"Aboriginal Youth: Risk and resilience"

Abstract

In 1996, the Royal Commission On Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) discussed the need for role models, mentorship, community programs and family support of Aboriginal youth. Many Aboriginal communities, both urban and rural, identified psycho-social factors (among the physical) within their adult populations that produced ability issues to cope within the family environment. In this paper I propose future exploration and research which is designed to be suppor5tive of the notion of Aboriginal youth resilience. By investigating various psycho­ social, economic, educational and environmental factors and the impact they have on the socialization experiences of Aboriginal youth, I believe that a strategy for resiliency could be implemented in both urban and rural Aboriginal youth communities. My emphasis is the socialization experiences of Aboriginal youth and examining the factors that contribute to risk and resiliency. To date, I have not found any research recorded on Aboriginal youth risk and resilience in Canada that encompasses the examination of the factors I've identified above as a whole, nor have the impact they have on youth risk been examined. I believe that it is time we consider more than individual areas of Aboriginal youth risk and embrace this circle in its entirety. Specifically, this paper asks and attempts to answer the following: During the socialization process of Aboriginal youth, where are the risk areas, how can they be addressed and how do they contribute to success or personal resiliency in the transition to adulthood?"