First Nations Youth Ask Canada's Prime Minister for Justice

"How do you, Justin, with all your politicians and representatives plan to right the wrongs of the past 22 elected prime ministers?" was the pointed question asked by a young woman today at a high school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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She further pressed Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on how he could allow Indigenous people to live in “Third World conditions,” referring to the processes of settler colonialism that have been afflicted on the population for centuries.

Trudeau responded by reiterating his election campaign-era catchphrase, that his government is committed to renewing the “nation-to-nation” relationship with Indigenous people.

He also went on to say that while the federal government has a lot of work to do, Indigenous people also have a lot of work to do, and that working in collaboration will move things forward.

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Earlier this month, the Aboriginal community of Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency in response to the high number of suicide attempts, many of them by youth.

The new Liberal government has committed US$8.4 billion over the next five years to improve the lives of Indigenous people, but young people question whether this is empty rhetoric.

Another student pressed the leader by asking why the promises he made when he was elected as prime minister are taking so long.

Trudeau responded by saying that changes within the government take time.

Earlier this month, the government announced it is working on a plan to address the rise in the number of suicides in rural Indigenous communities.