Youth pictured left to right: Dana Small, Elijah Williams, Tiyanee Stevens, Stirling Tait, Patrick Guno
5 Nisga’a youth traveled to Ottawa to participate in the 5th National Modern Treaty Negotiation and Implementation Simulation hosted by the Gordon Foundation and the Land Claims Agreement Coalition on February 26th and 27th2023.
The 30 national youth participants were divided into three groups each representing a fictitious First Nations group named the Glacier Lake First Nations, the Yukon Government (territorial), and the Government of Canada (federal). The three groups were tasked with negotiating a Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan to address the over-harvesting of the herd’s declining population.
Each group was supported by experienced advisors who have negotiated real world agreements during their respective careers. Advisors included Frank Dragon, negotiator for Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations (KCFN), Robin Bradasch, Director of Governance at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), and Lisa Hutton of CIRNAC’s Yukon Branch, Dave Joe and Dr. John B. Zoe – Yukon Umbrella Agreement and Tłı̨chǫ Agreement negotiators. On the first day, the youth had a chance to speak to the advisors and ask them questions regarding treaty negotiation and implementation.
They were then presented with their mandate letters which instructed each group through the scenario. The three groups were to write a proposal outlining what their party wanted to see in the recovery plan. Once the proposals were ready, the youth took to the negotiating table. The youth each enacted a specific role during the negotiations including the lead negotiator, chair, and notetaker. The negotiations were intense at times however, the youth were successful in negotiating an agreement which they presented to the entire group at the end of the second day.
The negotiation simulation was designed to give emerging Indigenous leaders the experience of real world negotiation situations as well as encourage the research of their own modern treaty agreements. T’ooyaksim nisim to the Gordon Foundation and the LCAC for inviting the Nisga’a youth to participate, as well as the Nisga’a Lisims Government and leadership for the continued support and encouragement of Nisga’a youth in modern treaty education. Si'aamhl wilsim!
