Youth Council travel to Parliament Hill

Two members of the Sandy Lake Youth Council were in Ottawa Monday for the release of the report Feathers of Hope: A First Nations Youth Action Plan.

Youth Chief Darrin Fiddler and Youth Deputy Chief Seth Fiddler went to Parliament Hill to present the findings of the report to Federal, Provincial and First Nation leadership, asking all levels of government to commit their support of the report.

The report calls upon the leadership to partner with youth to create safer, healthier communities over a five-year plan. The needs and recommendations in the First Nations Youth Action Plan were voiced when more than 160 youth from 64 communities gathered at two Feather of Hope Youth Forums last year.

The report identifies 15 themes including the effects of residential schools, youth suicide, education, physical and mental health, and drug and alcohol abuse.

Youth Chief Darrin Fiddler shared his excitement over the report launch with a statement on Facebook, “I hope this sparks a movement of change for our First Nations Youth. I can’t wait to bring home the report and present it to our leaders in Sandy Lake. This is something I feel very passionate about and will do all that I can to get our youth heard.”

The report was also jointly launched in Thunder Bay and Toronto.

For more information on Feathers of Hope, visit their website here.