For my blog, I chose to interview Dr. Kim Snow, a professor of Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University. Doctor Snow is a well-known child and youth advocate who works with young people who experience trauma and those who grow up in the care of governments across Ontario and Canada. I chose to interview Dr. Kim Snow because we share a passion for supporting and advocating for at-risk youth. 
Dr. Snow is an internationally-recognized expert in children’s services and an advocate for child and youth mental health. She is also often sought out by provincial and national media to provide her opinion and advice on child welfare issues. For a time, she served as Advocate for Child and Family Services in Ontario. Dr. Snow also has a private practice where she supports children and families with difficult mental-health and trauma-based needs.
Dr. Snow is also currently Leading the Voyager Project in Toronto; where she helps disadvantaged youth in care meet their social-emotional and educational goals. 
(Voyager project welcome photo/publicity shot.)
For this interview Dr. Kim Snow shared stories and her personal experiences working with at-risk First Nations youth, in the province of Ontario.
One of the indigenous youth that Dr. Snow worked with was a young girl named Shannen Koostachin, of Attawapiskat Ontario. Shannen was born the 12th of July, 1994, and by the time Shannen was old enough to start elementary school, Shannen had to attend a First Nations school funded by the federal government of Canada. The school was little more than a collection of portable trailers. These trailers were supposed to be temporary but by the time Shannen was finished her schooling at the elementary school, the trailers were still there and they were worse than ever.
The portables were cold, mice infested, deteriorating, covered in black mold and did not have any proper ventilation, these portable trailers were not safe for any child to learn in. By the time Shannen was ready to start high school, she and others in the community had to travel 600km south to New Liskeard, Ontario, or drop out of school completely. Shannen made the move, and started high school, far from her family, far from her home, and far from her community. She wanted more for her community and the other children so Shannen Koostachin started a compaign in hopes to improve indigenous education, through out the country, known as “Shannen’s Dream.”
Shannen became the leader of the largest youth led children’s right campaign in all of Canada’s history. She raised enough awareness to finally get government to follow through on their promise to build a proper school in her home community Attawapiskat. But in 2010, Shannen was killed in a car accident, on highway 11, in a town called Temagami while travelling to school. With Shannen’s leadership, construction for a school was started the day Shannen was supposed to graduate in 2012. This story is an example of the structural racism against and poverty of indigenous communities here in Canada and it made me very interested to talk to Doctor Snow to learn about her role in advocating for people like Shannen. 
The Interview :
A : My first question is If I had to tell people what it is that you do, how would I explain it?
K : I am a professor. I work with young people who experience trauma and those who grow up in the care of one of the children’s aid societies in Ontario.
A : We don’t have a child aid society here, Is that similar to the Ministry of Children and Families?
K: Yes, They are young people who a judge has decided will never go back to live with their birth families because it is not safe for them to do so, so they are placed in the care of the aid societies.
A : Thank you for the clarification. What responsibilities do you have to in your role?
K : In my role, I have three types of responsibilities . 1) Teaching , 2) Service to the University and 3) Scholarly, research and creative activities (SRC)
A ; What courses do you teach? What do you like to focus on in your research?
K : Teaching looks very much like you do at school, only with adults. Service to the university is my contribution to making sure that the university runs smoothly and ethically. The SRC is what I think interests you as I teach Child and Youth Care. My teaching tends to focus on trauma.
A : Yes your SRC interests me, what would you say the focus of your research is?
K : Making sure that young people in care are safe. I do that by trying to make sure that their voice is heard. That what they say they need is brought forward to those that make decisions.
A : What are you passionate about your job or role?
K : I am passionate about ensuring that young people growing up in remote First Nations community have the opportunities to be able to grow up in their community.
A : Is there still a long way to go to get the Federal government to build those schools?
K : Yes. There are many remote communities across Canada that do not have safe and functioning schools and many other issues, related to poverty play into young people coming into care. Where you live, you have access to a safe school and to recreation programs and clean drinking water and affordable schools. Many remote communities do not have these and this impacts on the well being of young people
A : What’s the toughest part of your job?
K : The toughest part of my job is that most often the tragic circumstances that involved me, could have been prevented.
A : Why do you think the federal and provincial government are failing to live up to their responsibilities?
K : Entrenched racism. Canada is founded on broken agreements. No friendship can withstand that. We see the pain from the lack of trust. Canada will be a stronger country when we live up to our treaties. Then we will engage in nation to nations relationships. Then together, we’ll ensure that the water problems are solved, missing and murdered women and girls will get justice and communities will have the resources to care for their children. That is why Shannon Koostachin is such an important hero.
A : What obstacles have you faced to get to where you are today?
K : Mostly the adults.
A : Is it adults who don’t care enough?
K : I think the adults care- they just can’t see the issues.
A : What advice would you pass on to someone who is interested in what you are doing?
K : Listen to young people. Engage them as citizens. Also, we all need to reflect on inclusion. Do we practice inclusive practices? Are we unintentionally perpetuating colonization- that is the domination of one group over another? Racism, sexism, bullying, anti-indigeneity and other forms of Othering, happen around us all the time. Do we see them? Do we confront them? Do we change them?
A : I get what you are saying completely, it’s important for people my age and in my community to hear this. Your work is challenging but what’s the most rewarding part about your job?
K : I see the change. We still have a long way to go, but in my career, I have seen much change occur, all at the level of inclusion. Mental health is a great example and another where young people are leading the way in making the change. When I started my work in children’s mental health we had separate entrances and exits so that people would not be seen and they would not have come without it. Now, people openly talk about mental health. There is still a stigma, but it is changing
A : Is there anything else you would like to add you feel is important?
K : Did I answer all of your questions?
A: Yes, thank you very much for finding time to answer my questions
K : What will you do with the learning from this course?
A : I’m going to raise awareness and be an advocate, I will be linking resources and linking Shannen’s information on my blog because not a lot of people know about her story over here.
K: Her story is important- both in that she highlights the injustice but also the power of a single person’s voice to make change. Good for you!
(Dr. Kim Snow is currently unavailable for Riverside students to contact)
This interview opened up doors for me, about stories and problems that happened and are still happening across Canada, and educated me on what I can do to help bring awareness to stories like Shannen’s. Dr. Kim Snow’s interview lead me to new opportunities to learn more, and advocate for indigenous youth in communities across the country. This interview gave me an opportunity to spread awareness and use my voice to educate others here in my own community on issues that we might not be aware of and ways we can educate ourselves, and advocate for those in need, for social justice, and equality. I am so grateful that Dr. Kim Snow found the time to have this interview. It gave me whole new understanding and appreciation for the challenges Indigenous communities, especially remote ones, face. My research also led me to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, and I believe it is very important that every Canadian know about these recommendations.
Sources:
Still waiting in Attawapiskat | Canadian Geographic
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kim-snow-5088815
Expert breaks down internal death report on Sacha Raven Bob (aptnnews.ca)
Dr. Snow’s research and media stories
https://theconversation.com/youth-leaving-state-care-need-education-support-108243
Amazing detail and description. You chose a great person to interview and I can tell the topic discussed is very important to you. Your information is as well laid out nicely and is easy to read.
Thank you Rheann!
Thank you for submitting your Community Connection assignment for COL. We have reviewed your Edublogs post, and have the following observations regarding your work:
– Great job interviewing someone doing something you are passionate about and seeking out information regarding their expertise
– Excellent work sharing what you learned on your Edublogs portfolio
– Thanks for going the extra mile on this assignment. This is a great example of a connection!
Thank you,
Mr. Robinson and Mr. Barazzuol
COL Teachers
Thank you for the amazing feedback Mr. Robinson and Mr. Barazzoul,
Aidan Starr
Hi Aidan,
This is really great work. It is really inspiring to see young people passionate and engaged about learning about the past and participating in reconciliation and social justice. Don’t let it stop here!
M. Mackenzie