TakingITGlobal

The tokenization of Indigenous peoples in education, training, and employment programs has also established power dynamics that do little to honour Indigenous sovereignty or support resurgence. Many young people shared that their goal was not to succeed within the mainstream classroom or workplace, but rather to gain skills to support their community. They shared that the current systems are furthering the colonization of Indigenous young people by increasing the number of Indigenous people in the mainstream programs. As one youth shared "there tends to be dependency. That has been a tool of the colonizer. It's done here. Institutions are trying to create a dependency state for Indigenous people. The area we should focus on is self-determination". Some young people recommended further support go into supporting Indigenous led initiatives rather than establishing specialized positions and departments in mainstream institutions. Others felt that Indigenous departments with Indigenous faculty had much to offer other departments in terms of decolonizing the institution as a whole which may enhance the experiences Indigenous students have while taking courses outside of Indigenous specific programs. Indigenous Content and Curriculum "I grew up in the community and didn't get to learn my culture that much because I had no one to teach me. Having this in the school is great because having a personal relationship with the students makes a difference" As a result of colonization, many Indigenous communities are in a process of healing and relearning of culture and ceremony. Young people spoke about their journeys in reclaiming their identities amidst the legacy of colonial trauma they have experienced. Indigenous specific education, training, and employment programs are desirable to Indigenous young people not only as safe spaces to work and learn, but also as places that support their healing and educational journeys in cultural and spiritual capacities. For some "School [is] a personal journey rather than an academic journey". In order to recruit and retain Indigenous students and employees, social institutions should consider how to uphold Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies in authentic and respectful ways. Learning Indigenous content is motivating for Indigenous young people, but the method and approach is equally important. During the youth summit, young people shared varying experiences with Indigenous knowledge in their respective programs. Some students came from Indigenous specific programs in which most of the students and educators were Indigenous. Others experienced very little Indigenous content, and still others had some Indigenous content with a few Indigenous educators. Students spoke adamantly about the need for Indigenous educators at all levels in order to support Indienous young people to see the possibility for higher education and employment. They felt strongly that Indigenous content should be taught by Indigenous peoples and also taught in an Indigenous way. What this looks like is very land and nation specific, but according to the young people, should be rooted in ceremony and culture. As one young person suggested, "Being in an Future Pathways Summit Report 16

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