We found that around half of parents and caregivers in Canada believe their children aged 9 to 19 are struggling right now, two years into a global pandemic. But children and young people are a diverse group. We do a disservice when we don’t dig into what different young people face, depending on their unique identities and experiences.
“This is not the first crisis faced by Indigenous youth,” says Resetting Normal: The Impacts of COVID-19 on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Youth. Released in March 2022, this report is co-authored by Taylor Arnt and Courtney Vaughan with contributor Tori Chief Calf. The report goes onto say that “inequalities are amplified in emergency situations, which result in the most devastating social, health and economic impacts of the virus being borne disproportionately by Indigenous peoples.... Amidst these challenges, Indigenous youth continue to resist settler colonialism in remarkable ways: by advocating for their rights to be upheld, by revering the matriarch, Two-Spirit and elder leadership of their communities, and by protecting the lands and waters we call home. The contributions made by Indigenous youth to building a more equitable and sustainable society must be given due recognition.”
We had the honour of interviewing Taylor Arnt and Tori Chief Calf on the report and the survey of Indigenous young people it’s based on.
Taylor Arnt (she/they) is of mixed Anishinaabe and European heritage, from Treaty 1 territory near Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is a member of Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve, and now resides as a guest on  Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səl̓ilwətaɬ territory. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management and has five years of work experience throughout the federal public service, nonprofit, and Indigenous governance sectors. As the second Indigenous Peoples Specialist hired by the Canadian Red Cross, Taylor deployed to 10+ First Nations communities, assisting them through public health and climate crises. Now working as a Policy Analyst for the BC Assembly of First Nations, Taylor advocates for the title and treaty rights of the 203 First Nations communities across British Columbia. She is beginning her Master of Arts in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia in September 2022.
Tori Chief Calf is Blackfoot from the Kainai First Nation, located in Treaty 7 territory in southern Alberta. She is currently in her last year at the University of British Columbia studying social work, where she has a particular interest in social justice, advocacy, and supporting Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities. In her free time, Tori loves to read, dance, go for long walks, and spend time with those she loves.
Read Resetting Normal: The Impacts of COVID-19 on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Youth in English, Inuktitut, or French.
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