33
involving us in respectful ways there are always risks to our
participation. We encourage you to continue including our
voices within non-Indigenous spaces as we have a lot to offer
and gain from these exchanges, however, we also need more
of our own, separate opportunities to connect and collaborate
solely as Indigenous youth. We need opportunities to learn,
laugh and organize without the pressure of educating non-
Indigenous people or fearing harmful interactions that we
often experience within colonial spaces.
The Circles of Change forum was one example of a space
that was visioned and led by Indigenous youth for Indigenous
youth. With the exception of a few TakingITGlobal staff who
supported in different ways, it was all First Nations, Métis
and Inuit young people sharing knowledge and building
relationships with one another. This allowed us to be more
vulnerable and to engage in critical discussion in ways that are
not always possible for us in other situations. We encourage
you to respect the need for spaces like this and to continue
looking for ways to support us from the sidelines.
