IYR Accountability Statement

Press Release

In July 2025, Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR) held a Youth Gathering in Whitehorse, intended as a space for connection and empowerment. During the event, several Afro-Indigenous youth experienced a racially motivated incident involving physical assault and harmful treatment by hotel security, RCMP, and others. This deeply retraumatized those involved, especially given histories of police violence and systemic anti-Black racism. IYR acknowledges that although we could not prevent the incident, our response lacked coordination due to insufficient crisis protocols, leaving affected youth feeling unsupported. We issued an unconditional apology to the youth, the staff who supported them, and all impacted.

This incident highlighted areas where IYR’s formal processes for responding in moments of crisis could be strengthened. Without clearly established organization-wide protocols at the time, our response was not as coordinated or comprehensive as we would have wanted. Our response left the youth involved feeling unsupported and isolated. For that, we are deeply sorry. On behalf of IYR, we offer our full and unconditional apology to the youth who were harmed by our response, to the staff who stood by them, and to everyone impacted.  We also want to acknowledge and thank the youth who had the strength to speak their truth during the Gathering’s Closing Ceremony. Their courage made it possible for this truth to come forward. We also thank our Black and Afro-Indigenous staff who rallied together in care and solidarity.

Addressing this harm and its root causes requires both immediate action and long-term transformation. Separating the Whitehorse incident from our broader history, while naming where they intersect, allows us to create intentional, complementary solutions with the greatest chance of lasting impact.

Our Immediate Commitments

• Meeting directly with impacted youth and staff to listen, repair, and respond.

• Providing culturally appropriate mental health and spiritual supports.

• Engaging an external anti-racism expert to guide immediate and long-term change.

• Implementing clear, organization-wide incident response protocols centered on safety, healing, and accountability.

Our Long-Term Commitments

• Embedding anti-Black racism work within our renewed Strategic Plan and Equity Audit processes.

• Resourcing a community-led advisory circle to shape this work.

• Offering mandatory staff training on anti-Black racism, cultural safety, crisis response, and non-carceral interventions.

• Reviewing and strengthening internal systems to prevent and address harm proactively.

We know that acknowledgment alone is not enough. Accountability requires action, transparency, and follow-through. This work will be reflected in our action plan, with actionable goals and objectives. These steps are part of a larger organizational transformation that aligns with our strategic renewal, equity audit, and new funding commitments.

Read our Accountability Statement Here

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