From L to R, Violet Chum, Jocelyn Formsma and Catherine Cheechoo, in Whitefish Bay First Nation

Meeting notice: next Youth Council meeting on January 30/06 during suicide awareness conference at Norwester Hotel in Thunder Bay.

Youth Council Fall Meeting Productive

The BIG NEWS for this year is that the NAN Charitable Youth Trust Fund received their charitable status number in April. So, the Trust Fund is now a registered charity and board members have begun fundraising. The NAN Decade Youth Council and Trust Fund board (one in the same) met at the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay on September 17 & 18. New members joined the Youth Council: Serene Spence, Marten Falls; Touchan Fiddler, Sandy Lake; Gardiner Turtle, Pikangikum; and, Esther McKay, Bearskin Lake. The YC discussed several upcoming activities. Stay tuned for more. If you would like to contact the Youth Council please send an email to the Communications Chair, Touchan Fiddler at

Peace March held on Sept. 16

The NAN Decade Youth Council partnered with the Regional Multicultural Youth Council to hold a peace march and rally in Thunder Bay. See more pix and info in What's New section of our site.

Sasha Sky, RMYC President, addressed crowd during rally at City Hall.

Youth Council Update Summer 2005

The Youth Council fall meeting will take place on September 17 & 18, 2005 in Thunder Bay. On Friday, September 16th the YC is co-sponsoring a Peace March in Thunder Bay for Northern students. In partnership with the Regional Multicultural Youth Council the Decade YC will be helping to organize this walk to raise awareness about substance abuse and youth violence. Download the poster in PDF here

On another note, there have been some changes to the Youth Council. Sharon Mendowegan has completed her term as the social chair, as she recently turned the wise old age of 30!! Our Youth Council bylaws state that council members must be between the ages of 18-29. We will miss you Sharon!

Sarah Watt and Adam Albany have resigned from their positions due to family commitments. They recently moved to Kasibonika and will be focusing on raising their son Austin. We wish your family the best Adam and Sarah!!

The environmental, urban, and social chair positions are now vacant. The Youth Council will be accepting applications for these positions. If you are interested, please send a letter, resume, and support letters from your community to the Decade Youth Department. You can send these by email or fax.

Treaty 9 Youth Commemoration Event in Mishkeegogamang a success!

Members of the NAN Decade Youth Council and the Decade summer students in Mishkeegogamang First Nation, during Treaty #9 Commemoration Days, July 2005.

Youth Council Update Spring 2005

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation Decade Youth Council was established in the fall of 2002. There are ten members who hold different portfolio positions.

Joint Meeting in Whitefish Bay First Nation, Treaty #3 territory

The NAN Decade Youth Council had a joint meeting in Whitefish Bay First Nation on April 15-16/05. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the impact of suicide on youth. The meeting was held in the traditional roundhouse in the community. Four members of the Decade YC attended.

From L to R, Jocelyn Formsma (social justice), Sharon Mendowegan (social/retired), Melanie Goodchild-Southwind (Decade Coordinator), Catherine Cheechoo (education), and Violet Chum (health).

Youth Council met in Whitefish Bay FN

Traditional Roundhouse in Whitefish Bay First Nation

Meeting in Whitefish Bay a success!

The NAN Decade Youth Council had a joint meeting with the youth council of Whitefish Bay First Nation in Treaty 3 recently. The meeting took place on Saturday, April 16, 2005. Decade YC members in attendance were Violet Chum, Jocelyn Formsma, Catherine Cheechoo and Sharon Mendowegan. Download a copy of Brent Wesley's (Chiefs of Ontario) report on this historic meeting .

Members of the Decade Youth Council and the Whitefish Bay Youth Council

Gryphon Productions Ltd, a documentary film company based in Vancouver, BC, joined the group and filmed interviews. The footage will be used in a half hour documentary on youth suicide prevention called, "A Life Worth Living" produced for the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. The youth councils had a joint sharing circle in the traditional roundhouse in Whitefish Bay. It was an emotional but healing experience. They concluded the day with a BBQ. During the BBQ they discussed ideas for a first annual traditional/cultural youth gathering later this summer. Studies have shown that young people who are exposed to cultural teachings and healing ceremonies, are less likely to commit suicide. You can learn more about the film company by visiting their website.

From left to right, on the back of large turtle, are youth council members Catherine Cheechoo, Violet Chum, Jocelyn Formsma and Sharon Mendowegan.

During the trip, the NAN Decade Youth Council also visited the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung (The Place of the Long Rapids) Historical Centre in Manitou Rapids. (There is a large turtle in the children's area of the centre, pictured above) They got a tour of the centre and the ceremonial burials mounds. They also received roundhouse teachings in the traditional Ojibway roundhouse. Special thanks to the staff of the Historical Centre who opened their doors, even though they are still closed for the winter season, so our group could have a private visit. Meegwetch! If you are in the area of Fort Frances, Ontario soon, you must stop by this beautiful centre which is a sacred place, a living link between the past, present and future. Please visit their website to learn more.

NAN Winter Chiefs Assembly in Timmins, March 29-31/05

The NAN Decade program made a presentation to the Chiefs in Assembly in Timmins on March 30th. The Decade Coordinator gave a powerpoint presentation on Decade activities. Congratulations to first time youth co-chair Conredge Solomon from Kashechewan FN. The youth presentation was made by Nita Quequish from North Caribou Lake First Nation. Here is a copy of her speech . Nita made two recommendations to NAN leadership on behalf of the youth...

1. I would like to recommend to communities that they make a stonger effort to give their young people more opportunities to learn about their traditional culture, participate in various ceremonies, to learn their languages and to spend more time with elders. More and more youth are beginning to seek activities such as drumming, powwows, and ceremonies and are realizing it is a part of their history and who they are.

2. I would also like to recommend that our communities help youth learn more about their history and about the legacy of residential schooling that continues to affect us, our parents and grandparents. I would like to acknowledge that many of our young people have been affected by sexual abuse, for example the case of Ralph Rowe. I would like to recommend that the churches be supportive of these young people on their healing journey.

Youth Council in Ottawa

NAN Decade Youth Council members visit with National Chief Phil Fontaine at the Assembly of First Nations offices in Ottawa. From left to right, Violet Chum (Moose Factory FN), Sharon Mendowegan (Ginoogaming FN), National Chief, Johnathan Neegan (Constance Lake FN), and Adam Albany (Kasabonika FN).

The NAN Decade Youth Council is keeping busy. They had four face to face meetings scheduled between January and March 2005. Their first meeting of the new year took place in the Nation's Capital, Ottawa, on January 20-24. Be sure and visit the PHOTO GALLERY for more info and images.

The theme of the visit was Arts & Culture

First Nations art exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Youth Council members at the Blackfoot Exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. From left to right, Duane Moonias (Neskantaga FN), Sharon Mendowegan (Ginoogaming FN), Brent Wesley (guest), Catherine Cheechoo (Moose Factory FN), and Johnathan Neegan (Constance Lake FN).

They visited the Canadian Museum of Civilization where they had the unique opportunity to see The Blackfoot Way of Life: Nitsitapiisinni exhibition, the Parliament Buildings and the National Gallery of Canada.

Adam Albany (Kasabonika FN) with Pierre Trudeau portrait inside the Parliament Buildings.

The second meeting of the new year took place on February 5 & 6, 2005 in a NAN community, Pikangikum First Nation, north of Red Lake. This peer helper group of this community hosted the Decade Youth Council members. A charter traveled to the community on Saturday, February 5. In addition to three members of the Decade Youth Council (Jonathan Neegan, Sarah Watt & Jocelyn Formsma) several guests joined us: Jonah Martin, recreation assistant, Constance Lake FN; Sarah Pelltier, youth, NAN staff; Tamara Simon, Ginoogaming FN; Rachel Capitan & Michael Belmore, Regional Multicultural Youth Council. The group participated in a floor hockey tournament followed by a Youth Council information session. The peer helper group of Pikangikum is working on the establishment of a community youth council.

Whitefish Bay Youth Council meeting

The Decade YC met with ten members of the Whitefish Bay First Nation youth council on Saturday, February 12, 2005. They met at the Prince Arthur Hotel from 10am to 3pm. The WFB youth council is newly established and is in the Treaty 3 territory. This community has experienced the tragedy of suicide and has lost 7 people to suicide in the past two years. The meeting was successful and the beginning of an active partnership. Elder Bill Constance addressed the youth and invited both youth councils to learn about their culture and heritage.

Youth Council Meeting in December 2004

On December 11 & 12, 2004 the Decade Youth Council received their letters patent and became an incorporated body, under the name "Nishnawbe Aski Nation Charitable Youth Trust Fund." The minutes for the meeting are available for download here . There were some major decisions taking place at the meeting including the addition of a new Council member.

Violet Chum from Moose Factory, new Health Chair, with Adam Albany, Finance Chair.

The Council welcomed Violet Chum from Moose Factory as the new Health Chair. She holds the health portfolio and will join various committees and groups as the Youth Council representative.

Announcements

Change in members

Jocelyn Formsma, self portrait.

In December 2004, the YC appointed Jocelyn Formsma as the Social Justice chair. Jocelyn has a great deal of experience in youth council development at the regional and national level. She is from Moose Factory and currently resides in Ottawa.

Duane Moonias of Neskantaga and Jonathan Neegan of Constance Lake both joined the YC in the summer of 2004.

Duane Moonias at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.

Duane Moonias is the new Political/Justice Chair. He is from Lansdowne House and very active in music. He is a well known fiddle player and role model.

Jonathan Neegan in the offices of National Chief Phil Fontaine, Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa

Jonathan Neegan has rejoined the YC as the Recreation & Fundraising Chair. The YC was delighted to have Jonathan rejoin the Council because of all his excellent work and experience in recreation. Jonathan is currently the Recreation Director for Constance Lake First Nation.

We thank all the youth who applied for the positions, and we encourage you to keep up with your activities and volunteer work. We hope to work with you all on future projects!

With new faces, come some departures. Maybelline Matthews has resigned as the health chair for the council. Maybelline has decided to move onto other projects at home in Fort Severn! We will miss your wise ways MABES!! Amik Gomm has also resigned from the council, and the council wishes him and his family the best of luck in the future.

Trust Fund

For those of you that do not know, the youth council has been in the process of setting up a trust fund over the past year and a half. The purpose of this trust fund is to establish a fund that NAN youth councils and youth groups can apply to for assistance in running activities and maintainig their groups.

The Youth Council is currently at the stage of becoming incorporated. We worked with Lawyer Tony Carfagnini and Law student Adrienne Edmunds on the application to become a corporation. We received our letters patent in the fall of 2004.

We are now proceeding with our application for charitable status. With charitable status, The NAN Youth Trust Fund will be able to function as a charity that can fundraise money and then distribute this money to groups. These groups would be NAN Youth councils, youth groups, and teams who apply.

This is a long but thorough process. We hope to start raising funds for the Trust Fund within the year, and we hope to build it up to a certain amount before we begin to distribute as a charity. This could be a year or two before we actually start functioning as a charity. So this is definitely something to keep in mind for the long run if you are apart of a youth group or youth council!