The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples’ (CAP) National Youth Council (NYC) and the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) began collaborating in September 2019 to develop and implement a multi-year strategy to engage off-reserve Indigenous youth in the conversation of gender equality and to support more youth in becoming gender equality champions. This project is rooted in the traditional ways in which gender roles were respected and held in balance in Indigenous communities across Canada, communities where everyone was respected for the gifts they had, and everyone had a place in the circle.
Everyone Has a Place in the Circle
2020 Gender Equity Toolkit
This project will act as a Bundle, a place where we keep all of our teachings and sacred medicines, offering a holistic approach to gender equity through a specifically Indigenous lens. While this Bundle is geared towards engagement with Indigenous communities, it is hoped this resource can also enhance non-Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA individuals, women, girls, men and boys’ awareness and understanding of the diversity and beauty of Indigenous cultures and healing practices. This Bundle consists of gender equity toolkit “Everyone has a Place in the Circle”, a resource guide filled with various supports offered nationally, and a sibling workshop to engage youth with the material.
Next Steps
As a part of this bundle, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) offers a virtual workshop titled “Everyone Has a Place in the Circle” for Indigenous Youth across Turtle Island. This workshop is co-led by a youth and an Elder, with the intention that Indigenous histories and teachings be woven throughout. Trauma-informed, this workshop provides a space for youth to come together online to learn about gender equity and the real impacts of colonialism. It also sheds light on tools that youth can rely on to enact change within communities as gender equity champions. More information for workshop schedules will be posted on our social media.