A Toolkit For Hope

"Years ago our people were self-reliant...our life was hard but we lived like men. Then the government came and offered welfare to our people.


It was as if they had cut our throats.”

The late Harold Cardinal wrote that in 1969 in his seminal book, the Unjust Society. And unfortunately, the devastating effects of welfare dependency are still visible in many First Nation communities today.

In an effort to break the cycle, the Assembly of First Nations is assembling a toolkit of practical resources to help young people escape the trap of income and social assistance and find other life options in areas like education, training and employment.

Scott Black, Jennifer David and Kory Goulais of Stonecircle developed the approach and materials, working with Stephanie O'Brien, Donnie Garrow and Pierre Brascoupe at the AFN. Later this year, when the graphic design is complete,  AFN will distribute the resource to all First Nations across the country.