VOLUME 2 FALL 2023
YOU(TH) INSPIRE
IN THIS ISSUE: Updates from the sites! Youth Publications! And more!
VOLUME 2 FALL 2023
WHAT'S INSIDE?
P2
Words From The Editors
P3-8
Youth Group News
P9-13
Summer Internships
P14
Updates From Friends
P15-17 P18
MTW & P2E Coming Together Orange Shirt Day
P19-20
Book Spotlights
P21
New from MTW
P22
Coming Soon
P23
Connect & Contribute
P24
Thank You’s
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VOLUME 2 FALL 2023
Hannah Battiste Kwe’ I’m Hannah Battiste, a young Mi’kmaq poet, living in Eskasoni First Nation. I am 26 years old, and I’ve been working on many research youth projects for the past 11 years. I love what I do, and I love the youth that I get to see and learn from. Being asked to be the editor of this edition of You(th) Inspire kind of scared me. I felt as if I wasn’t going to be good enough. That I was going to say yes and my words weren’t going to be “inspirational enough.” Then, when I read over everything that is happening across all the sites, what all these youth are doing, it made me feel better because once again, I get to be a part of this. Being a part of these projects, even if we are miles and miles away from each other, makes you feel welcomed, loved, free, and inspired. The confidence you gain from being heard is a wonderful and empowering feeling. All the negative words that your head tells you, just almost float away, and are replaced with positive ones. When I first became a youth researcher, I had no confidence or friends. Then that changed so quickly, and I started to believe in myself. Not only that, the other youth I worked with believed in me. I wanted to be a writer my whole life and being a part of this and other research projects has made that dream come true. A lot of us working on these projects are making our dreams come true. I believe in all the youth who have contributed to the work reflected in this issue so much because of the change they are making, all the voices they speak for, and all the things they are accomplishing. And just because someone said, “I believe in you!” Eventually, that message turned into “I believe in myself.” When I look at this newsletter, it inspires me to become something greater than myself. Everything from the words to the design of the pages. It feels welcoming. My hope for the youth that are reading this — please believe in yourself! Believe in change, believe in love, and believe in light. Not everything has to always be in black and white; change can be gradual and multicoloured. I’m proud of my youth researcher colleagues for making change, and I am honoured to be a part of this work. My experience has been a great one, and taking on these opportunities has saved my life more times than I can count.
Our heartfelt gratitude to Hannah and all the youth who have worked on, and been featured in, this newsletter. Special thanks to summer interns; Ines Amigorena, Ananya Ramchandani, Sam Nepton, Margaret MacKenzie and mentor, Emilee Bews, for their contributionss.
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YOUTH GROUP NEWS
TREATY 6
Young Indigenous Women's Utopia TANSI/TAANISHII FROM THE HEARTLAND OF THE METIS!
The Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia Book Launch and Workshops at York University! On November 24th 2022, Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia (YIWU) travelled from Treaty 6, Traditional homeland of the Métis (Saskatoon) to Tkaronto, of the Mississaugas of theCredit First Nation treaty. YIWU visited York University for a fun-filled day of artmaking, interactive workshops and sharing food in celebration of the official launch of their newly released book, Kîyânaw Ocêpihk. In addition to the debut of their book, YIWU conducted interactive workshops. At the start of the day, YIWU co-presented alongside Emily Booker, “Authorship and Storytelling: What does it mean to us?” an interactive workshop that guided participants in reflecting on the process of Indigenous storytelling and authorship through a creative collage-making activity. After the workshop, Emily assembled the collage work into a beautiful Zine that combines the reflections of the group. Check it out HERE!
Scenes from the Zine workshop at the YIWU book launch at York University.
To enlighten participants on ribbon skirt teachings and meanings, YIWU also conducted a workshop on “Ribbon skirts & Resistance” where participants were given an opportunity to make their own mini ribbon skirts to exhibit in a ZigZag gallery as a way to honor the power, resistance and resilience of Indigenous women and girls. The YIWU girl’s group uses ceremony, culture and artistic activism to combat gender-based and colonial violence. Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, YIWU worked with Zachary Mandamin to create a collection of their essays and photographs. The collection of stories, the centre of Mandamin’s undergraduate thesis, debuted at the book launch. Kîyânaw Ocêpihk, written with the words and filled with the photos shared by YIWU that record the lives of Indigenous girls from their community, in their own voices. At York University, YIWU second gen presented their book and what it means to challenge gender-based and colonial violence through culture, ceremony, storytelling, and the arts
Email YIWUtopia@gmail.com for more info or purchase the book HERE!
YIWU Generation2 yout present at York University
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YOUTH GROUP
TREATY 6
NEWS
Young Indigenous Women's Utopia YOUTH ADVOCACY ON THE ROAD!
We are delighted to share what YIWU Generation 1 has been up to this past year! National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth - November 23rd to 25th, Ottawa Cousins and YIWU members, Gabby and Andie Daniels attended the National Indigenous Gathering: Strategy Sharing for Reconciliation with Children and Youth from November 23rd to 25th in Unceded Algonquin Territory (Ottawa). On behalf of Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, Andie and Gabby worked with other Indigenous youth groups to discuss the need to implement TRC Call to Action 66 and took a Reconciling History Tour through downtown Ottawa. They took the opportunity to learn more about the role of non-Indigenous peoples and the federal government in residential schools. They plan to use these learnings to address contemporary injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples in their home communities, to support each other and organize themselves in protecting and furthering indigenous rights and cultures.
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, New York YIWU youth leaders, Gabby Daniels and Kalan Cree Kakum Mckay, have been part of collaborations with A7G (Assembly of 7 Generations), an Indigenous youth-led and grassroots-driven NGO. They have assisted with the launch of the ‘Labour of Love’ report that highlights the unpaid and exploited labour of grassroots and community-based Indigenous youth groups. From the 17th to the 28th of April 2023, Gabby and Kalan joined A7G and other Indigenous youth groups from across socalled-Canada in addressing the twenty-second session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York. On April 17th, 2023, A7G launched the report “A Labour of Love”, highlighting the underfunded grassroots and community work of 10 Indigenous youth groups. This report aims to pressure the Canadian federal government to ethically implement TRC Call to Action 66. Initiatives for Indigenous youth are heavily underfunded, understaffed, and underpaid, directly impacting Indigenous youth receiving financial support, resources and services. TRC Call to Action 66 urges the federal government to provide multi-year funding for community-based youth organisations to deliver programs to other youth.
During their trip to New York, Gabby and Kalan had the opportunity of representing Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia in introducing the Labour of Love Report at a special side event prior to the UN Panel. Take a look at these news articles from CBC and the National Observer featuring YIWU’s collaboration with A7G at the UN in New York!
Youth Spotlight: Kalan Cree Kakum McCay During her trip to New York to take part in the UNPFII, Kalan was featured in the news performing a jingle dance in Times Square. Dancing for the Kahkewistahaw First Nation in Times Square makes Kalan an her community proud! Kalan’s recent graduation as a cadet with Saskatoon’s Fire Department is another recent moment for celebration!! Kalan IS fire!
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T R E A T Y 6 YOUTH GROUP NEWS
Chokecherry Studios: Boys Group Butterfly Effect Album Launch
Walk for MMIWG2S
Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the guy’s group in Treaty 6 at Chokecherry Studios has been thriving! By the end of the summer programming seven of the guy’s group members had recorded tracks as part of a collective album. The album was released in the Fall of at an event and showcase at PAVED Art, an artist-run centre with exhibition and production space in Saskatoon. The Chokecherry guy’s group artists performed at the event under their stage names; Dr. Unpublished, K.$TONE, Nate Mack, Kenoshi77, The Dreamer, Pre$$ure and The Original Aboriginal. They titled their album ‘The Butterfly Effect’ and referred to themselves as The Butterfly Effect Collective.
In the spring members of the guy’s group attended a walk for MMIWG in Saskatoon. The walk was supporting Lindsey Bishop and Krista Fox on their cross-Canada walk to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ (MMIWG2S) families. In 2020 Lindsey Bishop’s sister was reported missing in Saskatoon and Krista Fox’s niece was last seen in North Battleford in 2018. Members of the guy’s group were keen to participate in the event and listened closely as different speakers spoke about MMIWG2S. After the event they shared their experiences and noted how important this work is.
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T R E A T Y 6 YOUTH GROUP NEWS
In mid-March, Emily Booker, Leann Brown and Moe Green connected with Delano Kennedy at ChokeCherry Studios in Treaty 6 (Saskatoon) for a weekend of GuysWork and cellphiming. On the Saturday, youth spent the morning working with Moe as part of GuysWork, talking about healthy masculinities, positive role models and more. In the afternoon youth moved into a cellphilming workshop; learning about what a cellphilm is and how to create one before creating cellphilms on the topic of what from the pandemic has stayed with them. We reconvened on the Sunday and spent the morning watching and discussing the cellphilms that had been created the day before. The cellphilms featured stories of catching covid, having to isolate from friends and parents and the challenges of “picking up” and continue life like normal when the restrictions dropped. When asked who they thought should see the cellphilms, the youth noted that people in the community with the capacity to make change: teachers, principals and city councillors, should see how young people experienced and are still experiencing the pandemic. After the cellphilming screening we ate lunch before the youth moved back into GuysWork with Moe. The second day of GuysWorks addressed more important topics while prompting self-reflection. As we wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, youth were excited about the cellphilms they created and keen to have Moe come back for another session of GuysWork in the near future.
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YOUTH
Eskasoni
GROUP NEWS
Out of Darkness By Hannah Battiste Since the 2022 release of Out Of Darkness: A poetic journey through trauma, Hannah Battiste, the author, has had a chance to share her poetry across Turtle Island! The book was officially launched in Eskasoni on October 28th, 2022. Community members came to support Hannah at the book launch and APTN was even there! The launch was such a success, Hannah’ completely sold out of books. In November 2022, Hannah joined Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia at York University to celebrate their book KÎYÂNAW OCÊPIHK’s launch! Hannah took the stage introducing herself, her writing process and her book before reading a poem. She noted how special it was to be sharing the stage and experience of publishing books with YIWU. Attendees were in awe of her generosity and honesty words. During the More Than Word’s Spring Retreat Community Connection event, folks from around McGill University and beyond were lucky to hear from Hannah as she volunteered to share a poem. Hannah introduced herself before reading a poem from the book. Many of those attending the event walked out with a copy of Hannah’s book eager to read the other poems. Check out Hannah’s APNT feature here and listen to her read a poem.
Coming Soon: THE WAY FORWARD THE WAY FORWARD: Conversations about Healthy Masculinity is a toolkit for young men aged 20 to 33 years old. The toolkit seeks to support connecting with men in early adulthood, a need identified by Eskasoni Mental Health. The toolkit has been adapted from Moe Greene’s toolkit “The Way Forward: Conversations with
Young Men About Masculinity and Alochol” and the Way Forward Program, implemented in Saskatchewan by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute. The adaptation for the program has its roots in the research projects Spaces & Places, Networks 4 Change and Pathways2Equity. These research projects have highlighted the importance of cultural connections, healthy relationships, positive role models for young men and following the seven sacred teachings. Hear directly from two young men who helped produce the toolkit here.
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Rankin Inlet
YOUTH GROUP NEWS
Congratulations Julia! On June 5, 2023 Julia Ussak, from GET Art in Rankin Inlet, graduated secondary school. Julia has been one of the core members of GET Art, acting as mentor to younger girls in the group and boys in the new group BET Art. Julia is heading to Trois Riviere, QC, this summer for a French immersion program. Emily connected with Julia to chat about graduating and what is next for her!
Emily: Can you tell me about your graduation day/ graduation celebration? Julia: I was so nervous I woke up a bit late and we were getting ready in my favourite teacher’s class, I was straightening my best friend’s hair. when everyone was ready all the girls were in the washroom taking some pictures, when it was time to get on the stage we started lining up and I was second last in line, when the music started playing I started to tear up. When I was almost up on the stage I saw my parents in the front row, the whole graduation ceremony I was crying thinking about all the memories and people who couldn't be there. Emily: What was the highlight of the day for you? Julia: The highlight of my graduation day was actually my grad dinner. Right before we cleaned up my mom gave me my grad gift and It was a diamond necklace and the card said "no matter how far you are we will always love you and we will always be here for you" I started to cry again. Emily: Do you have a favourite memory from high school? Julia: I don't really have a favourite memory from high school but my friends always made it easier for me. Emily: What is next for you now that you have graduated? Julia: I'm going to college in September after my friends' graduation. I'm going to Algonquin College and I'm going to take the Esthetician program.
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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS Carina, Margaret & Sam This year, the Indigenous Mentorship and Paid Research Experience for Summer Students (IMPRESS) welcomed a group of 29 students to participate as interns in various research projects happening around McGill. We have students from 9 universities across Turtle Island working in various labs here in Montreal. Over the course of the 8 week period, we participated in 15 hours of research with our labs, including meetings with our mentors and our professors, as well as weekly workshops with the rest of the IMPRESS team. These workshops included professional development seminars, land-based and Indigenous research methodology sessions, arts and athletic activities (#LacrossePros), and a trip out to Kahnawake to celebrate the Echos of a Proud Nation Powwow. One of my favourite things about the program was getting outside as much as possible. Although when we think of “research internships”, especially in a university context (and in a time where we’re still very much functioning remotely), spending time outdoors is not typically prioritized. Despite some rainy and smoggy days, we enjoyed as much time as possible learning in and from nature. One of the most fun activities we got to experience was making our own bowls out in Kahnawake. We learned how to make the fire, chop the wood, and use the burning coals and rocks to burn our bowls. For me the biggest takeaway was being able to live in the moment and focus on the task at hand.
As we neared the end of our summer, the IMPRESS interns got to participate in all together was the creation of our very own collage Zine. The guiding thought for our Zine was the question, What does Indigenous Mentorship mean/look like to you? The activity, which had been such a success with the youth at the retreat in May, was so engaging. It allowed us all to really explore and reflect on what we learned from our mentors, supervisors, and one another. The collage making itself was a really nice way for us to bring meaning to every element of our reflections. We’re so excited to see what the final Zine looks like! Time went by too quickly for our program, which for most of us is coming to an end the last week of July, but the lessons we’ve learned and connections that we’ve made will hopefully last much longer.
Margaret, Carina, Emilee & Sam
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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS Critical Campus Tour Margaret MacKenzie & Emilee Bews
A critical tour invites community members to critically and consciously engage with their surroundings. The Critical Campus Tour at McGill University investigates various sites through a truthseeking and anti-colonial lens, paying attention to the diverse stories that exist throughout the campus. This initiative is important as incomplete knowledge of institutional histories can lead to further oppressive values and actions against traditionally marginalized groups. McGill’s Critical Campus Tour is an opportunity to engage with and scrutinize the sites and monuments that might seem mundane but stand to teach us about the complexities of historical and ongoing colonial violence against Indigenous peoples. This tour was first given in May of 2023 as part of the More Than Words Retreat to help the group situate themselves on campus and contextualize the histories that have shaped the land we now call McGill University. While debriefing with colleagues, we acknowledged the inherent weight behind a tour of this nature. In particular, we identified difficulties discussing unmarked graves, among other sensitive topics, with a group of Indigenous youth. While all the information included in the tour is publicly accessible, we recognize our responsibility as facilitators to ensure it is delivered with care and consideration for our audiences. We addressed these concerns, amending any potentially triggering language or phrasing to mitigate potential (unintended) harm throughout the tour. Although navigating and presenting such subjects can be challenging and, at times, uncomfortable, it is a necessary step toward education and reconciliation.
With this goal of education and reconciliation in mind, the tour has grown to inspire other projects within the McGill community. The Indigenizing McGill Campus Tour expands on the Critical Campus Tour to highlight additional points of interest around McGill’s campus for prospective Indigenous students. Collaborators found it valuable to highlight the existing work being done by Indigenous students and faculty, who are dedicated to decolonizing this space in addition to critical engagement. While this iteration of the tour is still under development, we hope it will encourage community members to think critically of the institution while recognizing and celebrating the work of the Indigenous community at McGill. The valuable knowledge and experience gained from the Critical Campus Tour have set the precedent for future projects to continue working through a truth-seeking and anti-colonial lens.
McGill’s Critical Campus Tour is available to explore virtually! Scan the QR code!
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SUMMER INTERNSHIPS HOW-TO: Create Your Own Critical Campus Tour
Margaret MacKenzie
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Position Yourself Ask yourself: Where are you? Where are you from? Whose land are you on? How do we benefit from what’s offered here? Who are you making this for? (i.e. Indigenous Peoples, settlers, etc.) Who do you want to highlight? And why?
Research what is being highlighted in your area Consider notable spaces, locations, and artifacts. What historical information can you find about the area? You can often refer to a Nation’s website for further resources. Who’s talking about these spaces in the area? Why are these specific spaces being talked about? Be aware and be critical of where you are getting information.
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Convey new information about the space Pick your stops. Map out your route. Create a guide to help highlight key points of information. Consider questions you might ask participants, prompting them to think critically throughout the tour. Provide additional resources for participants to do their own research.
MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE!
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INTERN SPOTLIGHT! Margaret MacKenzie I am an IMPRESS intern who recently graduated from the faculty of Education. I am so grateful to be in the PLC lab for my first research internship experience. Everyone in the lab has been welcoming and supportive, and I appreciate this opportunity to contribute and learn. Most of my time here has been spent creating additional resources for the Critical Campus Tour that was first given during the More than Words retreat. Through this work, I have deepened my knowledge and understanding of McGill's colonial past and the effect it continues to have today. Although, at times, it was painful to learn about the horrific realities of McGill's history, part of this research was to include and highlight the brilliant and transformative work being done by Indigenous students. Recognizing and highlighting this work and its impact on campus is important to the ongoing work towards reconciliation. I have created an online interactive version of the tour that I hope wiAll make this information accessible to the broader McGill community as part of facilitating a deeper understanding of the effects of colonialism. In addition, I created a "how-to" guide for other universities and institutions to use as a tool to investigate the spaces they occupy. Working on this project has helped improve my skills in critically analyzing perspectives and questioning information sources.
When understanding the history of monuments around a campus, reading information can be presented by numerous points of view, in this case, the white male settler, or the Indigenous peoples. In collaboration with Emilee Bews, we worked to ensure the tour information is presented respectfully and sensitively. In the coming weeks, I am looking forward to sharing a version of this tour that we have created with the IMPRESS interns.
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INTERN SPOTLIGHT! Ines Amigorena As a McGill student who, like many, doesn’t walk up the steep hill our campus is propped against unless it’s absolutely necessary, I had never known that there was a little beige brick house hid between the trees behind the imposing Education Building until I was invited to More Than Words’ “community connections” event on May 2nd, 2023. After this incredible event (which I would find out embodied everything that makes MTW what it is), I continued going up the hill and into the house a few days a week for the following months. Everytime I walk into the “Coach House”, sweaty from the hike no matter the weather, and climb the stairs to the second floor, I am immediately hit by the fierce and passionate nature of the space. It is conveyed by artwork, posters, and messages hung on the walls or memorabilia and publications displayed on tables. The personal and joyful work of the Participatory Cultures Lab is well-embodied by this homey space filled with quirky mugs and glasses and mismatched chairs and tables. As much as the space itself conveys the spirit of the PCL and MTW, it is the people there that give it its contagious liveliness. The furthest thing from feeling like an office, the house is most often filled with conversation and laughter, coworkers and friends sharing meals, or just checking in with each other before “getting down to business” at the beginning of a meeting. Claudia, Leann, Angela, Rami and many others cultivate a culture of kindness, mindfulness, and support, where, as an intern, I have felt cared for, comfortable asking the most basic of questions and clarifications, and valued both for my working and as a person, whether I was working in person or remotely.
As the PCL and MTW left their home of !! years for a skyscraper downhill this summer, there was an undeniable emotion mustered by having to pack up many years of work, creations, and moments shared into boxes and seeing the walls of a space once exploding with colours and shapes so bare. In a university atmosphere that can feel so impersonal and where it is easy for one to feel lost and overwhelmed by academia and living on your own for the first time, I will be eternally grateful to have discovered and been welcomed into such a warm, positive, and thoughtful environment, if only for a couple of months. It is an experience I will carry with me and cherish for many years to come. While I am certain that this incredible group of people will manage to recreate the magic of PCL in a new space, I also feel it is fair to say there is no place quite like the little house up the hill, hidden at 3715 rue Peel.
2023 PCL summer Interns & staff
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UPDATES: FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Guys Work in Treaty 6 & Eskasoni
Moe Greene
GuysWork, a program that started in Nova Scotia in 2012, brings together male facilitators with a group of adolescent boys to talk about a range of issues from health care, mental health resources, intimate partner violence and keys to healthy relationships. It is a safe space for boys and young men to talk about and address toxic masculinity. In March 2023, Moe Green, the founder of GuysWork, visited Chokecherry Studios in Treaty 6 to host a second GuysWork workshop. The first worked with boys and young men in Treaty 6 in the summer of 2022 as part of the Pathways2Equity Boy’s Group. The second workshop took place in conjunction with a cellphilm making workshop hosted by Emily Booker.
CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks
Emily Booker
In December 2022, I joined CAAN, Communities, Alliances & Networks as a Research Coordinator. I am working on a project that is a global partnership between Canada, Guatemala, India, New Zealand, Nepal, Nigeria, and Peru. The project has the aims of advancing the 2017 WHO consolidated guideline on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Women Living with HIV. This work is timely as Indigenous peoples are overrepresented in new HIV cases in Canada, this is particularly true for Indigenous women. In 2018 Indigenous women represented 40% of new HIV infections among Canadian females and in 2020 almost onethird of new HIV infections in Indigenous people were among Indigenous women. The project is being guided by an Elder, Sharp Dopler and a Community Advisory Council of 10 Indigenous peoples living with HIV. Currently, the research team is finishing up a literature review and prepping questions to be asked in Sharing Circles with Indigenous women living with HIV which will take place across Canada. In July 2023, as part of my work with CAAN, I had the opportunity to participate in McMaster University’s Feast Centres’ Inuit Illiquhii Land-based Retreat, a week-long land-based retreat in Cambridge Bay Nunavut. I joined six researchers in Cambridge Bay to spend a week with knowledge holders and Elders. During the week we spent time on the land, visiting rivers and fishing cabins while listening to the Elders talk about their experiences growing up in the North, their cultures and hopes for the future. The week moved by at a visiting pace, as we spent lots of time chatting and getting to know one another. It was such a special week!
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MTW & PATHWAYS 2 EQUITY COMING TOGETHER
n the third and last day of the retreat, remembering the Girlfesto that was created at the Networks4Change retreat in 2018, we gathered as youth and adult supporters to create a ‘Youthfesto’ which would reflect the beliefs, aspirations, and dreams associated with More Than Words and the work done over the last four years. A youthfesto is a declaration of demands, recommendations and commitments that arises from the work of youth and youth groups. It is best developed at the conclusion of a group’s work together on the short or long term to reflect the discussions that took place during preceding activities. It is developed collaboratively, the participants are often youth who have been involved in previous knowledge-building activities together.
We moved around the room reading each flip chart, adding post-it notes of different ideas, calls to actions, dreams, commitments and more. We gathered together to read each flip chart and see what connections existed between the calls to actions, the conversations we have had over the last two days and the art we had created. We agreed the next steps were to create a draft Youthfesto from the activity to share with everyone. This was a great opportunity to reflect on the work that we have done together over the last years in the context of More Than Words, and what this work stands for and means. On an individual level, we got to reflect on and express our dreams, desires, frustrations, and what is needed to address those.
Before the beginning of the activity, we set up the room in a gallery style, showcasing different publications, artwork, and other productions created by the folks present. We encouraged everyone to go around the room to take stock of all the work done and what it stands for. We hung up flipchart paper with the following prompts or calls to action:
Read the Youthfesto here!
Our Vision is …. To Realize This Vision We Need To…. We Urge Stakeholders To…. As Youth We Commit To… As Adults We Commit To…
Learn how to create a Youthfesto here!
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MTW & PATHWAYS 2 EQUITY COMING TOGETHER
t the event Attendees a
Haily May & Julia throat singing
Attendees enjoy pe rformances by youth
On the final day of the MTW Spring retreat, individuals from the McGill and Montreal community were invited to join us for celebratory lunch. We all came together to celebrate the incredible work that the youth from MTWs have done! We celebrated the work from MTW with Hailey and Julia throat singing, Hannah reading from her poetry book, Andie reading from the first YIWU book, Zac, Andie, Harmony and Melody reading from the second YIWU book and Nichelle reading from the Healing With the Seven Sacred Teachings colouring book. It was very special for everyone in attendance to hear directly from the youth themselves and to be able to see the positive impact of MTW! As the event was wrapping up, many people were approaching us all to let us know how happy they were to have attended, how inspired they were to do future work and how much they were looking forward to seeing what the youth involved with MTW would do next!
Youth from across the project gather for a photo
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MTW & PATHWAYS 2 EQUITY COMING TOGETHER
On November 25, 2022 we gathered at York University in Treaty 13 territory/ Tkaronto to celebrate the launch of Young Indigenous Women's Utopia's second book: KÎYÂNAW OCÊPIHK and the publication of Hannah Battiste's, from Eskasoni First Nation, poetry book Out of Darkness. Before the book launches the girls and young women in Young Indigenous Women's Utopia, their aunties, supporters and youth from Eskasoni and allies came together for a collage and zine-making workshop. The workshop started by talking about the tradition and history of zines. For a long time zines have been tools for marginalized communities to reclaim their narratives and make information accessible. Next, there was a discussion on authorship and storytelling. Building on this discussion, each person created a collage, finding images and words from magazines and putting them together to answer the question: What does it mean to be an author or storyteller ? With this prompt in mind and music playing, youth started flipping through magazines, looking for images and words that spoke to them. We made sure that there were magazines with Indigenous representation available. There was also a Polaroid camera and the youth were encouraged to take pictures of themselves or each other to add directly to their collages. The collages were compiled together to create: Authorship & Storytelling: Collage Zine
Read the Zine here!
Learn how to make your own collage zine here!
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National Day Of Truth And Reconciliation Orange Shirt Day Critical Campus Tours On September 29, 2023 the McGill University Education Department hosted the 5th annual Skátne Entewathahíta – We Will Walk Together event for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. As part of the event, students, faculty and community members were invited to participate in Critical Campus tours. Tour participants were broken up into three small groups that were led by Margaret Mackenzie, a member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia, her sister Rachel Mackenzie, who is also a member of the Métis Nations of British Columbia and Sam Nepton, who is Innu. The three leaders took their groups around campus, stopping at different sites to have discussions about the First Nations villages that existed where the University is located, the history of the University and the man it is named after and to consider what could be done to engage the community on campus with these topics. The tours finished with a collective sharing circle where the participants shared what they had learned, with many of them commenting on how grateful they were to have the opportunity to participate. .
“If our society wants to move forward and really get towards reconciliation, it starts within our schools. t’s so important to have children understand the impacts of residential schools, and ongoing colonial violence that’s happening today. For educators to be aware of this and to educate themselves before educating others is really important.” - Margaret Macknezi
The event and tour were featured in an article by the on-campus newspaper “The Tribune”. You can read the article here.
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BOOK SPOTLIGHTS leave some for the birds by Marjorie Beaucage Marjorie Beaucage is a Two-Spirit Métis Auntie, filmmaker, art-ivist and educator, a land protector and a water walker. She has spent her life creating social change and giving people the tools for creating possibilities and right relations. By being Board Member of Chokecherry Studios and supporting the work of YIWU in Treaty 6, she is giving back to youth from her community as they stand up for themselves and their community through creating art, music, and writing. Leave some for the birds is a journal-memoir collection filled with poems and poetic observations, unfolding the experiences and wisdom of a woman who has dedicated much of her life and talent to creating social change. The book is part reflection on a life dedicated to justice and equity and part manual for younger activists who wish to follow in the author’s footsteps. You can purchase the book here!
Killing the Wittigo by Suzanne Methot Suzanne Methot is a Nehiyaw writer who has worked in the nonprofit sector as a project collaborator. Killing the Wittigo is written for Indigenous young people, reluctant readers, and literacy learners. It includes grounding exercises and challenging questions and provides a context to help youth move beyond trauma. The book includes song lyrics, bold graphics and illustrations and stories told to the author by young people who have started their own journeys of healing and change. It also details the transformative work being done through community-led projects and agencies and Indigenous-run institutions. Killing the Wittigo offers concrete examples of the ways in which Indigenous peoples and communities are capable of healing in small and big ways. “When kids come to the book, I want them to see them, their families, see their own goals or aspirations, and I want them to know that other young people are doing this work as well. You’re not alone.” You can purchase Killing the Wittigo here!
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BOOK SPOTLIGHTS Kîyânaw Ocêpihk by YIWU
Over the course of the pandemic, YIWU girls worked with Zachary Mandamin to gather and archive their photographs, essays, reflections, project learnings and conversations. Zachary is an Anishinaabe Two-Spirit student from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. They curated these offerings into an edited volume that also featured letters, stories and teachings from supporting Indigenous elders and aunties. It was beautifully graphically designed by Gabrielle Giroud. KÎYÂNAW OCÊPIHK was first launched in Saskatoon at a large community celebration, then at York University in Toronto. “The stories contained within are a fearless declaration that Indigenous girls belong to ourselves and no one else. Despite everything this world has tried to take away from us, we are reclaiming it all and then some. We are coming for every single, gorgeous moment of life that our ancestors were denied. You are holding in your hands a collection of stories to guide us from the past into the future.” You can purchase it here!
Out of Darkness By Hannah Battiste Hannah Battiste is a Mi’kmaw poet and artist from Eskasoni, Unama’ki. In her book of poems, Out of Darkness, she shares poems that lyrically detail her experiences as she became empowered to take her life back after suffering abuse and trauma. Hannah explores her traumatic childhood experiences, those who inspired her and helped shape her self-image, and her subsequent determination to find her true self and realize healing. Included are helpful writing and drawing prompts for others to use while on their own journeys to personal growth and healing. “It’s about a girl that’s trapped underneath these barbed wires and not being able to reach over and to reach the light, but all along she was able to do it because she was the light, she was the inner light.” You can purchase it here!
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New from MTW Looking at Change in Community-Based Research: An Organic Approach Looking at Change in Community-Based Research: An Organic Approach is a new briefing paper introducing the method of organic evaluation. This method of evaluation comes out of doing research as part of the More Than Words project in 2020. During this time, priorities in the communities shifted and the research team had to think critically and creatively about how to best go about continuing research and evaluation. Ultimately, the research team found that the method of organic evaluation facilitated meaningful community engagement by removing barriers to participation, making it an ongoing evaluation practice for the project. 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. With this in mind, organic evaluation is a community-centered approach to evaluation that aims to reduce some of the burdens that are often inherent in traditional evaluative methods and participating in research.
Click the cover to see the briefing paper!
The briefing paper introduces the concept of organic evaluation, firstly situating the evaluation method in the More Than Words research project, then highlighting ethical considerations for evaluating communitybased research before providing the steps necessary to implement organic evaluation in your own work.
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Coming Soon MTW’s Trail of Promising Practices Later this year, we will be launching our Trail of Promising Practices, a presentation of the foundational elements and methods developed over four years of work done by young people and adult supporters in Eskasoni (Nova Scotia), Rankin Inlet (Nunavut), and Treaty 6, the traditional homelands of the Métis (Saskatoon) as part of the More Than Words project. The purpose is to make it easier to adapt the different elements and promising practices to better fit specific cultural contexts and communities where they are being implemented.
The trail is also made up of four core practices that have contributed to the success of the project and can be taken up by others doing community-based work to empower youth and support survivors of SGBV and their families. These are the youth-group model; participatory and arts-based methods; youth mentorship, leadership, and auntyship; and on-going evaluation and monitoring. The practices suggested by the trail situate the power with youth participants, put their needs and interests first, and give them the opportunity to create change in communities and with stakeholders.
The trail represents the core beliefs and results of the research of More Than Words in answer to the question: "What makes community-based research to address GBV meaningful and effective?" We use the imagery of a trail because in the words of Marjorie Beaucage, it evokes trails imprinted on the land, providing us guides and directions based on where our ancestors have previously walked. Each element and practice can be adapted to be culturally and community relevant wherever they are applied. It is important that ethical considerations are addressed at each step of the work. The two foundational elements of the trail, which guide the work from the beginning and are implemented throughout the project, ensuring the work is staying on a good path, are that the work is youth-led and indigenous and girl focused and that on-going and informed consent is maintained throughout. We intend for this document to provide a guide and package of tools for individuals or groups who wish to take up the work of empowering young people to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in their communities through arts-based methods. The toolkit will contain a description of each element, stepby-step guides to getting started with each of the components that constitute the trail, as well as examples of how they have been implemented in the context of MTW.
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CONNECT & CONTRIBUTE Connect with us on social media for project updates and upcoming events!
Contribute to future newsletters!
Check our the project website for project updates, recent publications and more!
We are looking for youth to be the editors of future newsletters. You can also have your poetry, art, design and more featured in the newsletter.
Follow us on issuu.com for recent publications!
Email Leann to learn more!
leann.brown@mcgill.ca
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Thank You! Implementation Team:
Girls Expressing Themselves Through Art (GET ART) Break The Silence, Be The Change Young Indigenous Women's Utopia (YIWU) Jennifer Altenberg, YIWU Jennica Alhda Barcial, GET ART Leann Brown, McGill University Emily Booker, Consultant Grace Skahan, McGill University Claudia Mitchell, McGill University (Lead PI) Sarah Flicker, York University (Co-PI) Linda Liebenberg, Dalhousie University (Co-PI) Marnina Gonick, Mount Saint Vincent University (Co-PI
Partners:
CONTACT US:
Claudia Mitchell, Project Director claudia.mitchell@mcgill.ca Leann Brown, Project Coordinator leann.brown@mcgill.ca mcgill.ca/morethanwords
@mtw_p2e
@MTWP2E @MTW_P2E Thanks to Leann Brown & Emily Booker for their work on this production.