 Why personation or indigenous youth are important to me is I look at the social demographics of what's going on in the communities and I think they are a fundamental part of our society and we need to find ways in which they can become more part of the economic and social mainstream of Canada so that they can celebrate their success in their own way and that they can enjoy healthy and healthful lives. As a society we really come to terms with this truth and reconciliation and part of that is the truth and we're actually still learning truth. We're not done with the truth, we're still at this place of learning and that whole part of reconciliation is that this isn't something that's the government's job that's actually every person is coming to this table and coming with something that they can truly offer as indigenous on indigenous people so I see that across sectors that people are starting to own this conversation from my place back home all the way to Bay Street in Toronto. Nothing more important than starting with ceremony with our knowledge keepers. So what I'm going to ask of you is to share your name, introduce yourself, tell us where you're from, anything else you want to share with the group and then as well reflect on maybe one thing or something that has allowed you to be successful. Through my educational career I've had many many people who've helped guide me along the way. I also had a lot of support from my family specifically from my home community of Cody First Nation. A family that really knew and valued the education that I was putting in to go back and get my degree and without their support I wouldn't have been able to finish my degree when I did while also supporting my family with two kids. Understanding my history and how that has impacted me kind of just awoke things in me. I'm not afraid to say that I'm proud of where I come from now. I have more confidence in myself and I know that there are generations and generations of family that stand with me right now in this moment. Right from the beginning getting the support at home having it not be an option to go to school you had to go to school no matter what and that goes a long way. Growing up with that attitude of having to show up 98% is showing up. So that is a foundation of how I was able to succeed. I have a very early memory of a teacher when I had first gone to university and it was my first year and in front of my entire class he said no one will ever want to know your experience as an Indigenous person. And I'm like 22 and I'm sitting there going is this guy right? And I very easily could have walked out of the room crying but there was this moment where I felt my ancestors literally like turn me around and go no. You have to talk to him and so I rebutted him and I said no. Actually we are significant, we are powerful, we are made of magic. You can't deny that and I'm going to prove you wrong. When I was in my early 20s to meet a non-Indigenous woman who was working in the financial industry she grew up close to a reservation and had an affinity to it and a liking towards me and I think she was really instrumental in helping me get my foot in the door. He was my math and shop teacher, his name was Dale Skinner. He told me that we all have our good days, we all have our bad days and as soon as you're done high school you'll find what you want to do and just go day by day. So to me a good life. Well when I think about that phrase I think about the Cree word. Miopimatsuin and Miopimatsuin has more of a depth and breadth to the meaning of it than it does in English to me. So Miopimatsuin means that you're living true to who you are. You are living the way you want to. You're living in alignment with your teachings and traditions. When I go to for example this ceremony it's this act of balancing and I really find that it's a place where I can come and nurture that learner in me where it's slowing down and I'm coming back to this, this is actually what matters because in my work or just slugging it out with family sometimes it's like a lot of up here whereas coming back to the culture it really grounds you in a heart place. A good life means being able to contribute not only to your own well-being but the well-being of your community and your family. Being happy, laughing a lot, you know, having time to have fun and spend time with family because a lot of the times that's where I learn the most is hanging around with family, hanging around with my grandmother. I think having a good life is when our spiritual and our physical and our emotional are all healthy. Just as long as you're doing something that you love to do. Our Indigenous youth is everything! I am so excited about the future of Indigenous youth. The fact that our young, young Indigenous youth and not only that non-Indigenous youth across this country are learning about residential school for the first time in the history of Canada. What that means to me is that that generation is going to know the truth and they are going to be able to actually bring that forward and create a equitable Canadian future that really includes all of us. It might sound cliche, but I want Indigenous youth to dream and dream big and dream more. There's people that are coming together and saying, you know, this is something that we can champion and work together and ensure that Indigenous youth from all over the country can prosper and can have a good future. Especially in high school, I was very even ashamed to be Inuk and I never want anybody to go through that again. So part of why we do Hinani is that's why we're trying to celebrate the Inuk culture so much and get pride in people. That would get more stuff going on in our community and a lot of youths get to travel like what I got to do. I got to go to encounters with Canada when I was 16. Yeah, and it was fun. I think about the one-plus generations after us. I really want them to be able to feel confident about their ancestry, their type to this land or whatever land or peoples they've come from. It's important that that's a huge context of setting who you are. One of the pillars of my term of office is to seek and work on reconciliation and Indigenous culture. And to me, the events like today are so important to furthering those goals and assisting me in trying to achieve some of the work that I want to do. So I think it's very important that I participate in these kinds of events and listen and understand what the problems are and where do the solutions lie.