TakingITGlobal

14 S T E R E O T Y P E S A N D M I S C O N C E P T I O N S Part of understanding who you are working with is also being aware of the stereotypes and misconceptions that people often have about First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. These misconceptions can be incredibly harmful and prevent Indigenous youth from feeling safe and welcome within spaces. During the Circles of Change forum we separated into our three FNMI groups to discuss the ways in which each of our communities is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented. Some of us self-identified with more than one of the three main groups and so we spent time contributing to multiple. We discussed the importance of non-Indigenous people gaining more awareness about us as well as our responsibilities as Indigenous youth to better understand one another. Building this knowledge helps strengthen our relationships and enhances our ability to work collaboratively in resisting ongoing colonialism. Some of the common misconceptions that emerged across our groups include: physical stereotypes about what we should and should not look like, belief that we receive endless handouts from the government, the assumption that we can all speak extensively about our histories and cultures, and the long standing colonial belief that we need to be saved. The following lists describe some of the specific issues that the youth contributors want people to better understand about our communities. These points reflect our perspectives and experiences and in no way claim to represent the opinions of all our peoples.

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