A program, called Alberta’s Future Leaders, is helping Native youth to prepare for leadership roles in their communities.

Four to five young people, ages 15 to 25, who show potential future leadership qualities, are identified in host communities.  Alberta Future Leader’s summer youth workers mentor these future leaders as sport and recreation activity leaders during a three year period.  They are encouraged to stay in school, attend post secondary education and return to their communities as “quality role models.”

Sixty-five Native youth attended a three-day seminar at Camp Nakamun, near Busby, Alberta in mid-March 2000. The Youth Leadership Development seminar at Camp Nakamun was the culmination of youth leadership development initiatives with these future leader candidates.

Following the workshop, each community will arrange for work opportunities for the youth, which may include organizing summer programs and activities for other young people.

The program started in 1996 with seven pilot host communities.  Community leaders report less vandalism and fewer youth on probation as a result of the program.

Gateway Rotary Club combined with Alberta Sport, recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Sport Albert and Health Canada in sponsoring the three day workshop. The participant youth were drawn from 21 Native communities in Alberta.

Some of the host communities include: Fort Chipewyan, Tsuu T’ina, Assumption, Slave Lake, Conklin, Sunchild and O’Chiese, Edmonton Inner City, Janvier, Kikino, Talltree, Woodland, Gift Lake, Meander River, Morley, Trout Lake, Wabasca/Desmarais, Grande Cache, Fort McMurray, Buffalo Lake, Whitefish, and Alexis.

Alberta's greatest resource is its youth. They are our future leaders for a healthy, active and prosperous province.

The Native Justice Initiatives Unit of the Department of Justice approached the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation with a concern as to the high percentage of indigenous youth who were in difficulty with the law.

Recent surveys dealing with indigenous youth in Alberta indicates that while the indigenous population of Alberta accounts for approximately 7% of the total population,

· 21% of the community corrections youth cases are indigenous:
· in central and northern areas of Alberta, approximately 65% of the youth in custody are indigenous;
· 46% of child welfare cases in Alberta involve indigenous children;
· 50% of the indigenous population, over the age of 19, have not completed High School;
· in northern communities unemployment rates are as high as 90%;
· in some indigenous communities, as many as 90% of the Youth are abusing alcohol, drugs or solvents: many as early as age 12 or 13;
· and the suicide rate is five to six times the national average in the 15 to 24 year age group for indigenous people.

Note: The average cost of incarceration is $125,000 per young offender, per year.

These statistics are not a reflection of a new trend; the problem has been in existence for many years. It is to be expected that some increase in the problem will occur in light of current social change and uncertainties. High rates of unemployment, lack of community cohesion, family breakdown, suicides, boredom, lack of positive role models for youth and a lack of pride and hope by young people in indigenous communities is being observed. To quote a Chief from the Blood Reserve:

“The future strength of any nation is a direct reflection of the strength of its young people. Not only do the young people form the foundation for future leadership, but they also provide the positive or negative role models for the generations that will follow them.”

Numerous studies have demonstrated that sport and recreation are excellent vehicles to develop positive motivation, discipline, self-esteem and confidence in young people. Research has also shown that youth involved in sporting activities are significantly less likely to become involved in pattern and activities that are unacceptable to society. A coach once said,

“…the boy who steals second base isn’t stealing cars...the boy shooting baskets isn’t shooting himself or someone else.”

The Report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba, in its analysis of crime statistics of 1989, showed an average reduction of youth crime of 49% in the eight aboriginal communities where Summer Sport Camp programs were introduced. The major success of this program was attributed to youth leadership initiatives, which accompanied the sports programs.