Dear Relatives, Leaders, and Advocates,

On behalf of a group of 6 Indigenous Youth Climate Leaders, we are sharing our updated position paper: "Inheriting the 100-Year Storm: A Youth Vision Against the 'Postage Stamp' Strategy and Provincial Self-Sabotage."

While the province recently backed down from its plan to pause the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), the underlying threat to our lands remains. Through Bills 14 and 15, the government is still trying to fast-track industrial projects, carving up unceded territories before land Title can be fully recognized in court.

Grounded in our inherent rights, Section 35 constitutional protections, and the recent Gitxaała court decision, our paper outlines three specific actions for youth to protect our communities:

• Territorial Monitoring: Staying on the land to track projects and enforce real-time accountability.
• Research Standards: Ensuring all research done on our territories directly benefits our communities and respects our protocols.
• Policy Adaptation: Working with our Elders to translate traditional laws into regulatory language that the province cannot ignore.

This recent political crisis has only proven that our jurisdiction does not depend on government permission, but on our deep relationship to the land.

We invite you to read and share our paper.

In Solidarity,

On behalf of the Indigenous Youth Climate Leaders Cohort

Download paper here