b'INDIGENOUS EDUCATIONBUILDING SUPPORTBy Matthew BradfordIndspires Yancy Craig opens up about the importance of Indigenous education and creating the support structure needed to champion itWere so lucky to be working with so many people along this journey of creating a better future for Indigenous people. Its fortunate that an organization like ours exists to be a catalyst forfolkswhohaveamindtosupportthese higher idealsYancy Craig, IndspireI ts a win-win for all when Indigenous youth rise tobarriers that many Indigenous students still face. While their potential. Careers take shape, communitiesgood work is being done to erode those barriers, the grow, and Canada welcomes skilled and diverseneed for financial support and systemic change remains. talent to its workforce. The opportunities are clear,and they begin with supporting the Indigenous Were overcoming years of funding deficits that have student journey.impacted access to good education for Indigenous youth. And even though the federal government has Indigenous youth are the fastest-growing segment ofworked very hard with Indigenous organizations to close the Canadian population and they have an incrediblethat gap, it will be a while before those investments amount of knowledge and skills to bring to any field.have an impact says Craig. We need to keep working Thats provided they have the same supports and oppor- with our partners in government and the Indigenous tunities as anyone else to get there, says Yancy Craig,community to provide much-needed support. Vice President of Indigenous and Government Relations for Indspire. SHOWING THE WAYThe challenge, Craig continues, is that Indigenous youthChampioning Indigenous learners and their communi-often face hurdles that make their educational pathsties is a welcome part of Craigs role. Through Indspire, more difficult to pursue. A history of underfundinghe embraces the opportunity to bring governments, in K-12 education on-reserve and years of economicyouth-serving organizations, and Indigenous partners exclusion, resulting from systemic racism, have createdtogether to support Indigenous students. 60indspiration2022'