Feature stories

“I call upon the youth of the world . . .”

It is the siren call of the Olympic Games; at the conclusion of 16 days of intense competition, the president of the International Olympic Committee "calls upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now" for the next edition of the games. We heard Jacques Rogge issue the call in Torino in 2006. Now four year later, the youth of the world are indeed assembling in BC for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and along with them hundreds of young Aboriginals looking to explore the Olympic ideal and share in the experience of a lifetime.

To help celebrate what is being called the world's biggest potlatch, up-and-coming young Aboriginal leaders from across Canada are gathering in the traditional and shared traditional territories of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations for the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering. These young men and women will take part of an ambitious forum to explore and share their cultures through the Olympic Movement.

From January 30 - February 14, 2010, more than 300 First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth, aged 19 to 29, will experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be at Canada's Games in person, meet other Aboriginal youth from every province and territory in Canada and share their cultures through a range of activities and special events. They were selected after a nationwide call for applications earlier this year and represent all 11 Aboriginal language families, as well as the Métis language Michif. It is a tremendous opportunity to learn first-hand the vast diversity of Aboriginal cultures in Canada.

Participants will tour Olympic venues, watch the world's best athletes train and compete and meet sport heroes, business leaders and Aboriginal elders in person. They will also take part in cultural performances at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion and the GG's 2010 Olympic Truce Youth Dialogue: Promoting Mutual Understanding hosted by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on February 11.

"It is truly exciting to welcome all these young ambassadors from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities across the country to the traditional lands of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations where the 2010 Winter Games will take place," said Tewanee Joseph, executive director and CEO of the Four Host First Nations."

"This gathering is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be right in the centre of the action at the Games and play an important role in showcasing and sharing Aboriginal culture," he continued. "The 2010 Winter Games mark a time of transformation for our people, where we focus on the positive aspects of our culture. These young people represent a great hope and a brighter future for Aboriginal people for years to come."

The activities for the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth Gathering are connected to the pillars of the Olympic Movement: sport, culture, sustainability, as well as the objectives of the Olympic Truce (youth, action, legacy, awareness, and peace).

The gathering is part of a larger ongoing program to achieve unprecedented Aboriginal participation in the planning and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games by the Four Host First Nations and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) with the support of many partners.

In addition to the Government of Canada, the gathering is supported by BC Hydro, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Council of Yukon First Nations, as well as, the Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy fund, 2010 Legacies Now, and regional and national Aboriginal organizations.