OTTAWA — Over two days this week, Summer Wabasse met Senators and spoke with them about legislation, residential school denialism and other issues.
Wabasse, 27, from Webequie First Nation, lives and works in Ottawa, co-chairs the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Oshkaatisak Youth Council, and represents NAN youth on the Ontario First Nations Young Peoples Council through the Chiefs of Ontario.
She was one of eight First Nation, Métis and Inuit youth selected from across the country to participate in the Canadian Senate’s two-day Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders program.
She and the other seven participants, from as far away as Hay River, N.W.T., met Senators on Tuesday in what Wabasse described as “a networking reception.”
On Wednesday, they all testified before the upper house’s Committee on Indigenous Peoples.
“I spoke a little bit about my work with Nishinawbe Aski Nation and Chiefs of Ontario, as well as post-secondary education and residential school denialism,” she said Thursday in a phone interview.
“One issue that I did specifically speak to them about was the limitations of being a youth in advocacy — the limitations that come with that, and what I’m able to do as an Indigenous advocate versus what they’re able to do as Senators.”
Wabasse added that she also spoke to the Senators about Bill C-39, “which is obviously really contentious right now … and how there are no youth that have been invited to that committee (reviewing Bill C-39) to testify, despite the fact that youth will be dealing with the consequences of major projects that are not carried out properly and responsibly, down the line.”
Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, amends various statutes and regulations to expedite approval of projects deemed in the national interest. It has been criticized as an affront to Indigenous rights.
“As well,” Wabasse continued, “I spoke about residential school denialism, which again was a hot issue in the Senate earlier this year.”
She said the Combating Hate Act that passed in June “didn’t address residential school denialism or allow denialism to be prosecuted the same way that other forms of hate speech are.”
Wabasse told Newswatch she wants young people in NAN communities to know “there are so many opportunities for First Nations youth to get involved.”
“I think so many youth count themselves out of that type of work,” she said.
“You can put yourself out there so you can take part in those opportunities and have your voice, find your voice, and start having conversations with leadership.”
