This One is for the Youth

Spilling Labrador Tea Under Cedar Trees

We’re heading back up north to meet our neighbours in Alaska! Meet our new friend Charitie (listen to hear more about our meet-cute moment). Charitie encourages young people to connect and be proud of their culture and has worked hard to pass policy to allow students to wear their regalia at graduations - such a beautiful act of resistance!

Russian exploration in the 1700s introduced colonization using colonial tactics including enslaving Indigenous women. The United States ‘purchased’ Alaska from Russia in 1867 and later in 1885 the US Agent for Education in Alaska divided the territory based on the various religious groups in the region through the Alaska Community Plan. This policy determined which religious order was responsible for establishing schools and assimilating local nations in each specific area and continues to impact communities to this day.

Indigenous women in Alaska have been at the forefront of resisting colonization and fighting for civil rights. Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Tlingit woman, was instrumental in passing the Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945 to end legal discrimination against Alaska Natives. This was two decades before the civil rights act championed by Martin Luther King - how cool is that?!

So many Indigenous youth around the world are doing incredible and inspiring community work! We are so proud of ourselves and all of you! But also, what would we be doing if we did reach liberation? Spend some time today thinking about what this could look like. Use your imagination and dream big!