b'OSHKAATISAK COUNCILOshkaatisak(All Young Peoples)CouncilIts our role here at NAN to provide those opportunities for them to grow, to Providing youth with leadership skills be leaders, to get that information and to be those advocates for the commun-while advocating for First Nations rights ities, says McNally. One of the main objectives of the Oshkaatisak Council is BY CHARNEL ANDERSON to provide youth from NAN commun-ities with the opportunity to enhance I n June 2016, over two-dozenThe Oshkaatisak Council, alsotheir leadership skills, while advocating young, Indigenous people fromknown as the youth council, wasfor First Nations rights at a regional, First Nations around north- established in the later 1980s as anational and international level.western Ontario travelled toresponse to the extraordinarily highCouncil members meet regularly, Ottawa to present Prime Minister Justinsuicide rate in NAN communities.roughly six times a year, usually in Trudeau with the Nishnawbe AskiIt functions as an advisory council,Thunder Baythough, McNally says Nation Youth Declaration, a documentconsisting of 10 young peoplethey would like to start meeting more in asserting the rights of Indigenous youth.between the ages of 18 and 29 fromFirst Nation communitiesto discuss The historic opportunity wasNAN communities in northwesternconcerns. Each council member is also made possible in part by NishnawbeOntario. The council membersassigned a portfolio, such as educa-Aski Nations Oshkaatisak (All Youngwork to promote empowermenttion, child welfare or health, and theyre Peoples) Council. They are the voiceand engagement amongst youth inexpected to attend committee meetings, for the youth of the 19 First Nationstheir communities.forums and special events where they can here in NAN, explains Polly-AnnaThe youth in their communitiesdiscuss those issues. McNally, the Manager of Women andwill approach them on issues that areBasically, thats their role, just to be Youth for Nishnawbe Aski Nationconcerning them. Its up to the youththe voice of the youth, says McNally. (NAN). They were the first youthto bring that to the Chiefs assemblies,They contribute to those conversations, council in Canada to ever have theand let them know whats going on,and have those dialogues about what is Prime Ministers ear. says McNally.going on with the youth in the commun-ities, and they come up with solutions. Each year, the Oshkaatisak council plans NANs annual youth gathering, which brings upwards of 100 young people from NAN communities to Thunder Bay for the three-day event. The council members are responsible for creating the agenda, arranging for keynote speakers, planning workshops and more. Right now, the council is working on a youth leadership training program, a response to the recommendations from the Seven Youth Inquest, which exam-ined the deaths of seven First Nation youth who died while attending school in Thunder Bay. Once council members complete the training manual, which aims to equip young Indigenous people with the skills necessary to become Three council membersRandall, Linden and Wynonaattended the Youth Leadership Program week at Carleton University in July 2019.leaders in their communities, it will 38l ISSUE 2 2019/20C hIEfS ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazInE'