Indigenous Youth Roots - IYR

Did you know it’s International Youth Day!? We’re lucky to be featuring 2 of our talented IYR alum for this year’s IYD! 🤩✨✨✨

Support Indigenous Youth Leadership and donate today: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/16223?v2=true

‘Developing Personal Power Made by Hand-Guided by Land’ was funded by Creation to provide students from Grades 4 through 12 with the opportunity to develop practical skills while working alongside Elder Ken Norn. 💞

To learn more: indigenousyouthroots.ca/grantee-highlight-made-by-hand

Young Indigenous Women’s Spiritual Gathering was funded by Creation to bring together Wabanaki, Wolastoqey, and Mi’kmaq women, youth, and Two-Spirit participants with Elders and Knowledge Keepers for intergenerational healing, cultural revitalization, and spiritual connection through land-based and ceremonial teachings.

Learn more from the youth running the project:

https://indigenousyouthroots.ca/young-indigenous-womens-spiritual-gathering

Wapna’kikewi’skwaq - Women of First Light

Throwback to our second annual Policy Gathering 2026: Connecting Land, Policy, & Well-Being! Swipe to learn more about what Indigenous youth participants shared during discussions.

The gathering marked the conclusion of the current IYAC members’ term in their advisory roles and we want to thank them and wish them well in their future endeavours! Thank you Angel Sansregrett, Emerald UnRuh, Nika Paziuk, Rylee Peltier, and TJ Dutton for your incredible contributions to the advisory circle and for so positively shaping this year’s Policy Gathering. We wish you each the very best in your journeys!

This month, we're exploring one of the most important conversations happening across Canada: the return of Indigenous cultural belongings and ancestral remains to their rightful communities.

Repatriation is about more than returning artifacts. It supports Indigenous self-determination, cultural continuity, healing, and the restoration of relationships between communities and their heritage

Check out the full issue of IYR Explains: Repatriation on IndigenousYouthRoots.ca or at https://issuu.com/canadianroots/docs/iyr_explains_-_repatriation

We’re excited to announce a new partnership between Indigenous Youth Roots and the Mastercard Foundation to deepen the impact of Indigenous youth-led change. Through enhanced funding, mentorship, research, policy, and capacity-building opportunities, this partnership will strengthen IYR’s ability to support Indigenous youth and youth-led organizations in advancing community-rooted solutions, creating new pathways to education and employment, and supporting Indigenous young people to live Mino Bimaadiziwin—“a good life” in the Anishinaabe language.

“Indigenous youth are powerful agents of change for their communities, Nations, and Canada as a whole,” said Jennifer Brennan, Senior Director, Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation. “When Indigenous youth have the supports and resources to lead, they create lasting change. We’re proud to partner with Indigenous Youth Roots to grow the important work they are doing connecting young people with the relationships, opportunities, and skills to shape a sustainable and prosperous future for all.”

Read the full announcement at https://indigenousyouthroots.ca/indigenous-youth-roots-and-mastercard-foundation-announce-five-year-partnership-to-deepen-the-impact-of-indigenous-youth-led-change

We’re back on the road (or in the air rather🛫) and this time IYR's Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research will be elevating Indigenous youth voices at the United Nations this month✈️!

While we're there, we'll be hosting a panel side event with some incredible youth to talk about how UNDRIP implementation has gone in Canada, and what it means for the Declaration to push reconciliation forward. For information about the event, including how to register for side events, see the link below! If you're going, stop by to say hi!



https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrc-subsidiaries/expert-mechanism-on-indigenous-peoples

Congrats to all our Indigenous Youth Policy School (IYPS) grads from cohort 6! 🎉📜🎓

IYPS is a nation-wide program for Indigenous youth ages 18-29. In this program, participants build confidence, strengthen their leadership, develop practical skills, and explore how they can create change and step into policy spaces in ways that reflect their own gifts, values, and goals.

Applications are now open for Cohort 7. Visit our website (link in bio) to learn more, apply, and perhaps we’ll see you next year. ✨🖥️ 📣

Do you have an Indigenous youth-led business or social enterprise? Checkout our Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise stream grant!

This stream is being offered in partnership with H&M, and focuses on empowering Indigenous youth entrepreneurs to build, scale and enhance their businesses.

🌱 Projects must be led by an Indigenous youth (ages 15-29)

New to grants? That’s okay, youth leaders (grantees) will receive capacity building opportunities throughout the project, including opportunities to learn from other Indigenous business-owners about growing, scaling and developing a business.

You can also apply via phone, zoom or email. Send your questions or appointment requests to [email protected]

Illustration by R A V E N