"The Ojibways affirm that long before they became aware of the white man's presence on this continent, their coming was prophesied by one of their old men, whose great sanctity and oft-repeated fasts enabled him to commune with spirits and see far into the future. He prophesied that the white spirits would come in numbers like sand on the lake shore, and would sweep the red race from the hunting grounds which the Great Spirit had given them as an inheritance. It was phrophesied that the consequences of the white man's appearance would be, to the Anishinabeg, an ending of the world."

William W. Warren

The following information is taken from the final report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, a commission that spoke to Aboriginal youth right across Canada in the early 1990s. This is what young people had to say about culture and identity:

Youth told the Commission that they must have opportunities to explore and live their culture. Not all want to return to a traditional lifestyle; for many, espeically those living in cities, this is highly unlikely. Yet they want to learn about the values and beliefs of their people and what it means to be an Aboriginal person in the modern world. They want to learn Aboriginal languages and celebrate their cultures through traditional practices and cermonies. This need not be done to the exclusion of non-Aboriginal culture. Cultures are not static; they evolve over time. Young people want to learn the values and wisdom that sustained their ancestors long ago - values and wisdom they can use to guide their behaviour in today's world. They want to face the future as Aboriginal people.

The home is where such practices and values are traditionally transmitted. But some youth told the Commission that their parents no longer have the necessary knowledge. Elders and support networks, where they exist and when they can be located, can help. There is a need for facilities and programs where youth can gather and learn. This is particularly important for those who are making the transition from reserves or remote communities to the city. Youth recommended to the Commission that a variety of facilities to meet their cultural needs be established.

Among their suggestions was to set up Aboriginal youth centres. These centres would be a co-operative effort among community leaders, educators and government officials to give young people the qualities and skills needed to be leaders in the community. Aboriginal elders and others recognized as knowledgeable in the culture should have a role in planning and implementing programs. The centres would combine voluntarism and government-funded programs to enhance traditional knowledge and skills, offer enhanced academic and technical training, expose youth to professional and government environments, and foster a spirit of service. In cities, the centers should also provide counselling and support for youth moving from home communities to the urban environment.

The centres should, as much as possible, use existing resources in order to limit financial dependence. They could be established in existing facilities such as friendship centres, community centres, cultural centres and schools.

Young Aboriginal people also spoke of the need for youth shelters or facilities to provide a safe place for youth suffering from mental, emotional and physical abuse - with counsellors to help them deal with the difficult years of adolescence and young adulthood:

"I believe right now in my communtiy there is too much violence, there is too much death, suicide. With these kinds of things, I don't see why the federal government or the provincial government can't come up with a crisis centre for this kind of problem." Randy Nepoose, Hobbema, Alberta, June 10, 1992

They want shelters that offer cultural activities and programs that build self-esteem and provide a sense of belonging. Youth centres can meet some of the needs, as can Aboriginal healing lodges and healing centres.

A sacred fire burned for four days during the NAN Youth Leadership Forum that took place in November 2002

Aboriginal youth also recommended youth camps - places where they can get back to the land and learn about themselves and their culture. Rediscovery Camps provide one model. The first, on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), in British Columbia, was launched in 1978. It was established under the guidance of local elders as a way to combat growing problems of substance abuse, juvenile delinquency and family disruption.

Rediscovery camps now constitute a broad network of affiliated programs spanning several countries, including Canada, the United States and New Zealand. They are generally for youth between eight and 17 years of age and have a mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants. They take place in wilderness areas near participants' home communities. The youth are taken out on the land for a week or more to learn survival and wilderness skills and traditional ways. The skills are relevant to the local environment; if the camp is near water, for instance, fishing and canoeing may be emphasized.

A unique feature of the camps is the emphasis on traditional knowledge. Members of the local community participate as guides, cooks or group leaders, and elders play an integral role as well:

"Native elders naturally assume the respected head position of a Rediscovery extended family. The original organizers felt that the elders would benefit the program most through their songs, stories, crafts, and skills. In addition to this, the elders have proven to be the program's most effective counsellors, transcending any generation gap between themselves and the coolest of teenagers - [Elders] appear as loving and caring grandparents - which is exactly what they are."

The elders ensure the traditional knowledge and skills imparted are authentic - another key feature of the Rediscovery model. Rediscovery camps bring together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth to increase understanding and awareness and to build bridges between cultures. Of course, some Aboriginal youth know as little about Aboriginal culture as non-Aboriginal youth do. For those looking to learn about themselves, Rediscovery provides an opportunity to learn about their culture in a traditional environment. Any Aboriginal community could adapt the Rediscover model for its own youth, incorporating a strong focus on its own culture and traditional practices.

This is already happening in some communities. The Avataq Cultural Institute in Nunavik, the Inuit territory in northern Quebec, runs a traditional Inuit summer camp in Inukjuak. In New Brunswick there is a summer camp that provides cultural enrichment for Maliseet and Mi'kmaq students. These initiatives and the Rediscovery Camps provide models for communities wishing to pass on traditional knowledge in a traditional way.

These types of camps provide an excellent way to begin to establish cultural identity and to instill the confidence Aboriginal youth will need to confront the challenge of rebuilding their communities. Each young person will have to choose his or her own path to healing. But establishing cultural identity should be considered a priority and a major step in the healing process.

Communities, too, must direct their own healing, but they often need support. No one magic recipe will work in all communities; each must establish its own needs and find the methods and type of support to address those needs. Activities such as drumming and dance groups, pow-wows, language classes, and youth and elder gatherings have all been helpful in spiritual healing by various communities. Yet, the "unfortunate reality is that these vital activities are the types of initiatives that governments seldom fund. These are the soft areas, the intangible areas, at least as considered by government officials, because their results appear hard to measure. What is not difficult to measure, though, is the devastation that results when youth do not have access to such activities.