TL;DR
Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family promotes cultural exchanges with other nations, to inspire their young men to start a Warriors program in their nation and connect with their territory. It gives youth a purpose; a chance to get involved and help their community.
Details
To highlight the work Creation Grantees are doing in their communities, the Creation Community Grants Team sends out Q&A forms so they can share their experiences creating and carrying out their projects. Today we are featuring responses from KC (respondent), Tyson, Amun, and Raven of Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family.
Community: Tla-o-qui-aht (Tofino), Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet), and Taku River Tlingit territories (Atlin)
Grant Type: Land and Food Sovereignty
Q: Tell us about your group and project!
A: Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family (NYWF) is a group for young men to go on their traditional territories, experience their culture, and immerse themselves in their local/traditional knowledge. The NYWF promotes cultural exchanges with other nations, to inspire their young men to start a Warriors program in their nation and connect with their territory. It gives youth a purpose; a chance to get involved and help their community. For example, we built a clam garden which allowed the community to regain access to a traditional food source that was lost.
“The boys are always excited to keep coming back.”
Q: As the youth running the project, what impact do you hope it will have?
A: I want the knowledge to circulate in the community rather than be gate-kept and eventually lost. I already see the young men experience their culture, their traditional way of life. I see them harvest. Things are already in motion, and I have the hope that it will continue to snowball even more.
Q: What is something you have learned?
A: This is the most I have been exposed to Elders in my life. It has allowed me to learn about old harvesting spots, traditional stories, medicine, and much more. The program also taught me to pass that knowledge forward to other youth so it can spread in the community. I learned to share that knowledge in a fun and engaging way, which makes it more accessible to everyone.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would share with other youth who want to run a project?
A: With every project, you need to be flexible and be open for your plans to change. Often you will plan things a certain way and then your plans will have to change from the original idea. Community will shape the project so your initial idea might change a lot based on what your community wants and needs.
