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April 7, 2004 By Uncategorized

More great and inspiring news from the Aboriginal youth world. On April 17-18 on the Musqueam First Nation right beside Vancouver, the First Nations Youth At Risk organization will be sponsoring a best practices conference. There is a lot I like about this group, staring with the fact that it is entirely supported by private sector grants, and that the President is Harvey McCue, Waubegeshig, the man who started the Native Studies program at Trent University, of which I am a graduate.

And most importantly, these folks are doing some amazing work. For example, here is the description of a project at Cape Mudge, a First Nation about 60 miles up the coast from me:

�If you build it, they will come� was the project theme of this First Nation of 800 people in two remote Quathiaski Cove communities near Campbell River. The �it� was a 40-foot long cedar canoe unique to the band. The goal was to involve the youth in its design and construction and use the project as a catalyst for promoting culture, good health and self-esteem. The need for such a project – fun and culturally based – was made pressing by increases in youth crime, suicides, high school dropouts, substance abuse, alcohol consumption and smoking brought about by the devastating collapse of the local fishing industry, and also by the rapid passing of community elders and their knowledge of language and culture. The canoe – named �Lekwiltok� after the legendary �unkillable� seaworm of Cape Mudge We Wei Ka legend – is scheduled for an official launch May 1. The community hopes to take the canoe on a journey to a First Nations regatta this summer in Cowichan. �It really has brought the whole community together and become a source of excitement and pride,� says Cape Mudge Community Health Representative Patricia Wilson.

I like that: “unkillable.” It describes the spirit of these kinds of endeavours perfectly.