NIHM: Crystal Martin-Lapenskie Advocates for Inuit Youth
June 17, 2021
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Crystal Martin-Lapenskie knows the hardships faced by Inuit communities. She was raised in Sanirajak in Nunavut, splitting her teenage years between Canada’s Artic region and the Ottawa Valley. Now as the President of the National Inuit Youth Council she has a powerful voice as an advocate for young people who often struggle to have access to the necessities of life.
From an early age, Martin-Lapenskie wanted to make a difference. After graduating from Opeongo High School, near her Ottawa Valley home in Eganville, she had considered becoming a police officer and applied to the Police Foundations program at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus. But she changed her mind and instead enrolled in the Social Service Worker program, a decision that would propel Martin-Lapenskie into an advocacy role that has taken her around the world, working directly with Indigenous leaders, elected officials and like-minded individuals to shine a light on the most pressing social justice issues facing Inuit youth.
She graduated from Algonquin College in 2013. Soon after, she began working with Inuit communities, taking on leadership positions in economic development areas while also supporting not-for-profit organizations and starting her own consulting business. Her roles have included working as a project manager and Acting Regional Director for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and partnering with Ontario’s Ministry of Education to develop and revamp curriculum to include Inuit history.
Frequently invited to round tables and consultations with government officials, Martin-Lapenskie is always willing to share her voice as a representative for Canada’s Inuit youth. The 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation report have become her playbook as she brings attention to the many issues facing young people in Canada’s Northern communities, such as access to mental health services. Surprisingly, when it comes to mental health, Martin-Lapenskie believes there has been a silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Inuit have the highest suicide rates not only in Canada, but in the entire world. When COVID happened last year, my heart sank with the thought of losing more youth, as we lack proper mental health services across Inuit Nunangat, but the pandemic brought our communities together and that closeness has resulted in the lowest suicide numbers we’ve seen. Inuit youth are utilizing this time to immerse themselves out on the land with their loved ones, proving that land-based initiatives are paramount to the well-being of our people,” says Martin-Lapenskie.
Martin-Lapenskie is well spoken and passionate about her work, much of it unpaid. Volunteerism is a huge part of her approach to sharing her message about the needs of Inuit youth. She sits on several committees, providing valuable input to organizations including the the Renfrew County District School Board, United Way East Ontario, International Inuit Business Association, and the Kamatsianig Council that advises on polices that impact Inuit children and youth in the welfare sector.
“Canadians need to know that Inuit are among the most resourceful, resilient and adaptable people in Canada and although they live through socio-economic disparities, Inuit youth have not lost hope and have been awakened by the reclamation of our cultural traditions and language,” says Martin-Lapenskie, who has taken a particular interest in supporting the health and wellness of Inuit.
She recently welcomed a production crew to her home so she could record a federal public service announcement encouraging Inuit peoples to get their vaccination to help stop the spread of the pandemic. It’s this type of meaningful advocacy that has made Martin-Lapenskie one of Canada’s most important Indigenous voices.
As she wraps up her two-year term as the President of the National Inuit Council, Martin-Lapenskie is proud of the work that she has done, but is not about to slow down in her advocacy efforts. She understands too well the socio-economic issues facing Northern youth and has committed herself to staying connected with a part of Canada that few Canadians know. For Martin-Lapenskie, the North will always be her home, the place that drives her ambition to help others and the reason she became a Social Service Worker.