Background: The Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA) is a non-profit formed to support the healing of families, engage youth, and build leadership skills in the seven generations. We seek to do this by cultivating healing through connection to culture, Indigenous spirituality, and community. This work has been inspired and informed by the youth in our community. 

What:  Young Warrior Society (or another name our inaugural mentors prefer)

This program seeks to pair adults with youth in a way that supports their unique needs and interests. The adult would meet regularly with the youth and would also attend quarterly events to build community within our program. Mentors would also meet with one another to problem solve and share resources to support our youth collectively. The goal of this mentorship program is to support our youth during the difficult transition from child to adult life.

Why: Our youth belong to the community. When one of our youth suffers it is a community responsibility to respond! 

In 2018 we conducted a youth survey. The survey showed that our youth are experiencing high rates of anxiety, depression, and grief. Many youth shared common stressors were relationships with peers and romantic partners as well as parents and families. We also know that we have lost many youth to violence, drugs, and depression. We are all personally connected to a youth that has been lost. 

Over many years we have met as a community to discuss the youth crisis in our community. As part of our participation in these working groups we have learned about the needs of our youth, our traditional practices that supported this transition before colonization, and we have heard from our community that there are many adults willing to help! 

Our youth also told us what they want. They are seeking adults who will guide them rather than direct them. They are looking for people who will listen. They want connection to our Culture, community, and opportunities to participate in activities geared toward their own interests. 

The Program: Connecting with your mentor means regularly communicating with them, attending events, and participating actively throughout the program. We will also seek out opportunities for you to grow in your area of interests and personal goals