To mark the Arctic Council’s 30th anniversary, we conducted a series of interviews with the people who helped build the Arctic Council, shape its work and carry it through some of its most challenging moments.
In this interview, we sat down with Taylor Jobin, a student, researcher and member of the Chairship Youth Committee.
Taylor Jobin speaks about bringing youth voices into Arctic decision-making, the connection between security and healthy communities, the power of connection across the Arctic and how youth can lead discussions on the tough topics.
Taylor Jobin: I'm from the Yukon. I was born and raised in Whitehorse, and I now reside in Dawson City on the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. I am Cree and Métis from treaty eight territory.
I finished my undergrad in Indigenous Governance, and I previously studied International Relations. I’m also leading a research project titled, ‘Connecting Community to Culture, Land and Food: The Role of Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Teaching and Working Farm, which looks at the connections between access to locally grown food and being on the land and how that contributes to community health and wellness.
I always was really passionate about international relations. I always wanted to travel, and I was really curious about learning about other countries how their government systems work and the differences between what I see at home in Yukon and Canada. I learned about the Arctic Council, and I participated in Arctic Frontiers. I really enjoyed the perspective of governance and collaboration in the North. And it changed the way that I see myself working in the international realm.
Taylor Jobin: The Chairship Youth Committee consists of ten members that represent different regions, Indigenous Organizations and youth networks. It’s still very new – this is only the second Chairship that has a Youth Committee. And I think it's really important because it's a way for youth voices to be involved in decision making and for us to be a part of the system.
Beforehand, a lot of the youth involvement was through the Permanent Participants. But the Chairship Youth Committee is set up in a way that kind of mirrors how the Arctic Council is structured itself with States, Permanent Participant and organizations. Now, we're able to come together and talk about youth priorities across the Arctic and that goes to the higher level decision makers.
Taylor Jobin: The Arctic to me is a place of connection and collaboration. It's also a place of relationship. I've been able to meet a lot of really cool people and learn a lot. I've developed really great relationships and built some really strong networks. To me, it represents a place of growth personally and relationship-wise, but it’s also a place where people are able to come together and feel really supported.
Taylor Jobin: Food security and health and wellness are at the top of my mind. I think food security especially is top of a lot of Canadian, North and Arctic minds. We rely a lot on southern counterparts to ship and fly our food in. It's usually not really good. It's a lot of canned, processed food.
The Arctic is inseparable to its Indigenous communities, and there's been a decline in subsistence hunting. Especially in Yukon, we have a lot of caribou, moose, and the salmon population has completely declined. So, food security and being innovative about it has been really important. It’s still a new and growing discussion. And I really like seeing the way that it can be tied into mental health and community wellness, but also cultural identity and governance.
Taylor Jobin: Hard security is always immediately what you think of when you talk about Arctic security. But I've heard a lot of people say, and something I talk about at work, is that you can't have hard security if you don't have healthy people. If you're not investing in our health care systems, health security, food security, and within the wellness area, then you can't have a secure region. They are intrinsically linked, but most of the focus is on military – investing money in building bases and new airports for example. But to me, security means building up a healthy community.
Taylor Jobin: The Arctic Council brings a lot of values to the table. It's the only international organization that has Indigenous groups sitting at the table with everyone else at the same level. I think that's really important because it sets the precedent that this is something that should be happening everywhere.
It's also really important because it's a place of collaboration where people, States, organizations and groups are able to come together and discuss common issues and build relationships. I think that's the most important thing about it, is that it's a place where we can build long lasting relationships, and there's a structure that maintains it.
Taylor Jobin: There's a lot of emotions that come to mind. It can be a bit nerve wracking as a youth to think about where we are now, and that could mean for the future. There's a lot changing environmentally and geopolitically, and things are very uncertain. I sometimes I feel anxious about it, and sometimes when I talk to my friends we get so focused on the negatives and the issues that we see.
But then I also feel really positive, because I think that there's also a lot of opportunity for change. In conflict also comes opportunities for growth and partnership, and to realize that we can make different decisions for a better future. And I think youth are really able to lead that discussion.
Taylor Jobin: I think we should play a very large role in the Arctic. Youth can get a bit focused on the negatives. It can be a bit nerve wracking. It's a huge world. But also we're very positive. I think we do a better job at building cross-border relationships and seeing the opportunities that can come from talking about the things that nobody really wants to talk about and having those tough conversations. I've noticed in Arctic spaces and conferences that youth are always the ones who point out the things that nobody really wants to talk about. They always are ready to question people.
We also really want to be decision makers. We want to be a part of the system that is making change and deciding our lives now. It is going to be our future that we inherit, and we're going to have to at some point step into those roles. Youth playing a larger role now only sets us up for better success in the future.