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What does it mean to be young and aboriginal in 2015?

Aboriginal youth are the fastest growing demographic in Canada. They're diverse - a generation doing things their own way. But what does it really mean to be young and native in 2015?
CBC News ·
(CBC)

Welcome to #CBCNewFire - bringing you to the heart of the conversations important to indigenous youth today.

For our premiere episode, we look at what it means to be young and aboriginal in 2015. The answer is more complicated than you might think. 

There are a lot of stereotypes out there - something host Lisa Charleyboy has experienced first hand. A self-described 'urban native girl' living in Vancouver, Lisa is often asked to prove just how 'native' she is... by both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.  

This week, we feature the stories of three young people who are fighting to define their indigeneity on their own terms. 

  • Like Baillie Redfern, the first-ever Metis Candidate at the Miss Indian World Pageant
  • and Dustin Fiddler, who found out at a casting-call that Hollywood has its own definition of what it means to be indigenous
  • and Asivak and Mahiigan Koostachin, who set out with their mom Jules on a crash course in 'Native 101' - and documented it all in a reality show called Askiboyz. 

Think these conversations are new? Think again. Here's actor Adam Beach tackling the question of what it means to be a 'good Indian' - in the 1998 cult classic Smoke Signals. 

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