Kayla Littlepoplar of Sweetgrass First Nation was named as the BGC Canada Indigenous Youth of the Year for 2022. (Facebook/Kayla Littlepoplar)

By Angela Brown

First recipient of honour

Sweetgrass member honoured with BGC Canada Indigenous Youth of the Year Award

Sep 2, 2022 | 3:57 PM

A young woman from Sweetgrass First Nation was announced as the 2022 Indigenous Youth of the Year for BGC Canada.

Kayla Littlepoplar, 17, a North Battleford Comprehensive High School student, is being honoured for her efforts in leadership, volunteerism and promoting inclusiveness.

BGC Canada said she is the first Indigenous Youth of the Year Award recipient.

“It means a lot to me as the Youth of the Year,” Littlepoplar said. “I hope to inspire youth and Indigenous youth across Canada, and especially here in North Battleford. I’d like the youth here to know that the club has their back, and I have their back.”

She said the BGC clubs believe in opportunity, inclusivity and equity for all youth.

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“We are here to support them, and that’s the message I want to spread as Youth of the Year,” Littlepoplar said. “Being Youth of the Year to me, personally, I am honestly still in a little bit of shock that I was awarded it because it is a prestigious across-Canada award to have won. I feel so incredibly honoured to have had the support from the club and have grown as a member, to a staff member. I feel quite blessed to have had the club in my life.”

Littlepoplar will next meet with other BGC Youth of the Year Award recipients across Canada to share ideas and “grow their leadership.”

BGC Canada said Littlepoplar embodies BGC values every day, helping everyone around her feel included, respected, and supported.

Nicole Combres, BGC Battlefords executive director, said the local club nominated Littlepoplar in recognition of all her efforts over the years.

“The Youth of the Year is a national initiative that celebrates youth leadership and achievement at clubs across the country,” she said. “The Youth of the Year looks at fostering strong ambassadors for clubs, and building capacity for clubs to support more youth leaders in our own communities.”

Combres said in recognizing the need to create equitable spaces for Indigenous peoples, particularly youth in BGC clubs, the organization created the new Indigenous Youth of the Year Award.

“We are so proud and excited for the Indigenous Youth of the Year for 2022 to be our very own Kayla,” she said.

Littlepoplar first joined the local club as a member, then became a volunteer and now is in a program staff position.

“We feel so blessed to have Kayla as part of our team,” Combres said. “She is an amazing role model to all of our members, in particular, our Indigenous members at our locations here in our community. Kayla is kind, caring, welcoming, and accepting of all. All of those qualities align with the values of our club and the clubs across the country.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW