Indigenous Youth Rising brings “Forever Young” to MacEwan for two days of culture & leadership

by Troy Dumont, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – The 2026 Indigenous Youth Rising Conference, themed Forever Young, brought Indigenous youth and their chaperones to MacEwan University on February 13–14 for two days of culture, leadership, and connection in Edmonton. Hosted by MacEwan’s Kihêw Waciston Indigenous Centre, the conference drew strong participation and delivered a full schedule of speakers, breakout sessions, and campus experiences aimed at empowering youth while offering a firsthand look at post-secondary life.

The gathering welcomed Indigenous youth aged 13–17, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students travelling from across the country. Keynote speakers Dr. James Makokis and Leo and Priscilla McGilvery anchored the program, with Tammy Lamouche and nîpîy Iskwêw serving as emcees and guiding the crowd through the two-day event.

Between the mainstage sessions, the conference stayed active. Youth moved through breakouts, met new people, and asked questions they might not have felt comfortable asking in a classroom. A MacEwan alumni panel gave students a chance to hear directly from Indigenous graduates about their paths through university. Campus tours added the tangible piece visits through spaces like Chemistry, Sport and Wellness.

Behind the scenes, Angelina Foote, Program Coordinator at kihêw waciston, took the lead in continuing and strengthening a conference with deep roots at the university. MacEwan has run Indigenous Youth Rising since 2021, and the event also carries a longer history under a previous name, the Dreamcatcher Aboriginal Youth Conference. While the conference gives students a chance to see MacEwan up close, Foote says her focus is on something deeper: self-worth. “I love seeing kids with light in their eyes. After they leave anything, I’ve worked with them on, whether it’s a team, a conference, or some kind of session, I want them to feel motivated, like the light has gone on and they have a sense of purpose. A lot of it is about empowering them to take agency and control over their own future. Self-worth is a big part of that.”

The first day of the conference, a Bingo-style mixer got students moving around the room and connecting with other youth, staff, and guests. Instead of hanging back, many of them leaned into it, introducing themselves and jumping into the activity even when it pushed them outside their comfort zone.

As the conference moved toward its final hours after tours, panels, and breakout sessions the closing ceremony offered one of the weekend’s most memorable moments: the retiring of the eagle staff, accompanied by a drum group. What began with only a couple of people stepping forward grew steadily as others joined in. The moment carried a quiet power, even with the drumbeat filling the room.

Foote said some of the hardest work happens long before the first session begins. Registration logistics and community outreach are demanding, especially when schools and communities are balancing travel planning, chaperones, and day-to-day realities that can make extra opportunities harder to access. The most rewarding part, she said, comes at the end: hearing from participants about what they took from the experience.

Foote is already looking ahead. She encouraged readers to watch for Save the Date posters for the next conference, expected to appear in the fall of this year. Future themes, she said, will follow the teachings of the medicine wheel. This year’s theme focused on the emotional, and the next gathering will move to the mental.

Indigenous Youth Rising is a two-day event, but the impact is designed to last longer than a weekend. It creates a space where Indigenous youth can meet each other, connect with culture, and see themselves in post-secondary settings without having to leave who they are at the door. For some students, the takeaway will be a new interest in a program. For others, it will be simpler and just as important: the feeling that they belong in post secondary institutions, and the confidence to keep moving toward what comes next.