Dozens of youth from across Canada have gathered in Ohsweken, Ont. to cultivate a sense of understanding and build new relationships. Honouring Indigenous Peoples, a non-profit organization, is hosting their National Youth to Youth (Y2Y) program in Six Nations of the Grand River this week. The goal is to foster reconciliation, environmental stewardship and cultural understanding among young people from different walks of life. “We take 50 youth from across the country, 25 Indigenous, 25 non-Indigenous, from the ages of 15 to 17,” Samantha Westlands, Honouring Indigenous People’s assistant to the executive director, explained. “We bring them all here. We do a different province each year.” This is the fourth year the annual Youth to Youth gathering has been held. “In the first year we did it in Winnipeg, Manitoba and we learned from the Anishinaabe. Then we did it in B.C. where we learned from all kinds of Coast Salish nations. Then we did it in Nova Scotia with Mi’kmaq and now we’re doing it here with the Haudenosaunee confederacy in Six Nations,” Westlands said. Honouring Indigenous Peoples receives hundreds of applications for the Y2Y program, and that number is whittled down to the final 50. Throughout the week, participants share experiences, including outdoor activities and leadership development programs, in hopes of inspiring them to become advocates for change and the preservation of Indigenous traditions. “Me, personally, I’m Red River Metis, and I think this program is amazing,” Blake Paradis, a participant from Nelson, B.C., said. “It’s lots of learning experiences, lots of listening, which can be hard at times, but it’s been really good.” Westland said they are mindful of making sure potential financial constraints don’t preclude someone from taking part. Instead, the organization relies on fundraising and grants to ensure the youth don’t have to worry about the cost of travel, accommodations or food. “We would never deny someone based on how much their flight cost or whether it’s a flying community.” Exploring the past with hope for the future Part of this year’s event included a tour of the former residential school in Brantford, Ont. known as the Mohawk Institute Residential School. It is considered to be Canada’s longest continuously running residential school and operated from 1828 until 1970. The facility was unveiled as an Interpretive Historic Sire and Educational Resource in September 2025. “I think that the most important thing that we’ve done so far has been going to the residential school,” Paradis said. “That was a very intense thing for a lot of students, but that was a very important experience that many people didn’t even really know about.” Participants also met Phyllis Webstad, the founder of Orange Shirt Day. The day takes place every Sept. 30 and honours Webstad’s story. She was forced to attend residential school when she was six. While she was there, she had a new orange shirt given to her by her grandmother taken away. “They went through so much, but they’re still strong,” Leiija Sinclair, a non-Indigenous participant of the program from Brampton, Ont., said. “They have their culture. They’re still expanding and fighting for their land and doing what’s right.” Westlands said part of the experience is creating a safe space for learning. “Anti-Indigenous racism is still prominent in Canada,” Westlands said. “The biggest takeaway is usually just realizing that they’re not so different. It’s those cross-cultural friendships,” Wetlands said.
