Hailey Hamelin Wilson, COP30 Youth Delegate for UNA-Canada
Prior to COP30 I had never experienced or attended a conference, this was my first conference. As a young person, at first I felt out of place as I had no idea what I was doing or what my overall purpose was.
I found myself greatly honoured and excited to have the opportunity to be in the presence of hundreds of country leaders, advocates and Indigenous leaders from across the globe. As someone who grew up between a reserve and Metis settlement, an opportunity to be in the presence of such a political stance was a rare occurrence for someone like me. Yet there I was at Canada pavilion often sitting at a table with a minister or a member of a Canadian political party.
This was an eye opening experience because I never thought such possibilities were open for someone like me, nor had I known someone to do this. It helped me reflect on my own life, as I do much work with grassroots organizations, I also applied for law school. This was a pivotal moment, because it felt like I was just touching the surface of what I want to achieve, who I want to be, and what I want to accomplish in my lifetime.
I love doing climate change work and advocating for my Indigenous culture, but I understand that creating change takes determination.
