b'FROM THE COOS DESKHealth,Well-beingand Renewal in First Nations CommunitiesTRACY ANTONEChief Operating Officer, Chiefs of Ontario S hekoliOn behalf of the Chiefs of Ontario secretariat, I am pleased to welcome you to the summer edition of the official Chiefs of Ontario magazine, Advocate. For those who may not know me, I am Tracy Antone, from Onoyota:ka (Oneida Nation), Chief Operating Officer at the Chiefs of Ontario.After a challenging year of living in a pandemic environment, we now see how vital healing will be in our communities. It has been a time to look forward and see the resilience of our people as sources of health, well-being and renewal. We have heard much frustration and caution in our commun-ities; we have also seen the hearts of our people, the generosity and the focus on helping our children. Families have become resilient as they could not be together, and communities remembered the importance of our culture and medicines to keep safe.Within this edition of Advocate, you will find critical pieces and stories of First Nations leadership and organizations who are working diligently to support the health and well-being of First Nations citizens in Ontario through the creation of culturally informed programs and services to promote hope and resilience and ensure health and wellness for our children, youth and families. In addition, we are pleased to share a special feature focused on First Nations youth, who are striving to empower young people to lead change and contribute to decision-making processes in their communities.This year has presented an array of challenges and successes, marked by many milestones for First Nations. As we prepare for an equitable recovery post-pandemic, the Chiefs of Ontario remain committed to advocating and making meaningful and timely progress on the issues that matter most to our communities to improve the lives of First Nations youth, communities and the generations to come. I would also like to take a moment to honour the children whose lives were taken at the former residential schools in British Columbia and southern Saskatchewan and all Indigenous children who never made it home. It is vital that we continue to raise awareness and provide education on this dark legacy of Canadas history and its lasting and damaging impact on First Nations culture, heritage and language for generations. As we work together to bring our children home, we are holding prayers for the survivors and their families.Thank you to all those who donated their time to ensure this edition was a success. I encourage all our readers to provide insight and feedback so we can continue to evolve as an organization and tailor each publication to be access-ible and inclusive for our diverse audience.Yaw^ko 12l I ssue1 2021C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne'