Girl in the Pandemic. Policy Talk as part of the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP) Webinar series.
Mitchell, C. (2020, March). Arts-based approaches to addressing gender-based violence. Impact & Law Society. McGill University, Montreal, PQ.
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (2020 November) Community Arts As A Source Of Resistance. Workshop 4 at Indspire National Gathering, Online. (Lesson Plans; English, French)
Mitchell, C. (2019, November). Keynote: Making the Margins Visible and Accessible in Addressing Gender-based violence. . Republic of Childhood Conference, Ottawa
Mitchell, C. (2019, June). Keynote address. The situation for girls globally. International conference of the Olave Baden-Powell Society, Toronto, ON.
Mitchell, C. (2019, April). Keynote address Me too, we too: Inclusive strategies to address sexual violence and rape culture. Concordia University, Montreal.
Mitchell, C. (2019, June). Keynote address. The situation for girls globally. International conference of the Olave Baden-Powell Society, Toronto, ON.
Mitchell, C. (2019, March). Keynote address. The politics and possibilities of girl-led and youthled arts-based approaches to addressing gender-based violence, Peter Wall Institute & Green College, UBC, Vancouver, BC.
Smith, A. & Mitchell, C. (2019, March). The girl in the text. Second International Girls Studies Conference. South Bend, Indiana.
Vanner, C. (2019, June) Youth-engagement on addressing gender-based violence in schools. Saskatoon, Saskatachewan.
Vanner, C. & Mitchell, C (2019, November). Arts-based methods. Canadian Women’s Foundation. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
MASTER’S THESES:
Lamb, Pamela (2023) Knowing differently and feeling differently: A practice framework for affective reflexivity in participatory art. McGill University.
Rassaidat, Haleh (2021). Participatory visual researchers reflect on youth-led policy dialogue McGill University.
Sam, Shezell-Rae (2021). A Community-BasedResearch Project on SexualizedViolence. University of Victoria.
Keenan, Andrew (2021). Re-weaving legacies of gender-based violence with Indigenous young men. University of Victoria.
Moreno, Shantelle (2021). Our world to come: decolonial love as a praxis of dignity, justice, and resurgence. University of Victoria
Booker, Emily (2020). How is the Settler Colonial Project Advanced or Challenged in BC Schools Through Teachers’ Resources? Unpublished Masters Dissertation, McGill University.
Chadwick, Anna (2019). Lighting fires: re-searching sexualized violence with Indigenous girls in Northern Canada. Unpublished Masters Dissertation, University of Victoria.
PODCAST PRODUCTIONS:
Networks 4 Change. (2021, July, 14). Introduction. (No. Introduction) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Circle Back: The Podcast. Anchor. https://anchor.fm/n4c
Networks 4 Change. (2021, October, 6). Transformation. (No.1) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Circle Back: The Podcast. Anchor: https://anchor.fm/n4c
Networks 4 Change. (2022, March, 8). Reflections on Personal Spaces. (No.2) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Circle Back: The Podcast. Anchor: https://anchor.fm/n4c
Networks 4 Change. (2022, March, 8). Connections. (No.3) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Circle Back: The Podcast. Anchor: https://anchor.fm/n4c
EVENTS:
Community Dialogues4Change Event (14 November 2023), McGill University Campus, Montreal
Dialogues4Change: Indigenous youth in Conversation with Adult Allies (12-14 November 2023), McGill University Campus, Montreal. (Program)
We Will Walk Together / Skàtne Entewathahìta & Critical Campus Tour (29 September 2023), McGill University Campus, Montreal.
More Than Words Spring Retreat (29 April – 03 May 2023) McGill University Campus, Montreal.
Cellphilming Workshops (18-19 March) Chokecherry Studios, Treaty 6, Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon.
We Will Walk Together / Skàtne Entewathahìta (30 September 2022), McGill Campus, Montreal.
Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia’s Book Launch, (November 2022), York University (Web Article, August 28, 2023)
Collaborative Masculinities: Youth-led Indigenous-Focussed Approached to Challenge Harmful Gender Norms and Address GBV (24 February 2022) Zoom Platform.
We Will Walk Together / Skàtne Entewathahìta (30 September 2021), Zoom Platform & McGill Campus and Montreal Downtown March.
(kiskisiwin) National Truth & Reconciliation Day Smudge Walk (30 September 2021), led by Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia & Chokecherry Studios, Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon.
Creator Save the Matriarch : Official Mural Reveal (27 June 2021) Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon.
Virtual Imbizo (15 June 2021), Zoom Platform
A Conversation on Mentoring with Indigenous Girls and Young Women (25 June 2020), Zoom Platform.
More than Words in Addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence: A Dialogue on the Impact of Indigenous-focused Youth-led Engagement Through the Arts on Families and Communities (3 & 4 October 2019), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
FILMS:
Ohpikihihcik Okawiymaw Onikanewa: Raising Matriarchs (July 2021) Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon.
Sohkeyimowin: Studying the Impact on Families (2019) Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon.
EXHIBITIONS AND CREATIVE OUTPUTS:
More Than Words Trail Flyer (February 202Taking Action Together Travelling Exhibition (November 2023) Various locations in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Nunavut.
YOU(th) Inspire Newsletter (Fall 2023)
Critical Campus Tour (September 2023).
Youthfesto (May 2023)
What does “Indigenous Mentorship” Mean to You, IMPRESS Collage Zine (July 2023)
Indigenous Authorship & Youth Storytelling Zine (November 2022)
YOU(th) Inspire Newsletter (Fall 2022)
SECTION 6: THE TRAIL
MTW has produced , Walking the trail: Engaging with Indigenous youth for change, The More Than Words Trail: Foundational Elements and Promising Practices The document provides a guide for individuals or groups who wish to take up the work of engaging with young Indigenous peoples to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in their communities through artsbased methods to support survivors and their families. Building on four years of work carried out by young Indigenous peoples and adult supporters in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and Treaty 6, the traditional homelands of the Métis, Saskatoon, as part of the MTW project, the document covers the foundational elements and promising practices of the work. The document is divided into several main sections, In Section 1 MTW is introduced, focusing on the unique relationships that ground the project and the three sites of the project, highlighting the work that has taken place in each site. There are 9 foundational elements of the work:
There are six promising practices mapped out as unique components of the MTW project.
Each of the promising practices is described and the steps to begin taking up the practice are outlined. Additionally, with each promising practice, there are examples of what they have looked like in community, as well as additional documents from MTW to support implementing the promising practices, such as toolkits, reports and activity plans.
The term Trail in the title “More Than Words Trail: Foundational Elements and Promising Practices” comes from a discussion at the More Than Words Dialogue in 2018. At this event there was a conversation around the original term for this document “blueprint”. It was noted that the term “blueprint” felt imposing and colonial. In place of the blueprint, Marjorie Beaucage, a Métis tastawiyiniwak Filmmaker, cultural worker and community-based video activist, suggested creating a trail. Speaking of the trail, she evoked the imagery of trails imprinted on the land, providing us guides and directions based on where our ancestors have previously walked. The trail document hopes to provide a guide for more communities to take up similar work, empowering young Indigenous peoples and other youth to address SGBV.
Trail Sites, are communities that piloted the MTW model. Initial plans to create relationships and develop spaces in communities for Indigenous girls and young women to address issues of SGBV through arts-based methods to support survivors and their families were impacted by COVID-19. Responding to the challenge of developing those sites, the McGill University implementation team pivoted to work with previously established relationships. Resulting in two core trail sites: North Vancouver, BC and McGill University working with the IMPRESS project. .
North Vancouver is located on the shared territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in British Columbia. The North Vancouver Girls Group is an after-school group for female and femme youth in the community of North Vancouver. It was developed by Emily Booker as a blueprint site for MTW and as part of the Coady Institute’s Pathy Foundation Fellowship. Having been attached to MTW as a research assistant Emily was familiar with the MTW model, the work happening in community and connected to the network of site leaders and youth. As a blueprint site the group engaged with a number of elements from the Trail (blueprint) including the youth-group model, being youth-led, participatory visual methods, on-going and informed consent, relationships and partnerships and organic evaluation. Using More Than Words publications and guides, the group used participatory visual methods to create cellphilms, zines, body maps and other crafts. Additionally, Emily was able to attend a number of MTW events, connecting with the academic and site leaders supporting the work in Rankin Inlet, Eskasoni and Treaty 6. These connections provided critical mentoring opportunities for Emily and contributed to the success if this site.
McGill University Based- Indigenous Student Interns came to the MTW project through The Indigenous Mentorship and Paid Research Experience for Summer Students (IMPRESS). IMPRESS aims to provide Indigenous students at the early stages of their academic career with meaningful experience and skills through mentorship, training sessions and paid work. Recognizing the capacity of the implementation team to support trail sites and the implementation of the trail/ MTW model, the IMPRESS interns became a trail site for MTW. With the IMPRESS interns a number of trail elements including the youth group model (Indigenous and girl focused), participatory arts-based methods, organic evaluation, mentorship and relationships and partnerships were implemented. For example, the interns connected with the implementation team received one-on-one support, coaching and participating in various arts-based activities, modelling the foundational elements and promising practices from the MTW trail. Notably, inspired by the collage zine created by YIWU and youth from Eskasoni, the IMPRESS interns also created a collage zine workshop with 20 Indigenous mentors, and reflecting on Indigenous mentorship. They presented their experiences and a zine lesson plan at the 2023 Indspire Awards.
As a collection, this report, the midterm studying change report and the baseline studying change report reflect the various activities that took place in Treaty 6, Rankin Inlet and Eskasoni and the variety of impacts these activities had on the two generations of youth participants, their families, communities, survivors of SGBV and other individuals and groups engaged in work supporting youth to address SGBV. The reports were formulated using what we have termed the organic evaluation method developed by the MTW implementation team. Following the method of organic evaluation questions were developed reflecting the anticipated outcomes of the project. The baseline studying change report answers the questions for the first phase of the project. The midterm studying change report answers the questions for the first and second phase of the project. Finally, this report answers the questions of the second and third and final phase of the project. This section will review the outcomes of each phase, seeking to highlight the impacts and findings of MTW.
Phase 1: Art Making and Sharing
Focussing on increasing the capacity for making art and sharing it, the first phase of the project uncovered how arts-based methods create safe spaces for Indigenous girls and young women to engage with difficult topics relating SGBV in culturally safe and empowering ways. Notably, the groups explored using different artistic methods, including cellphilming, drawing, painting along sided cultural artistic methods like sewing ribbon skirts and star blankets, designing Inuit tattoos, throat singing and storytelling. Across all the methods, it was found that creating art helped to increase the confidence of the youth participants both generally and specifically as it related to addressing issues of SGBV Arts-based methods are safe spaces for Indigenous youth to explore topics relating to SGBV. Creating safe spaces for youth to engage with topics relating to SGBV is critical in working towards Indigenous youth-led work to that addresses SGBV and support survivors. Art making alongside other Indigenous youth proved to be crucial to the youth participants feelings of comfort, growing social connectedness and cultural connectedness. Artsbased method critically produces artwork that can be used to bring others into conversations around the topics of the artwork. Confidence was a key factor in the youth being able to share their work within their community and beyond. While the youth in all three sites indicated they were nervous about sharing their work to begin with encouragement from the site leaders, the academic supporters and implementation team helped the youth gain confidence. Confidence was uncovered as a critical part of sharing art and bringing community members into the conversations started by the art pieces. The process of building confidence among the youth participants in the first phase created the beginnings of relationships between the youth participants, the site leaders, the academics on the project team, project administrators and research assistants. Further findings from the first phase indicated relationships were at the core of the positive impacts of artmaking and sharing on Indigenous girls and young women, and the foundation for work addressing community specific issues of SGBV and supporting survivors and families.
The artwork created in the initial phase of the project, uncovers, and highlights how issues of SGBV in Indigenous communities are intrinsically tied to settler colonialism. The artwork created
by the youth touched on topics including food security, homelessness and mental health highlighting how these topics are both connected to SGBV and settler colonialism Further emphasizing the centrality of settler colonialism in SGBV. While the artwork exposes the role of settler colonialism in SGBV it also provided a tool for Indigenous girls and young women to speak back to settler colonialism and support survivors of SGBV. Speaking back moves beyond simply raising awareness on an issue as it calls for change in the systems and structures that create the issue, in the case of MTW those systems and structures are settler colonialism. This highlights how the artwork created in the first phase of the project was a critical tool in uncovering SGBV in communities, the on-going impacts of settler colonialism on Indigenous communities and survivors of SGBV while specifically calling for change.
Phase 2: Mentor and Leadership Training with Generation 1
The second phase of the project focused on supporting the first cohort of Indigenous girls in the project (generation 1), to become mentors and leaders for the second cohort of Indigenous girls joining the project (generation 2). During this phase of the project COVID-19 related restrictions around gathering and travelling greatly impacted planned activities. These challenges resulted in the work being put on pause in some communities and pivoting to online connections in others. At this time the university-based implementation team began to consider how they could take on increased roles and responsibilities in supporting the work in community and monitoring the projects impacts and outcomes. These challenges required creative thinking to overcome, and the solutions were possible due to the relationships formed between the implementation team and the project participants, their families and communities in phase 1. This project uncovers and provides further evidence supporting the importance of relationships in arts-based, youth-led research with Indigenous girls and young women to address issues of SGBV and support survivors and their families. Some of these pivots included the development of the organic evaluation method and the implementation team creating connections with new communities of people to become blueprint sites. Again, these pivots were possible because of relationships built by the implementation team with the participants and others in a larger network of organizations, communities and individuals working to address SGBV and support survivors.
The mentorship and leadership training in phase two followed an organic approach in all three sites. This approach to mentorship training aligns with the youth-led approach that grounds all the work of MTW and aligns with Indigenous education models. A youth-led approach to mentorship and leadership training begins with creating a safe space where leadership and mentorship is role modelled for the youth participants. This role modelling aligns with many different Indigenous education models and was a commonality between the three sites. Role models included site leaders, the academic supporters and women leaders in the community. Having seen culturally grounded examples of mentorship and leadership, the youth were able to step into mentoring and leadership roles when they felt safe and confident to do so. It was found that if given support and provided with a safe space to try taking on leadership roles and responsibilities young Indigenous women and girls will become mentors and key leaders in their communities. Further aligned with the youth-led approach in two sites, Treaty 6 and Rankin Inlet, the youth approached their site leaders and asked for more formal training in mentoring and
leadership. In Treaty 6 the formal support included the site leader inviting the generation 1 girls to participate in a planning workshop, where they reflected on their experiences starting the group and planned an activity for the generation 2 youth. In Rankin Inlet, the generation 1 youth were able to travel to Treaty 6 to connect with the mentors there. While the youth participants of MTW had been able to connect virtually, this in-person connection was critical to the knowledge sharing between generation 1 participants and between sites. The impact of the inperson connections between generation 1 youth from Rankin Inlet and Treaty 6 was the catalyst for two in person retreats for youth participants from the project in phase 3.
The mentoring and leadership training in phase 2 of the project had positive impacts of the generation 1 youth. Self-reflection from the youth as well as observations from the site leaders, academic supports and family members of the youth indicated that becoming a mentor increases youth confidence, ambition, social connection and cultural identity, strength and pride. Further, it was identified that creating safe spaces for Indigenous girls and young women to take on leadership roles within their groups fostered confidence among the participants that encouraged them to take on leadership roles within their communities. The peers, family members and community members of the generation 1 youth reported positive response to the generation 1 youth taking on greater leadership roles and responsibilities as mentors for other Indigenous girls and
young
women in their community.
Phase 3: Mentorship and Leadership in Action
Phase three of MTW focused on assessing the impacts and outcomes of generation 1 youth becoming mentors to the generation 2 youth. The evaluative questions for this phase assessed the outcomes and impacts on the generation 1 youth, the generation 2 youth and the community. Notably, during this phase the work in each community looked different, reflecting the uniqueness of the three communities involved and their specific community needs. While the art-making practices being led by generation 1 youth were different, including authoring books, creating murals, hosting cultural workshops and cellphilming, shared impacts were identified.
Being mentors had positive impacts on the generation 1 youth. In all three sites Generation 1 youth found that being mentors allowed them to support other youth in their community in learning about their cultures and becoming more engaged in issues and with topics that impact Indigenous women. This process strengthened the generation 1 youth’s cultural identity and fostered greater feelings of cultural pride. Additionally, being mentors prompted increased selfreflection among the generation 1 youth. They noted that being able to see the generation 2 youth become increasingly confident and connected to their communities, mirrored their experiences when they first joined MTW. This self-reflection fostered greater feelings of being empowered and greater confidence in supporting young people in their communities. Additionally, it was found that the opportunity to take on leadership roles within their specific groups translated to the generation 1 youth seeking out leadership opportunities outside of their groups as well.
Generation 2 youth fostered positive relationships with the generation 1 youth in all three sites. Having other Indigenous girls and young women from their community as mentors has positively impacted the generation 2 youth. Through this mentorship the generation 2 youth became increasingly confident, developed greater connections to their cultures and stronger cultural identities, increased their knowledge on topics and issues relating to SGBV, increased their ability to create art and contributed to supporting survivors in their communities. The generation 1 mentors contributed to creating safe spaces for the generation 2 youth to engage with challenging topics related to SGBV. The generation 2 youth have reflected on how appreciative they are of the generation 1 mentors and for their participation in MTW as an opportunity to learn about SGBV and what it looks like for Indigenous women in their communities. Generation 2 reflected that seeing other youth in their community take on leadership roles inspired them and provided them with a vision of how they could grow themselves. It was found that generation 2 youth benefitted from being able to engage in cultural activities alongside the generation 1 youth. Seeing other young women and girls from their communities be connected to their cultures inspired the generation 2 youth and fostered a great sense of cultural pride among both the generation 1 and 2 youth. Further generation 2 youth in all three sites have indicated desires to become mentors and leaders themselves, indicating that mentorship with Indigenous youth can create cycles of mentors and leaders and contribute to the sustainability of this work.
In all three sites, the mentorship by the generation 1 youth of the generation 2 youth positively impacted the communities where the mentorship was taking place. Notably the work found that arts-based work taking place in mentoring contexts between Indigenous youth can support survivors of SGBV and their families through raising awareness, calling for social change and increasing cultural pride and connections within communities. Community members recognized how the generation 1 youth had stepped up to support younger youth in the community and saw the positive impacts of participating in this project on both generations. Notably, the work of the generation 1 youth in phase 1 familiarized the community with arts-based methods and established a communal understanding of what the group was doing and what topics the group was engaging with. Having generation 1 and 2 youth working together contributed to greater awareness of the group and the work they were doing within their respective communities. In Treaty 6 and Rankin Inlet it was found that the mentoring practices resulted in increased artmaking capacity among community members. Community members in Treaty 6 created cellphilms on topics related to SGBV. In Rankin Inlet community members supported activities the generation 1 youth were facilitating for the generation 2 youth. In all three sites, community members engaged in conversations relating to the topics being addressed in the artwork created by the generation 1 and 2 youth.
Unexpected Outcomes and Findings
One of the benefits of the organic approach to evaluation, is that it allows evaluators to observe unexpected or unintended impacts and outcomes of specific interventions and the project as a whole. We highlight these here:
Relationships: Relationships were central to the unexpected findings and outcomes of the project. While it was not anticipated, relationships between the youth participants and the participants, their families and project staff including administrators, academics and research assistants ended up being at the core of many of the positive outcomes and impacts of the project. The close relationship that developed between the university-based implementation team, including the project principal investigator, the project administrators and project research assistants and the project participants, their families and communities, is unusual even for community based research projects. For example, generation 1 and 2 youth know well Leann Brown, the project administrator. It is unusual for participants to know who is working at the university administering the research grant but in this case the youth understand her role in supporting their work and know that Leann is cheering them on from McGill University. Further, the project uncovered how these relationships have allowed different people to step up at different times to accomplish the various tasks necessary to support working with Indigenous youth. For example, the community leaders can focus on facilitating arts-based activities for young Indigenous peoples in their community, while the McGill based implementation team can focus on evaluation and producing reports for funders. It is worth highlighting the impact on the university itself and the broader academy as a result of several conference presentation son the need for dismantling colonial structures in the university especially around practices of paying Indigenous speakers, and providing participant fees (See Outputs)This complex web of relationships had an impact on the youth participants themselves. Knowing how much support there was for their work and efforts contributed to increased feelings of confidence among the generation 1 and 2 youth as well as greater social connectedness. Findings about these relationships also uncovered that youth participants were more comfortable to share the work they were doing as well as personal reflections on the impacts of participating on the work with the project implementation team. This resulted in richer data from field work and greater buy in from participants to participate in various activities and engage evaluative work. It was found that relationships founded on trust between participants and the project implementation team resulted in increased positive impacts on the participants and overall richer outcomes from the project intervention.
Youth-to-youth connections Another unexpected finding from this research related to relationships was the importance and value of connecting Indigenous girls and young women with other Indigenous youth doing similar work in different communities to address SGBV and support survivors. Bringing the youth participants from MTW together in person highlighted how critical connections between Indigenous youth are for work addressing SGBV. MTW was able to create a network of young Indigenous peoples, primarily Indigenous girls and young women alongside a few Indigenous men, from different communities and cultural backgrounds, all committed to making their communities safer spaces for survivors, their families and other Indigenous youth. Creating spaces for Indigenous youth to connect with each other in person is essential in supporting them and their work addressing community issues and calling for change. Connections between Indigenous youth create opportunities to learn about how other youth are addressing similar or different social issues in their communities. Additionally, these connections let Indigenous youth know they are not alone and create strong social networks that can contribute to increased motivation, confidence, and a greater sense of community. While there
had been opportunities for the youth from the different communities to connect virtually at MTW events and collaborate on projects, like the the Imbizo (gathering) during Covid, and Circle Back book , in person connections had more significant impacts. MTW uncovered that the ability for Indigenous girls and young women to create change and support survivors within their own communities is linked to their connections with other young Indigenous peoples doing similar work in other communities.
Indigenous youth and authoring: Finally we want to highlight the various ways that the girls and young women attached to MTW have been establishing themselves as authors. (See also MTW Outputs) Over the life of MTW, they have published several collections including Out of Darkness, Circle Back, and there are several other collections that will be released soon (Affirmations from Eskasoni youth, and a collection from Get Art in Rankin Inlet) Youth at all sites have contributed or led book chapters (some of which are currently in press) and youth from Treaty 6 have also published several peer reviewed articles in academic journals. Youth from all three sites have been part of academic conference presentations including one international conference. It is not easy to measure the impact on either the youth themselves or the audiences they are reaching, but this work is a good example of an unexpected type of leadership-in-action.
Conclusion
Assessing the final outcomes and impact of More Than Words uncovers, how four years of work with Indigenous youth in Eskasoni, Rankin Inlet and Treaty 6 has critically filled gaps in empowering young Indigenous peoples using arts-based methods to address community specific issues of SGBV to support survivors and their families. Each phase of the project uncovers how participating in this project supported generations of young Indigenous peoples developing leadership skills, mentoring skills, increased confidence, greater social connections with other Indigenous youth, increased cultural connections and cultural pride, increased artistic skills and knowledge and greater awareness of topics and issues relating to SGBV. While there were barriers such as COVID-19 to executing the project as originally planned, , having to pivot prompted the implementation team to creatively respond to supporting Indigenous youth-led work. These creative responses, including the development of the organic evaluation method, added to the depth of the project and expanded the project impacts and outcomes. Notably, these creative responses uncovered the importance of relationships between academics, researchers and project administrators and the youth, families and communities participating. At the core of MTW is a complex web of relationships resulting in richer data from the field work and deeper understandings of the impacts and outcomes of the research interventions. Critically, MTW has uncovered the importance of nurturing and building the relationships that are foundational to the work of supporting young Indigenous peoples. Thanks to the fundamental belief in young Indigenous peoples to lead change in their communities, out of MTW comes a cohort of Indigenous youth-leaders from communities across Turtle Island who are prepared and passionate about supporting other young people in their community to continue addressing issues of SGBV and supporting survivors