Series - The Power of Indigenous Youth Voices

Indigenous youth weren’t involved in creating COVID-19 policies — here’s why that needs to change for recovery

Author Nickie Shobeiry
In part two of the Canadian Roots Exchange policy hackathon, Indigeous youth share future-forward visions for COVID-19 recovery — from self-governance to economic empowerment

Why It Matters

When creating COVID-19 protocols, the government didn’t always engage Indigenous communities, leaving many Indigenous leaders out of the decision-making process. Moving forward, that has to change; Indigenous youth are Canada's fastest-growing demographic, and for full COVID-19 recovery — one that takes into account the wellbeing of Indigenous communities — young policy leaders need equal say in building a better future.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"Indigenous youth weren\u2019t involved in creating COVID-19 policies \u2014 here\u2019s why that needs to change for recovery. This story is in partnership with the Canadian Roots Exchange. Living in downtown Toronto, Alex MacLeod runs Alexdals\u2019 Creations Inc. , an Indigenous, LGBT-owned arts business. They have grappled with the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic, all while taking criminology and a double major in Indigenous studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. \u201cMy primary focus is making sure that people\u2019s rights are protected, so I wanted to look at [Indigenous issues] from a policy perspective.\u201d MacLeod says that certain COVID-19 policies violate Indigenous rights. They explain that in Toronto, while hold

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