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mental health services; lack of access to clean water
and proper infrastructure; high rights of violence
against Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people;
high rates of youth suicide; and the existence of policies
like the Indian Act which continue to control our lands
and bodies.
At the mezzo level we also face barriers related to our
relationships across our communities and with the
institutions that often claim to serve us, but do not
necessarily reflect our realities and needs. Analyzing our
experiences at this level was a key focus of the Circles
of Change forum and this report. Barriers include
challenges accessing information about opportunities
including limited internet access in some places;
some youth consistently getting opportunities over
others; inequitable program funding structures and
supports in place to meet youth needs; barriers due to
transportation and geographic isolation; limited jobs
leading to high rates of unemployment; and money
and opportunities being concentrated in urban centres
often monopolized by organizations that are not led
by us.
