Resilient Voices: A Conversation with Keifer Hester on Youth Leadership, Land, and Reconnection
We caught up with Keifer Hester, a dedicated member of the Youth Committee and participant in the Learning from Lake Sturgeon (LFLS) initiative, to talk about his personal journey, reconnection to land and culture, and what youth leadership means to him.
To start, could you describe yourself in one word?
Keifer Hester (KH): Resilient. Even when I’m scared, I’ll do it anyway. I grew up in a household with five brothers—we don’t cry as men. People wouldn’t expect vulnerability from me, but I’ve learned that trying new things, being scared, and talking about your feelings are all part of being strong.
Can you tell us about how you got involved in the Youth Committee?
KH: I wasn’t raised in the culture. I didn’t grow up connected to land or water, even though I was surrounded by it in Moosonee. My grandpa, who raised me, didn’t talk about culture. I joined the Committee after participating in Neemamo Mishkanan in 2024. It was the first program of its kind in our area. That canoe trip changed me—it opened my eyes.
What changed for you?
KH: The trip took me beyond the power lines of Moosonee, where my world used to end. I saw the land differently. The river was so low in some parts we had to walk our canoes. I started asking, how do fish even travel through this? We toured Smokey Falls Hydro Dam, one of four Ontario Power Generation dams and it got me thinking. I get that people need jobs and power, but the fish are not okay. I want both things to be respected—our water, and our need to provide.
What does being a youth leader in conservation mean to you?
KH: You don’t just wake up and decide you’re a leader. Leadership is not a title given to one’s self, but awarded by others through the actions and responsibilities you have taken. I see my role now as helping create and continue programming that gives youth a voice and real responsibilities. This work helps build a strong foundation. It’s been hard physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, but it’s worth it.
What would you say to another young person about land and water stewardship?
KH: It’s not as intimidating as it seems. Caring for the land doesn’t have to look like picking up trash. It’s a mindset, and a feeling. You can do it on your own. Don’t wait until you know everything—just start.
What’s your vision for the future of the Youth Committee?
KH: I want it to grow. Right now our participation fluctuates because many of us get busy with life outside the Youth Committee. I’d love to see year-round activities—snowshoeing, camping, and canoeing. I want to be part of building that. One of my favorite ideas is a high school project I did—building a quincy, which is a snow shelter. Imagine doing one outdoor activity every season!
How can communities better support Indigenous youth voices?
KH: Youth need to be invited. We always hear about youth voices, but it’s rarely youth saying it. I’d never put myself in those spaces without someone encouraging me. Be the person who invites youth and says, “You belong here.”
Keifer has a YouTube channel, highlighting the Neemamo Mishkanan trip. We asked him about it.
KH: I have always made videos. When I was a teen, I made memes, but I never recorded myself. Leading up to Neemamo Mishkanan, I realized I wanted to record it. I am working on a new video, talking about how scared I was on day one. I had a panic attack. But by the end of the day, I was fine. I want to show that it’s okay to be scared and still go for it. My partner Rae is going to interview me—Charles Island will be the backdrop. I want people to see the journey, not just the results.
Check out his YouTube channel here! Keifer Hester - YouTube
Keifer produced a series of videos that captured the Neemamo Mishkanan canoe trip.
What does this work mean to you now, as you look ahead?
KH: I’m in college now, studying social work in Toronto. I’m the first in my family to go to school. I never thought I’d be here. Rae was on the Committee before me and didn’t know what she was doing at first—but now we both get it. This work—being on the land, building something with others, mentoring—it’s part of who I’m becoming.
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A Moment to Remember – Keifer’s SCAS 2025 Speech:
I grew up in a remote community in the far north of Ontario, in the heart of our Cree people’s homelands, raised by my grandfather, a survivor of the Fort George & Bishop Horden Hall residential schools. However, I wasn’t raised in our cultural teachings and traditions. I wasn’t taught to respect our land and water, having rarely been out there despite being surrounded by it. I’m still early in my reconnection journey, so when I heard about the Neemamo Mishkanan programming in January 2024, which was allowing Mushkeg First Nation youth to experience the outdoors in an incredible 8-day canoe trip, I needed to be a part of it.
This programming is the first of its kind in our area, and I’m grateful to have participated in it. It gave youth like me an opportunity to speak and listen to our Elders about the old ways, it allowed us to participate in traditional ceremonies and learn about the scientific initiatives that go into studying our water and sturgeon. My biggest takeaway however, was the canoe trip. It put us to the test, it even broke us physically, mentally, and spiritually. But, at the end of every paddle day on the mighty Mattagami and Moose Rivers, we were there to mend each other during our evening group debrief sessions.
I’ll never forget the day we finally arrived in Moose Factory, after 8 long days of paddling 200km, hearing the community celebrate our arrival with cheers and honking of vehicles. The sounds will forever echo in my heart. I know everyone else on that trip experienced the wave of accomplishment that washed over me that day. This program birthed in me a newfound respect for our land and water. That is why I joined the Youth Advisory Committee after the trip. I want to help work towards expanding and creating opportunities for our youth with programming such as this. I want to be a part of the advocacy for our land stewardship.
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Keifer Hester is one of many inspiring youth leading the way forward—reminding us that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back, but about choosing to move toward something better, one paddle stroke at a time.
Thank you Keifer for sharing your story of resilience, and for being so awesome!