Engaging and supporting First Nation and Metis youth in Saskatchewan has never been more important.

As we speak, almost half of the Aboriginal population in our province is under the age of 20 and this corps of young people faces some of the biggest challenges out there …. highest poverty indicators, suicide rate, unemployment, incarceration and the foster care system are all impacting our kids in the worse way.

But there is plenty of reason to be hopeful looking into the future because some awesome people are doing amazing things to pave the way into the future.

Just look at this past month and think of hockey.

Kevin Roberts of Lac la Ronge – who, incidentally, is a former member of the Eagle Feather News team from a few years ago – coordinated the FSIN Youth Hockey Championships that saw Jemini Arena in Saskatoon busting with kids and families enjoying the sport and building character.

Roberts’ work back in La Ronge is a crucial part of a bustling recreation department that just bought a bus to help transport kids to sports around the territory.

In mid-April that arena was packed for the Western Canadian Native Championships hosted by Claude Petit. And in early May, Shelley Lavallee helped host the Oskana Cup in Regina.

All events were very successful and showed how much talent we have out there.

The proof of the value in our investment in our kids showed when both the boys and girls teams won gold at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships … again!

Those smiling faces on this month’s cover make us all proud. And thanks, of course, to photographer Jeff Watson of Athletes Image Sports Photography in Ontario for that great image.

We have lots to be proud of and right now, young people are practicing their track and field for the First Nation Summer Games coming soon at Ochapowace First Nation.

Events like this give kids things to aim for and keeps them focused.

But sports aren’t for everyone so that is why I love going to events like the PotashCorp Mini Science Fair with Saskatoon Tribal Council kindergarten to Grade 5 students.

At this event, kids are engaged and put their inquisitive minds to learning about and explaining basic scientific principles.

In our community we have many people in careers like teacher, police officer and social worker, but not a lot in geology and engineering and other science based careers.

Science and math projects are investments we must continue to make. The economy in Saskatchewan is tied into our natural resources and careers are plentiful in the mining industry.

Those two subjects are pivotal foundations for these careers and there is no reason why these three young volcano builders (pictured above) can’t become engineers like the three gentlemen below.

 

It just takes time and patience and commitment to the cause.

To strengthen their communities and opportunities for youth, several northern leaders, both political and business, joined with Cameco folks and have headed to Ottawa to meet with federal officials and Ministers to tell them about the progress their communities have made by working together.

They will also learn how they can leverage training money and opportunities for their youth.

I’m in Ottawa with the Saskatchewan contingent and will be writing about the meetings in the coming days.

This trip is happening as we print this paper so you will have to go to our website to read about it.

Yes, we do have challenges, but every single day there are champions and leaders out there working to make the world a better place for our youth.

And if the youth aspire to be the next hockey star like Michael Ferland or a top notch engineer like Matthew Dunn – who just happens to be a world-class athlete, as well as a brilliant scholar ­– that is a good thing.  

Click here to read more from John and other Opinion & Columnists.