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Oshkaatisak Council & Development Office

Oshkaatisak Council & Development

Formerly Known as The Decade for Youth

Based on input from the youth at a Suicide Prevention Conference in January 2000 , NAN Chiefs strengthened their commitment to young people by directing the NAN organizations, agencies and community's response to the challenges to youth into the next millennium.  NAN Chiefs did this by adopting a youth development approach through Resolution 00/17, which calls for the years 2001-2010 to be the NAN Decade for Youth & Development.  This declaration seeks to address more effectively the problems of young men and women and to increase opportunities for their participation in NAN communities.

As the "Decade for Youth" drew to a close the NAN Youth Council requested NAN Chiefs to accept a new name...

during the Keewaywin Chiefs Meeting 2009 the Youth Council was formally renamed...

Oshkaatisk (All Young People's) Council!

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Giinoogaming youth at 2006 Treaty Commemoration

Youth Development what is it?

By youth we mean people aged 12 to 29 years inclusive.  By youth development we mean growing up and developing the skills and attitudes young people need to take part in society, now and in the future. Youth participation is defined as including the following components:

Economic participation, which relates to work and to development;

Political participation, which relates to decision-making processes and distribution of power;

Social participation, which relates to community involvement and the peer group;

Cultural participation, which relates to the arts, music, cultural values and expression, and spirituality

The philosophy underlying NAN Youth Development is the concept of youth empowerment that concentrates on the growing opportunities for young people and their achievement in society, but recognizes that much of the potential of youth is yet to be realized.

Oshkaatisak Council & Development office has been set up to:

Enhance awareness of NAN Youth & Development, its goals, objectives and philosophy

Enhance awareness of the situation of youth and increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of youth

Promote NAN youth policies, NAN youth coordinating mechanisms and NAN youth programmes of action as integral parts of social and economic development

Strengthen the participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels in order to increase their impact on the development of NAN communities.

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 NAN Decade YC members and Kingfisher Lake youth at National Cree Gathering in Moose Cree First Nation, August 2006

 NAN Drum at Mishkeegogamang Powwwow, August 2005

For more information about programs and activities of Oshkaatisak Development Office, and to find out more about the NAN Oshkaatisak Youth Council, please call or email at:

1-800-465-9952



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