Resources
2021 Youth Summit for Mother Earth
Highlights from 2021
From September 25 to 26, 2021 environmental leaders from across the province gathered virtually for cross-cultural learning and knowledge sharing. In partnership with the Youth Council, the Youth Circle for Mother Earth partners and Coordinating Circle, this re-imagined gathering brought 92 young leaders and 12 youth mentors together.
These youth represented 54 communities across Ontario from as far as Windsor, Ottawa and Kenora, with youth identifying from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and cultures around the world. Youth also participated in group activities, outdoor challenges, virtual discussions and youth-led sessions on nature-inspired art, story sharing, Two-Eyed Seeing, climate action, environmental policy, biodiversity and networking.
This year’s keynote, Dr. Dan Longboat – Roronhiakewen (He Clears the Sky), shared stories, inspired the summit community to come together from different knowledge systems to solve the world’s complex issues, and reflect on how we are all interconnected.
2021 Youth Summit for Mother Earth Resources
2020 Virtual Youth Summit for Mother Earth
Highlights from 2020
From August 22 to September 19, 2020, environmental leaders from across the province gathered virtually for our first ever Virtual Youth Summit for Mother Earth.
92 young leaders and 12 youth mentors representing 55 communities across Ontario as far as Windsor, Cornwall Island and Kenora, with youth identifying from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and cultures around the world.
Workshops focused on traditional medicine, environmental policy, manoomin (wild rice) and more. Participants were able to participate in online discussions and youth-led sessions on baaga'adowewin (the sport of lacrosse and its importance to Indigenous peoples), learning Inuktitut, nature dance class, and story sharing.
Congratulations to Camryn and Orthi for completing the most individual challenges, and to the Earth 4 team (Francesca, Jackoby, Kaitlyn & Sissy) for their Run 4 Water event.
We were also lucky to have Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm from Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation as our keynote, who inspired participants to seek the truth and see the world from different perspectives.
2020 Keynote Speech: Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm
Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm has been an outspoken voice and activist, both nationally and internationally, on everything from climate change to Indigenous rights. Upon election as Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation government in 2018, Chief Tizya-Tramm highlighted youth involvement as a priority, reflecting the type of community leadership he has long demonstrated. Among his many accomplishments, Chief Tizya-Tramm was a founding member of “Youth of the Peel”, and was an inspiring cross-cultural leader in the movement to protect the Peel River Watershed (an area the size of Nova Scotia located in Northern Yukon that was recently protected thanks to the sustained efforts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples across the north).