4th Annual National Youth Panel


Each year, the National Youth Panel is held along with the CANDO Annual National Conference & AGM. CANDO believes it is imperative to recognize and honor leaders, particularly Aboriginal youth from across Canada. One of the many highlights at the CANDO conference is our National Youth Panel. Over the years CANDO has continually realized featuring a youth panel is essential and hosting this event has allowed Aboriginal youth who are pursing their dreams to speak their ways of success at our conference.  Their voices are heard, their achievements are shared and their challenges are revealed!

CANDO receives countless nominations and unfortunately we can only select six Aboriginal youth participants. Each year the CANDO Board, Conference Committee and CANDO Staff select the youth based upon their strengths, their initiatives, their accomplishments, their entrepreneurial spirit of launching their careers, and their participation within their communities.  On behalf of the CANDO Board of Directors, Conference Committee and CANDO Staff we would like to congratulate this year’s 2008 Annual National Youth Panelists! Congratulations Aaron Marchant, Travis Badger, Donald Bear, Elissa Kixen, George Awashish, and Robert Horton!

This year’s guest moderator is Nathaniel Arcand. He is a renowned and talented actor winning many awards for his prestigious acting skills. His passion for acting began at the age of five, over the years this created an opportunity when he auditioned for the hit CBC TV series “North of 60.” He has since starred in many major films, such as, “American Outlaws”, “Lone Ranger”, “Pathfinder”, “Grey Owl", and “Elektra" to name a few. His current lead role is CBC's newest TV series "Heartland." When it comes to teaching the inside secrets of the business of acting, no actor is more familiar than Nathaniel Arcand, one quote he shares to inspire youth is, "I am the power to begin. I am willing to risk the loss of what I have been and grow to what I can become.” CANDO is honored to have Nathaniel Arcand moderate this year’s youth panel, as we know he will deliver the most memorable presentation yet!

We encourage you to come and meet these exceptional individuals.  All you have to do is join us and attend this year’s 4th Annual National Youth Panel. Nathaniel Arcand and the youth panelists will be presenting on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008. These Aboriginal leaders will definitely inspire and enlighten you as they express their knowledge, experience and initiatives; in the meantime here is a glimpse of this year’s selected youth.
 
Aaron Marchant is from Squamish Nation Skwxwu7mesh Uxwumixw in British Columbia. Currently, Aaron works for his community as the Special Project Coordinator and is the primary contact for the Four Host First Nations where he works on initiatives leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Aaron has been instrumental in developing a first class First Nations Snowboarding Team that spans from Vancouver, Interior and Northern BC as well as Washington State. As an entrepreneur, Aaron recently invested in a Wood Mizer sawmill and also invests in real estate. His nominator tells us Aaron is a multi-talented person, advocating and educating members who are experiencing challenges, providing motivation and empowerment to youth about living a healthy lifestyle in mind, body and spirit, all the while ensuring he spends quality time with his son and wife.

Travis Badger is from Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Alberta. Currently, Travis works for the ihuman Youth Society as a Fashion Program Coordinator and has been apart of the ihuman Youth Society for the past ten years. At age 19, Travis struggled to overcome a drug habit and one way that he was able to escape this lifestyle was through art. Travis’ life long goal was to become a famous fashion designer; his passion for fashion design began when he was young child, he would make clothes for his sister’s dolls. Travis is working towards completing his high school diploma and after graduation he would like to apply to the Ryerson University in Toronto to pursue a fashion design degree. His nominator tells us he deserves to be apart of the youth panel because he turned his life completely around.

Donald Bear is from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.  Currently, Donald works as the Project Coordinator for the Aboriginal Diabetes Outreach Program at the West Side Community Clinic in Saskatoon.  Since he received his degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2003, Donald has worked, participated and volunteered his time working with and toward the advancement and development of First Nations peoples. He attributes his strong desire towards community development to his Northern Cree upbringing. His nominator tells us Donald has exhibited outstanding and continuous community involvement, promotion, and advocacy from Saskatoon’s inner city population. He has helped many people take charge of their own lives through physical fitness and peer training while maintaining a positive attitude in everything he does.

Elissa Kixen is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Currently, Elissa works for Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. as the Youth Coordinator Assistant. She graduated from the Louis Reil Capital Corporation Métis Build a Business Program in 2007. She has over 13 years of experience as a performer and instructor. High school is where Elissa first began her journey in improv and theatre, this experience led to a further opportunity when she developed a business plan and created her own company called The Improv Experience. Not only is she an entrepreneur and Artistic Director, but she is also a youth mentor to Aboriginal youth in foster care. Elissa utilizes a positive approach combined with theatre instruction to teach the Aboriginal youth and plans to expand her program to other parts of Canada. Her nominator tells us she is overcome with emotion when she sees how Elissa has soared while making her dream come alive, all the while running her business with her partner Derek Kixen and raising her young son.

George Awashish is from the Cree Nation of Mistissini located in Quebec. George owns and operates the Awashish Outdoor Adventures, which was successfully launched and established in 2000. Awashish Outdoor Adventures is a tourism business offering world-class fishing trips and a variety of outdoor activities from a cultural perspective of Rupert River. Initially as an entrepreneur, George’s goal was to utilize and develop various outfitting activities and to create sustainable employment within his community and he has done just that. He grew up practicing a wide range of traditional activities such as hunting, fishing, and trapping encouraged by his mother and late father. His company is unique because the territory it operates in was not only his playground as a child, but the land has been passed on for the last four generations. George believes it is an asset on one hand to be able to fluently speak Cree, English and French and on the other being connected to his Cree culture. He found both aspects strongly support his dream of preserving his families trap line through tourism.

Robert Animikii Horton is from the Rainy First Nations of Manitou Rapids in Ontario. Robert is a graduate from St. Cloud State University, majoring in Sociology with a professional emphasis on Political Science, Society and Economics. He is currently finishing his Masters degree in Sociology. He is proud non-drinker, non-smoker, and non-drug user and is a spoken-word poet, writer and social and political activist. Robert spent four years on the Minnesota Indian Education Association Board of Directors as a Board Member and Student Representative. He is currently involved with the Treaty Three Language Revitalization Project, is the RRFN Social Policy Analyst, and a long type supporter of the EZLN Zapatista Movement. His nominator tells us he is a shining example and role model fro all First nations youth and adults alike, he treats everyone with compassion, care, respect and consistently strives to assist them in any way he can.

Do you know an individual between the ages of 18-35 making a difference in your community? If so, this is your opportunity to share their achievements by simply nominating him or her for the 5th National Youth Panel to be held in Edmonton, Alberta in October 2009. Please contact the CANDO office at cando@edo.ca or by calling 1-800-463-9300 if you have any questions or require more information.

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