Youth agency lobbies for change

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The Urban Native Youth Association in Vancouver is looking at poverty-related issues that Aboriginal youth in urban centres face, and is urging government leaders and the public to examine and implement the recommendations in a government report released last fall, said UNYA executive director Jerry Adams.

The report, Urban Aboriginal Youth ? An Action Plan for Change, was compiled by the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples chaired by Senator Thelma J. Chalifoux.

Adams stressed the urgency of improved access to post-secondary support for Aboriginal youth, transition programs such as courses in family dynamics, employment, housing and the establishment of urban Aboriginal youth centres where programs and recreational activities could be offered.

"We are acknowledging that there was a report done and that we should not forget that it is out there, so we sent out a number of public service announcements saying that we were concerned about Aboriginal youth, and we felt that there had to be a follow-up on the report and for people not to forget that it is out there. We just felt like we had to do something about it so we are trying to take the initiative," he said.

The 120-page report states that between 1996 and 2001 the Canadian Aboriginal population increased by 22 per cent, and half live in urban centres. It also reveals that Vancouver has the highest Aboriginal poverty rate (66 per cent) in urban Canada.

In all, the Senate committee made 19 recommendations covering policy and jurisdiction, program and service delivery, partnerships and urban Aboriginal youth initiatives. Significantly, the committee found the current federal policy of providing services only to on-reserve Indians is outdated and should be changed to reflect the "geographic reality" of Aboriginal people.

Some of the report's proposed actions call for abolishing status-based restrictions on education funding; the establishment of Aboriginal youth centres in urban centres with a significant Aboriginal youth population; establishment of a national sport and recreation fund for this group, and federal negotiations with the Metis to resolve the issues surrounding their jurisdiction and rights.

Adams said that UNYA is not trying to compare city life to living in a rural community. UNYA merely wants the concerns of city youth dealt with. Adams said urban youth need to have a place they can call their own, where they can grow mentally and spiritually.

"Although Aboriginal youth are living in their own country they often feel they do not have enough rights and services for their needs. What we are hoping to see is better housing available for them... Another concern is education (and) daycare facilities for young moms and dads that want to go to work. There are a lot of needs that need to be looked at and we feel they could be addressed better by the government," he said.

Adams said that youth in rural areas often have immediate family and relatives living close by, but that is less likely in urban areas.

"The youth in rural areas have their grandparents but the kids in the city often do not, so we need to reinvent family closeness and family ties in urban settings. But how can we do that? We have to find more things for the youth to be connected to in big cities like Vancouver, Edmonton or Calgary," he said.

"When you look at transition programs, you need to look at developing educational tools for the youth earlier instead of later. You want them to start taking family dynamic courses early, as in learning how to become parents. Because more and more youth are having babies and becoming parents, early intervention is really important."

Adams also believes that youth need to learn how to play. He believes that society is focusing on "fixing" youth, rather than spending time in recreational and cultural activities.

"We need to not only look at how to deliver services on how to fix them ... we also need to learn about having fun aain and not to always be social-worked to death. You cannot do that all the time; the kids get tired of that. We need to start looking at doing other things with the youth instead of only social work plans. They also have to learn how to be around and learn off of the Elders and how to work with the Elders so that we can make sure that they are being connected back to their languages and cultures. For example, if they wanted to carve, make traditional drums or do bead work, this centre would offer these services," he said.

Adams also hopes to see an urban Aboriginal youth centre in his city soon. He said that UNYA would like to begin fundraising for it within the next year. "We are hoping to see a building like that in four-and-a-half years."

He said that the association is hoping to work with all levels of government closely.

"The wheel has started turning, so to speak, but it is going to be a long haul."