Kocihta CharityYour financial and in-kind support is needed to

help marginalized Indigenous youth overcome

challenges to reach their dreams and career

potential.

Does your child have hope?

Children who grow up in poverty give up hope by age 5…

Many First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are

living in third-world conditions. Adversity and

barriers are their daily reality.

Indigenous people are our nation’s largest underleveraged asset. A career offers the best way for Indigenous youth to achieve their potential, renewed hope and self-sufficiency.

“This country has tolerated the plight of Aboriginal people for far too long. It’s time to stop tolerating, it’s time to set things right. But I ask you to resist the temptation to think you have done your part, you can do more, we can all do more, we must all do more.” - Peter Mansbridge Chief Correspondent of CBC News

No Education - No Job - No Access… No Hope

• 50% per cent of First Nations children live in

poverty.

• In Nunavut unemployment ranges from 30 to 70

per cent in some communities; three out of

four do not graduate.

• 1 in 8 Aboriginal people in Canada have a

disability.

• Almost all Aboriginal people surveyed by

Environics believe they are consistently viewed

in negative ways.

• While Canada averages a ranking year after

year among the 10 top countries on a UN

human development index, Canada’s

Aboriginal population ranks around 78.

Reach out, reach someone, reach something… together we can make positive change.

Empowering Indigenous Youth to Reach Their Career Potential

Kocihta - a Cree word meaning, ‘to reach... someone or something’

Kocihta is an initiative of

“We need to include all Canadians in our workplaces, but in particular First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. We from the corporate side or from the non-native side, that’s the least we can do for Canada’s first people. ... I encourage you to get involved.” - Charles S. Coffey, O.C. Kocihta Board Chair | Retired Executive VP, Government Affairs and Business Development, RBC Royal Bank

Helping Indigenous Youth Reach Their Career PotentialKocihta supports three program innovations and two strengthening initiatives, that address the hu-man resource needs of Indigenous youth, including youth with disabilities/special needs.

eMentorship Program

Partnering with the award winning DreamCatcher Mentoring program recognized by the prestigious Ashoka Awards for innovation in Aborignal education, Kocihta will expand Indigenous eMentorship oppor-tunities to Indigenous high school students – helping them to complete high school. Mentorship will expand to help high school grads complete post-secondary school.

Inclusion Leadership Experience Program

Working with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council and its highly successful annual Inclusion Works national recruitment and learning event, Kocihta will support young Indigenous post-secondary graduates to attend the event and participate in a leadership and recruitment opportunity that delivers a life-changing experience for them.

My Way Program

We believe that people should follow their inner wisdom. We will invite Indigenous youth to tell us what they need to increase their human resource potential. Then we make it happen in partnership with organizations or independently with a donation of funds or gifts in-kind to actualize the dream.

Supporting Youth With Disabilities / Special Needs

Thoughtful action is required to alleviate fetal alcohol syndrome, mood disorders and other chronic conditions within the Indigenous population that make it difficult for youth to obtain work and independence. Kochita will act as a catalyst to assemble the best thought leaders, organizations and experts to advance career development and human resource solutions that address the special needs of Indigenous youth with disabilities/special needs.

National Awareness

Kocihta is dedicated to increasing awareness about the potential of Indigenous people in the workplace.

Empowering Indigenous Youth to Reach Their Career Potential

“A country is not just what it does, it is also what it tolerates” - Kurt Tucholsky “Canada consistently ranks among the top of countries in respect to human development standards, and yet amidst this wealth and prosperity, Aboriginal people live in conditions akin to those in countries that rank much lower and in which poverty abounds. Despite positive steps, the daunting challenge remains” - James Anaya, Indigenous Rights Investigator, UN Special Rapporteur (October 2016)

Dependable Governance and ExpertiseThe Aboriginal Human Resource Council’s charity,

Kocihta, will build workforce capacity by helping

Indigenous youth achieve their human resource

and career potential. The council is a national,

ISO 9001 certified (quality management systems)

social enterprise that has been helping corpora-

tions build prosperous partnership with the Indig-

enous community since 1998.

Board of Directors

• Charles S. Coffey, O.C., Chair | Retired

Executive VP, RBC Royal Bank

• Anne Noonan, Vice-Chair | Consultant

• Rob Johnston, Vice-Chair | Regional President,

RBC Royal Bank

• Senator Lillian Dyck, Ph.D., D. Litt.,

Board Member

• Stephanie Sterling, Vice President, Business and

Joint Venture Management, Shell Canada

Aboriginal Human Resource Council’sManagement Team

• Kelly J. Lendsay, President & CEO

• Subash Biswal, Chief Financial Business Officer

DONATE TO THE CAUSE – as a company or

as an individual — monthly and one-time

gifting options and program sponsorship

opportunities are available. • Donate online at aboriginalhr.ca/kocihtaor contact us to learn more about sponsoring

a Kocihta program.

• Become a eMentorHelp Indigenous high school and post-secondary students complete school and succeed in their career of choice - register @ dreamcatchermentoring.ca/kocihta.

Charitable receipts are available for all

financial donations.

CONTACT

Kocihta Charity

a: 708 2nd Avenue North

Saskatoon, SK S7K 2E1

e: kocihta@aboriginalhr.ca

p: 306.956.5396

tf: 1.866.711.5091

w: aboriginalhr.ca/kocihta

Empowering Indigenous Youth to Reach Their Career Potential

Donate to Support the Cause