The Urban Aboriginal Youth Council of the Regroupement des centres d’amitié autochtones du Québec (RCAAQ) was created in 2001 in Senneterre, thanks to the leadership of Aboriginal youths actively involved in the Native Friendship Centre movement. Indeed, they were the ones who took the initiative to meet and establish together the foundations for the Urban Aboriginal Youth Council of Québec.

The Urban Aboriginal Youth Council is comprised of one representative per local Aboriginal youth council of each Friendship Centre. These representatives are elected by their peers for one-year terms.

The members of the Urban Aboriginal Youth Council are the spokespersons for the Aboriginal youth who must grapple with urban issues. Together they express the needs and concerns of these youths in addition to advocating for their interests before various entities: the RCAAQ Board of Directors, the Aboriginal Youth Council of the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) and the First Nations of Québec and Labrador Youth council (FNQLYC).

The Urban Aboriginal Youth Council works in collaboration with all the young Aboriginals from the Friendship Centres in order to:

• Provide a space for concertation among local Aboriginal Youth Councils
• Foster the development of young positive leaders
• Foster the social involvement of young Aboriginals at all levels of the Friendship Centre movement
• Provide young urban Aboriginals with training and exchange opportunities

Committed to ensuring a voice for urban Aboriginal youth, the RCAAQ and the Friendship Centres reserve seats for the youth representatives within all their decision-making entities.

The Native Friendship Centre movement of Québec strives to meet the challenges and aspirations of the urban Aboriginal youth. In order to do so, we ensure our youth is an active player in our initiatives. It is one of our movement’s strengths: rely on the loyal and constant contact with thousands of young Aboriginals who deal with the urban reality. This close link allows Native Friendship Centres in Québec and the RCCAQ to witness the ongoing evolution of needs, interests and issues of the urban Aboriginal youth.

Through the strategic youth planning held in 2007, the RCAAQ has developed an action plan to address the priorities of urban Aboriginal youth and to pursue its efforts to strengthen the Urban Aboriginal Youth Council of Québec. A second strategic youth planning will be held this year.