Young, passionate and well-spoken, students from across the territory took their seats at the legislative assembly on Thursday, May 11 for a Youth Parliament session.
Thursday was the culmination of a week of drafting and discussing motions, meeting with MLAs and getting a firsthand look at the democratic process. Nineteen youth in grades nine and 10, each representing one region of the territory, took part in the 15th annual Youth Parliament.
For many of them, the issues they advocated for hit close to home. Angus James Capot-Blanc from Fort Liard, representing Nahendeh, gave an impassioned speech on the mental health crisis in his community.
鈥淚t is spreading fast and it's affecting mainly the youth in the communities, which is pretty sad because that's our next generation,鈥� he said during a break in Thursday's session.
Myha Martin, a resident of Inuvik representing Inuvik Twin Lakes, described how elders are suffering from cultural loss and addictions, something she wants to solve by creating more work and travel opportunities throughout the region.
The effects of travel costs for remote communities was a huge concern for many of the youth, including Kyran Alikamik from Ulukhaktok. 鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 very unreasonable,鈥� he said of the $4,000 cost of airfare from his community to the territory's capital. Another danger Alikamik warned about is drug trafficking and consumption, in particular substances laced with fentanyl .
For Alikmak, the experience of territorial politics weighed heavily on him. 鈥淚鈥檓 experiencing it right now and I鈥檓 sitting on the chairs and I feel like there鈥檚 a lot of pressure. I can make a decision but that can also influence others decisions, right?鈥� he said. 鈥淢e making decisions for a quite large population is too much pressure for me, a little too much.鈥�
While Alikmak said Youth Parliament has made him realize politics is not for him, others plan to continue after this experience. Capot-Blanc said politics is one of his passions, along with playing music, singing and repairing things.
A list of the students who took part in Youth Parliament from May 8 to 12. Photo courtesy of Government of Northwest Territories.
At the legislative assembly on Thursday, May 11, were in the front row, from left, legislative officer Heather Riviere, committee clerk Michael Ball and Danielle Mager, manager of public affairs and communications for the legislative assembly of the NWT. In the back row, from left, are MLA Kam Lake Kieron Tesart, Speaker for the Youth Parliament Rianna Camsell and Yellowknife Centre鈥檚 Julie Green. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Angus James Capot-Blanc, left, representing Nahendeh and Robert Paddock representing Frame Lake listen as Ivan Ceria, representing Yellowknife Centre, speaks about the problem of homelessness on the streets Yellowknife on Thursday, May 11 at the legislative assembly. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Nicole Biggs, left, Allana Zettler and Alvin Kollannoor listen as Anusha Sivakumar, right, speaks on the dangerous effects of arsenic on her constituency Kam Lake on Thursday, May 11 at the GNWT legislative assembly. The delegates spent a week researching, meeting with their MLAs and discussing issues of concern for the constituencies they represented at the week-long Youth Parliament. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Victoria Tweedie-Pitre, right, respresenting Hay River North, Nicole Biggs, representing Mackenzie Delta, Allana Zettler representing Sahtu, and Alvin Kollannoor representing Yellowknife North, in a model sitting at the GNWT legislative assembly on Thursday, May 11. Tweedie-Pitre speaks about how the cost of air travel is stunting the growth of her community Hay River, in her statement to the 18 delegates of the 15th Youth Parliament. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Speaker for the Youth Parliament Rianna Camsell keeps her 17 MLAs on task and following protocol, during the 15th Youth Parliament on Thursday, May 11 at the legislative assembly. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Emma Willoughby, left, representing Great Slave, Aidan Allan, representing Yellowknife South and Myha Martin, representing Inuvik Twin Lakes, listen as delegates debate on a motion to regulate the sale of marijuana in the GNWT legislative assembly on Thursday, May 11. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Victoria Tweedie-Pitre, top, representing Hay River North, Nicole Biggs, representing Mackenzie Delta, Allana Zettler representing Sahtu, and Alvin Kollannoor representing Yellowknife North, listen to a debate on mandatory indigenous language learning at the GNWT legislative assembly on Thursday, May 11 for the 15th Youth Parliament in the Northwest Territories. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Myha Martin, right, representing Inuvik Twin Lakes, Lisa Boutilier, representing Hay River South, and Macayla Flett-DaCorte, representing Thebacha, during a sitting in the Youth Parliament at the Government of the Northwest Territories legislative assembly on May 11. Boutilier responded to a motion to regulate marijuana across the territory, which passed with 14 votes for, three against and one abstention. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
Emma Willoughby, left, representing Great Slave, Aidan Allan representing Yellowknife South, Myha Martin representing Inuvik Twin Lakes and Lisa Boutilier representing Hay River South stand during a vote for a motion to train teachers across the territory on youth mental health on Thursday, May 11 at the Government of the Northwest Territories legislative assembly. Emelie Peacock/黑料吃瓜网 Photo
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