A Prince George resident has been named as a delegate to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Young Diplomats of Canada says Nipawi Kakinoosit, a member of the Sucker Creek Cree First Nation born in Prince George, has been named as head delegate.
Kakinoosit is one of three young Indigenous leaders from across the country to be chosen, and the only one in B.C.
The Forum itself is a high- level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, established in 2000 Â with the mandate to deal with Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.
“They (Young Diplomats of Canada) recognized there was a gap for Indigenous youth, and so they wanted to send a delegation to the 20th session this year,” he said.
The Forum usually meets every year at the UN Headquarters in New York, however this year it will be held online from April 19th to 30th.
The session in 2021 will focus on the theme: “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The Role of Indigenous Peoples in Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16”.
Kakinoosit says the forum will include discussions on the impact of the pandemic on Indigenous peoples in Canada, self-determination, participation and access to information and the protection of traditional knowledge.
“We are delighted to attend this Forum, eager to learn whatever we can, and devoted in the task of sharing what we learn with our communities, families, and Nations. We also wish to both thank and acknowledge the past 7 generations of Indigenous Leadership for standing up for our people. With this opportunity presented before us, we hope to, in some small degree, contribute to that work for the next 7 generations to come,” he said.
On top of the permanent forum, Kakinoosit is also involved with the Canadian Roots Exchange, an organization focused on facilitating dialogue on reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.
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