18
RECOMMENDATION 3:
Understand & Address
Barriers To Our Participation
D
eveloping our gifts and taking on leadership
roles is not always easy for Indigenous
youth. We face many barriers that interfere
with our ability to learn, contribute and lead to our
fullest potential.
At the macro level these barriers include systemic
challenges tied to colonialism. Canada was built on
violence against Indigenous peoples in order to assert
control over land and resources. The legacy of this
history continues to oppress our communities and is
particularly noticeable in the current overrepresentation
of our people in child welfare and the criminal justice
system; unequal funding for education, health, and