Cultural connectedness is, of course, very important. We know it's a protective factor for our youth. From the McCreary Centre report, we know that for our males ages 12 to 19, connectedness to family and having one adult outside their family was a huge protective factor for them. It could be a coach, a teacher, or anyone in their life who they can trust. An elder, of course, we would use as a great example.
For females it was connectedness to one parent and school connectedness. One of the problems with our schools is that, for all aboriginal students, $1,100 is given to the school for each aboriginal student registered, but the programs and the cultural supports that are available are not strengthening Métis identity. Local first nations culture is being taught, which is important for first nations youth, but it further confuses Métis identity for our youth, so it's important that Métis youth are supported, and that strong identity promotes strong self-worth.