At MakeWay, our shared platform is home to over 60 projects based from coast to coast to coast. Initiatives benefit from the support of a mission-aligned community, charitable expertise, and shared resources, so they can focus on the work closest to their heart. Over the next few months, we’re sitting down with our shared platform projects to learn more about what they do.
Recently, we connected with the Western Arctic Youth Collective! Read on to find out all about them.
Where is your Project based? We are based in the Western Arctic region (the Beaufort Delta region) of the Northwest Territories. Our goal is to have a physical base in Inuvik to operate out of post-COVID-19.
When was your Project founded and by whom? WAYC is created by Inuvialuit and Gwich’in youth, for youth with connections to the Beaufort Delta region of the Northwest Territories. The original idea for this Project was first discussed in October 2018, when youth shared the value of gathering in the Beaufort Delta region on an annual basis. A leadership retreat for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation’s (IRC) Regional Youth Advisory Group (RYAG) and Gwich’in Tribal Council’s (GTC) Regional Youth Council (RYC) was coordinated to allow both groups to share their objectives and priorities, build relationships, and discuss potential collaborations for upcoming years; it was the first time both groups were brought together in that capacity. The first collaborations took place in 2019–a youth gathering at Midway Lake in August, and a hide culture camp at Project Jewel’s campsite in Gwich’in Territorial campgrounds in September. In March 2020, the Western Arctic Youth Collective (WAYC) became an official project of MakeWay. The Project Lead is Alyssa Carpenter, with the generous support and guidance from youth on the RYAG and RYC, as well as the 4Rs Youth Movement and their National Learning Community cohort program. Youth to recognize and appreciate for sharing their guidance, support, passion, and leadership are Nigit’stil Norbert, Jacey Firth-Hagen, Peter Greenland, Geraldine Blake, Melody Teddy, Jeannie Gruben, and Bobbi-Rose Koe.
What is your Project’s purpose? WAYC strives to create opportunities to prepare and support ongoing development to improve the lives of youth ages 18-35 years old. The purpose of this collective is to empower youth to be changemakers by providing a platform of youth-led collaborative initiatives and partnerships in their communities.
How has your Project changed since you joined the Shared Platform? Our vision came alive and we can finally share with others in our community. Our hard work paid off, finally, since initial conversations and ideas in October 2018. It has been amazing to share the project with our community members and Elders that believe in our youth and have high hopes and dreams. However, it has been an interesting journey to navigate during a pandemic. We joined the shared platform officially in March 2019 and had intentions of hosting our first steering committee training and strategic planning session and an in-person gathering. We had to pause and re-evaluate our launch and recruitment process and postpone the first gathering we intended to host with youth and other like-minded groups in the region this summer. The support, flexibility, and understanding from the shared platform and our Project Specialist has been amazing. This opportunity will allow us to build structure, policy, program development, and partnerships to come out of COVID-19 ready to create spaces youth are calling for in their communities. We are so excited to be part of that and share the experience with others.
What exciting activities are coming up for the Project? We have formed our youth steering committee and will host our first strategic planning and training session outside Inuvik October 2-4, 2020. We will be formalizing partnerships with other like-minded groups in the region, territory, and in other parts of Canada to create collaborative opportunities for youth in and connected to the region. We are also adapting to meet the youth requests for programming that can be done in small groups or virtually. Some of our activities include: providing a platform to share youth stories in the region (climate action, reconnection to language, learning to bead and sew, getting ready for post-secondary, returning home, etc.); virtual book clubs; virtual sewing circle; panels on topics like decolonization in the north, reconciliation, land advocacy, and so on.
If you have any questions about Western Arctic Youth Collective, or see opportunities to work together, reach out to their Project Specialist, Killulark Arngna’naaq. MakeWay’s shared platform provides operational support, governance and charitable expertise for changemakers. The shared platform enables more time and money to go towards achieving greater impact. MakeWay is a national charity that builds partnerships and solutions to help nature and communities thrive together.
