42-2 Indigenous Youth leading the way

Youth hold the power to shift the dynamics of the world. If we want change, we must provide leadership support for youth in making change possible. Indigenous youth in particular continue to face racism and discrimination and are marginalized in society, but when they have a sense of belonging and a strong cultural identity they become resilient, powerful individuals. They have immersed roots through their ancestral lineage, wisdom, and intelligence. They are the future leaders for their communities.

Youth are the future of Indigenous communities, and strengthening youth leadership is essential in fostering the next generation of Indigenous leaders. Cultural Survival’s Indigenous Youth Community Media Fellowship Project, a part of the Community Media Grants Project, aims to support Indigenous youth ages 14–25 in building capacity in media, journalism, radio production, advocacy skills, technical abilities, and regional networking through trainings, community radio exchanges, radio production, and conference attendance.

Members of the Indigenous Youth Caucus were interviewed last April by Andrea Ixchiu (Maya K’iche, Guatemala), representative of the Latin American Council for Communication and Cinema of the Indigenous Communities, at the Indigenous Media Zone of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The following are excerpts of the interviews.