LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Only six months after joining the Northwest Territories Youth Ambassador program, Fort Simpson student Melissa Pascua-Matte is jumping into politics with both feet.

Melissa Pascua-Matte is back in Fort Simpson after getting a taste of governance at the Northwest Territories Association of Communities annual general meeting. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

Aside from preparing for graduation and post-secondary studies, Pascua-Matte recently had a crash course in governance at the Northwest Territories Association of Communities annual general meeting.

When asked if she wanted to go, Pascua-Matte leapt at the opportunity. The meeting took place over four days in Yellowknife from May 5 to 8 and brought together ministers, administrators and representatives of municipal councils to discuss the issues facing the territory's communities.

In tow were a handful of youth from the Youth Ambassador Program, who were responsible for demonstrating traditional games, presenting to the assembly and also asking pointed questions of ministers and councillors.

"Many of the people we ended up speaking to gave us a powerful mindset - they told us, 'You are the youth; you have to go out there. (People) want to hear from you,' " said Pascua-Matte.

"Youth can make a change."

The experience she had expected to have - sitting and listening - was nowhere near the reality, where the ambassadors were actively involved in as much of the meeting as possible.

Pascua-Matte was responsible for grilling ministers and some mayors on the plans they have to make communities better places for youth. That included questioning them on recreation, job opportunities and education.

"It was pretty neat. It was overwhelming at first," she said.

"We went up to ministers and asked them questions in front of everyone - and the pressure was just on."

Despite the intimidation of questioning well-known politicians such as NWT MP Michael McLeod, Pascua-Matte mustered her courage and spoke her mind.

"The highlight for me was being able to speak about issues youth found were important - especially when it came to personal youth problems and what we thought would be helpful to improve (our) communities," she said.

"We brought up recreation, education, tradition, culture, language. Education was actually one of our top questions that we asked the ministers about ... because since we're in small communities, we're limited when compared to other places like Alberta or Ottawa."

Youth ambassadors also discussed the need for diversified recreation opportunities - whether that be sports or arts.

"Some people don't want to be athletic, so we found that arts would be a big (issue)," she said.

'Out of our comfort zone'

Aside from presenting an opportunity to bring youth issues into focus, the meeting also afforded ambassadors the opportunity to touch base with cultural roots. That included traditional games and dancing.

"It was totally different than what I expected ... We were the demonstrators for traditional games, and some of us managed to do games we were not familiar with," Pascua-Matte said.

She was one of those who was unfamiliar with some of the games but attempted them anyway.

Ambassadors performed high kick, push pull and stick pull, among other games. Other attendees, including mayors, came up to join in.

Pascua-Matte was also involved in a performance from the ambassadors, who demonstrated sounds from different Northern creatures and danced to the sounds.

"This one really opened us. We really had to come out of our comfort zone," Pascua-Matte recalled with a laugh.

"I was one of the first (performers) - I did a rabbit. It was basically me screaming, and we would dance around."

But getting out of her comfort zone paid off. Pascua-Matte said throughout the event, she was approached by politicians from all levels of governance who encouraged her and told her the presence of youth at the meeting was important.

"They were actually congratulating us, telling us (we) did well speaking up and presenting," she said.

"It showed me the youth really should get more involved. We discussed important things not many teens or young people know."

She also got advice from some of the younger politicians on their experiences getting involved with municipal councils.

"They told us that it was scary at first, being part of (a council) because they were one young person compared to many older people," she said.

"But (despite) the fact they shared two completely different view points, they were able to agree on some things."

Pascua-Matte plans to attend the University of British Columbia after she graduates in Fort Simpson. There, she will study political science with the aim of eventually going into politics herself.

The annual general meeting was the second event she was able to attend with the Youth Ambassador Program, the first being the Arctic Winter Games in Greenland.

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