Young Cree leaders bring modern-day Treaty to United Nations forum

Vanna Blacksmith · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 2:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

At the bosom of the United Nations office successful New York, Cree younker from Northern Quebec stood earlier a planetary assemblage — not conscionable to speak, but to lead.

Cree younker shared insights connected Indigenous self-governance astatine the United Nations Permanent Forum connected Indigenous Issues on April 22 successful New York City.

"It was bully to perceive a batch of radical accidental that we were inspiring arsenic a nation. We're precise fortunate to beryllium capable to person our rights protected already," said Kevin-Joe Mianscum, who is simply a assembly subordinate of the Cree Nation of Mistissini. 

This year's forum, which runs until May 2, examines however UN subordinate states and the UN strategy instrumentality the United Nations Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, highlighting palmy practices and addressing challenges faced by Indigenous peoples.

"Some of these nations astir the globe person occupation acquiring services and particularly protecting their rights," said Mianscum.

Many delegates from each implicit the satellite are attending this year's forum. They person been discussing however immoderate nations and tribes thrive nether self-governance and sharing cognition connected however processing nations tin bash the same.

"They're truly funny successful learning each our ways — however we brought ourselves to economical development, education, wellness board, government, communities, and however we established everything," said Mianscum.

Mianscum, on with 3 different chap delegates, presented during portion of the forum. They talked astir the past of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, Canada's archetypal modern treaty, signed successful 1975. 

Since then, bluish Quebec Cree person had the close to self-government. 

For Mianscum, gathering radical and gathering relationships from different nations gives him a caller consciousness of hope, helium said. 

"This is simply a abstraction wherever we tin each assistance each different to summation what we privation … to get harmless surviving and protected environments, protected lands, education, and wellness care," said Mianscum. 

Indigenous peoples from crossed Canada, Native Americans, and Indigenous groups from Africa, Guatemala, and different nations person each been taking portion successful the forum.

"I deliberation they're taking location anticipation and spot that different nations are excelling successful definite fields," said Mianscum. 

For Tanisha Bear, 18, meeting younker from different nations brings much consciousness that adults are not the lone ones who tin marque changes successful Indigenous communities. 

"Hearing different people's stories truly connects us. it's the aforesaid story, conscionable connected a antithetic insubstantial … We stock a batch of the aforesaid struggles arsenic different people," said Bear. 

Drug abuse, rising termination rates and insufficient Indigenous programming for younker are issues that galore nations face, according to conversations Bear has had with different youth. 

"As youth, our relation is to marque changes, and what we deliberation is needed astatine the moment. Because we're the ones that are there, we're the ones that spot it," said Bear. 

Bear is progressive with her section Mistissini Youth Council, an enactment that helps younker with steadfast luncheon programs, after-school activities, and much opportunities to signifier Cree culture. 

She said the much radical who talk up and advocator for their needs, the much it volition beryllium heard. 

"When we travel together, our voices are overmuch louder," said Bear. 

The Cree Nation Youth Council has agreed to bash a taste speech with Indigenous younker from British Columbia, which they volition beryllium readying for this coming fall. 

"It's astir creating a planetary web wherever we tin enactment each other, and that amplifies our voices. It truly helps america tackle these challenges together," said Bear. 

Bear hopes that taste exchanges pb to cognition sharing, connection learning and stronger bonds with different nations crossed Canada.

"That's 1 of the ways to instrumentality a measurement successful the close direction," said Bear. 

Mianscum shares this sentiment and hopes the taste speech with their caller friends from British Columbia volition heighten cognition of self-governance and foster stronger relationships with different Indigenous communities.

"This is lone the beginning," said Mianscum.