Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You spoke eloquently about youth in your opening comments. The question is: what should we be doing for northern youth so that they are supported in ways that allow them to flourish? A recent Conference Board of Canada report identified youth as one of the three key areas of northern policy.
As a society that will depend on our youth in the future, we need to help and support our young people. We know that they face disproportionate challenges growing up, educational and cultural, economic and social, but we also know that our youth are strong, intelligent, capable, and resilient. Support for young people will help them, their families, and Northern society overall.
Mr. Speaker, we must lead the way with public policy initiatives that will create positive outcomes for young people.
A strong sense of cultural identity and belonging builds strength and independence amongst young people as they navigate a changing world. Land-based cultural programs in all grades, like the one founded at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, lead to young adults who are better adjusted to confront life's challenges.
Community-based healing is consistent with the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A whole-community approach to wellness will build resilience and nurture youth. Traditional healing practices and healthy coping mechanisms encourage and support resilience, leadership, and personal achievement.
We must encourage youth participation in public dialogue and decision-making. Civic engagement in youth leadership at all levels will support youth to become role models for their younger peers and help build community relationships, positivity, and trust.
Mr. Speaker, our youth will come through, if provided the chance, but it is on us to create the framework where that can happen. For them to succeed, we need a growing economy that provides opportunity. We need affordable housing and reasonable costs of living. We need educational opportunities that encourage them to be doctors, electricians, or traditional harvesters, as they choose; and, of course, they need a clean and protected environment that enables them to thrive.
Mr. Speaker, saying "the youth are our future" is true, but it isn't enough. We owe our young people concrete action that will make their world a place of opportunity. Let's support our youth in every way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.