Youth Moccasins Talk: Preserving Wisdom 

Saturday 11 September 11am // Virtual Livestream

Moderated by Courtney Copoc-Hopkins with Dalton Bird and Semiah Smith

In the Youth Moccasin Talks, emerging leader Courtney Copoc-Hopkins gathers with local youth to share and explore ways to preserve the wisdom that has been passed down for millennia. In sharing our truths, our stories, knowledge, and strength, we express the importance of Wisdom.

As young leaders, wisdom is not simply defined by one word. Wisdom is perseverance, language, traditions, culture, and resilience. We must grow to understand that our voices are powerful and must be used to guide our future generations. 

In trying times of uncertainty, our youth have had to find stillness amongst the chaos. We reflect on the past year and a half and how we have learned to shift our perspectives and priorities.

Join us as we explore unique youth perspectives and how we nurture and preserve wisdom. 

Courtney Copoc-Hopkins

Courtney is a proud Lenape, person of Delaware Nation (Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit), Turtle Clan from the Hopkins family.  She is a first-generation university graduate, an intergenerational cycle-breaker, traveler, thrill seeker, and an unapologetic dreamer. As an intuitive urban Indigenous woman, Courtney shares a deep-rooted passion for strengthening the voices of her community. She is a certified Gladue Report Writer, Program Coordinator, Career Coach, and Youth Mentor. Most recently, she was chosen as one of Canada’s emerging youth leaders by RavenSPEAK 2021.

Courtney has committed to reconnecting to her Indigenous kinship, embracing her culture, and most importantly taking pride in her Indigenous identity. Consistently, she brings forth positivity, love and dedication to being the person she needed when she was younger. She hopes to inspire, uplift, and reminds us to always dream big.

Dalton Bird

“Dalton Bird is an Urban Inuit Two Spirit Transgender Women. Over the years she has been a part of many committees and Boards all across the province providing the point of view of Two Spirit People, Youth, Person with a Disability. Dalton has many goals in her life but the main mission is to “build a better future for the next seven generations.”

Semiah is a singer/songwriter from Six Nations, Ontario. She began professionally singing traditional music from her Haudenosaunee heritage in her late teens in solo performances and as a member of the singing trio, Hatiyo (the good voice). At the same time, she also began writing songs in English, however had never published any of her contemporary works until her first single, ‘Nothing Can Kill My Love for You’ debuted on 14 May 2021. Semiah continues to challenge herself in her song writing to explore the nuances of identity, love, and the growing pains of her twenties.