Life as an Upcoming Indigenous Youth
July 5th, 2023
Growing up, I would say that my society and environment did not attend to my needs as they should have, but I still got a positive and negative toll from it.
Coming from an Indigenous background, being a minority and going through years on intergenerational trauma taught me to grow up before I had to, but it also taught me how to be independent and resourceful, although my community was rough, and unfit. For my own society, I grew up in a low-income world, full of crime and lack of several things. First off, education was hard. Schools made me feel that my succession in life wasn’t important and staff seemed like they didn’t care, making me not want to continue. Crime and violence were a part of everyday life, my family suffered the generations of trauma which I was being shown. The lack of basic needs in my life such as being able to afford food, my family being wreck less with money and the consequences coming onto myself. Even though, my society growing up was harsh and scary, it still taught me many valuable lessons, and took me to places to continue my growth. The community resources and offers that I had growing up were group homes that took me in, Social Workers, Youth Support workers, counselling and more. Throughout this I also got to keep my culture intact with activities such as smudging, beadwork, and going to Powwows.
Even though life isn't always going to meet your needs, there will always be events and resources to change your lifestyle. Just because you grew up there, does not mean you have to stay there.
An activity that was most memorable to me as a child was when my family took me to a city, and I remember that I was thinking in my head that this is how I want to live my life. That knowing that being stuck in the hood was something I didn't always want to live with. Overall, coming to the city was always my favourite activity, as it gave me reminders of what my future can hold.
"If my spirit can survive living with you for 18 years, then I can survive anything" -Beth Heke (Rena Owen) in "Once Were Warriors"
EGADZ provides youth-directed programs and services to children and their families that improve their quality of life and meet their needs.