Construction students seeing difference they can make in housing crisis
- EFN Staff | October 09, 2017
While many post secondary students take a break over the summer months, Chris Krug-Iron, Michael Netmaker and Janelle Sutherland enrolled as summer interns with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations to gain practical experience and take part in hands-on learning. For these three, a presentation from Your Choice Homes/Construction Worker 101 made choosing an initiative easy.
“It immediately came down to stories about the housing crisis across Canada,” recalls Chris Krug-Iron, from Canoe Lake First Nation. “Knowing that there are displaced people, overcrowding and terrible living conditions that impact the health and well-being for people living on reserve, this was an obvious match for me and my placement within the health and social development department with the FSIN. My first impulse was to bring this back to my own community. I called my Mom to ask what the housing situation was like at home, and the next day I was given the chance to speak with my Chief about the project.”
Construction 101 is an innovate initiative utilizing an education model that transfers skills and construction training capacity to students, with a state of the art home made available for communities as a final product. Jay Noel, spokesperson for Construction 101, sees “each housing blueprint as an opportunity for a curriculum. We’re thinking outside the box to address several issues facing First Nations communities today including housing, education, employment and economic development. We want to go beyond just building a structure and leave valuable skills that can open doors for the youth in each community we serve.”
Related: Partnership provides youth with skills, communities with homes
Each of the interns quickly recognized the potential of the project seeing the positive outcomes for their home communities. Michael Netmaker presented at home in Big River First Nation. “This was my first experience preparing for and presenting to my Chief and Council. I think it’s important to show the First Nation side of this project, and that (as an intern) I believe in the potential benefits for communities that participate. I was able to see the expressions on their faces and hear them say this is something that is needed.” Michael commented that he wished there was a program like it when he was going through high school. “This gives young people something to do, it offers hope and opens doors to real opportunities. It creates the space for students, teachers and parents to build close relationships with a hands-on project that creates a sense of pride.”
Direct intern involvement has fostered deeper value in the spirit, intent and merit of the Construction 101 program. Their unique insights helped shape the direction going forward. Janelle Sutherland was a strong contributor to the intern team. “The three of us has the same roles which included surveys, research, putting together proposals. My own personal role was to make a presentation that included the social aspect as well as the positive impacts the Construction Worker 101 Program could provide to the youth and their communities.”
Individually, each intern gained confidence in networking, presenting and connecting to upper levels of various organizations. Janelle found the experience valuable. “I learned a lot about the business side of things. …This program gave me the opportunity to gain knowledge of what goes on in the business aspect.”
For Janelle, it was a summer well spent. “I learned that I truly do have a passion for wanting to help people and to be involved in positive projects that can make a difference for First Nation youth. It makes me feel humble that I got to be a part of something that can give youth the confidence, experience and determination to continue their education and career journey. I want to be that person who believes in them even if they don't believe in themselves.”