In our third installment of Communities of Wealth Podcast we are exploring the experience of one of our Youth Advisors, Sam Kloetstra. Sam Mukwa Kloetstra is an Anishinaabe youth from Mattagami First Nation. Sam is an advocate for Indigenous youth, nation-building, and community wellbeing. He has been an advisor to the Ontario Minister of Education and has sat on the Ontario Premier’s Council for Youth Opportunities. Sam continues to work in influencing change in youth focused health and education policy. He is a vocal advisor on the Toronto Indigenous Health Advisory Circle, Toronto Indigenous Affairs Committee, and the Toronto Drug Strategy Panel. We explore the experiences of Sam and Shanna (yes Shanna is also a Youth Advisor for OIYPP!) in being introduced to OIYPP and playing various advisory and grantee roles over the last few years. We discuss the desires of Indigenous young people, and what the philanthropic sector can do to better support their visions.

"I don't really like the industry of Philanthropy just because it's based on the idea that somehow the transfer of funds is somehow a 'gift' or a 'favour' instead of just restitution and reparations. But I do like OIYPP. " - Sam Kloetstra

Co-Hosts and Guests:

Sam Mukwa Kloetstra (@mukwas) is an Anishinaabe youth from Mattagami First Nation. Sam is an advocate for Indigenous youth, nation-building, and community wellbeing. He has been an advisor to Ontario Minister of Education and has sat on the Ontario Premier’s Council for Youth Opportunities. Sam continues to work in influencing change in youth focussed health and education policy. He is a vocal advisor on the Toronto Indigenous Health Advisory Circle, Toronto Indigenous Affairs Committee, and the Toronto Drug Strategy Panel. Sam continues to amplify Indigenous youth voices through his work with the Toronto Indigenous Youth Collective.

Shanna Peltier (@shannapeltier) - Shanna Peltier is a proud Anishinaabe kwe who grew up in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory located on the beautiful Mnidoo Mnis (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. Shanna is a Ph.D. student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) - University of Toronto. Her research hopes to explore and conceptualize a critical stance on Indigenous mental health in the areas of suicide prevention and life promotion with Indigenous communitites. She also holds various advisory and representative positions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project (OIYPP).

Thea Belanger (@theabear) - Thea Belanger is an Anishinaabe member of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. Coming from a long line of artists and activists, she has seen firsthand the power of Indigenous youth to creatively respond to the issues and challenges facing their communities. As the Director of the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Program, a province-wide charitable initiative, she champions the voices of Indigenous Youth and empowers them to create projects that deepen their connections to culture and community while educating and preparing them to navigate the complex world of philanthropy and social change.

Learn more about the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project: http://www.oiypp.ca/  and @oiypproject.

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members!

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Production Co. (velvet.tine.productions@gmail.com) & Pat Peltier Music.