Nolan Rudkowskyl is local, through and through.
The Squamish Nation youth was raised locally, graduated in 2018 from Coast Mountain Academy and still lives in the district.
He is one of the many up-and-coming youth in town who is already making the community better and, from all indications, will continue to do so well into the future.
The Squamish Chief caught up to Rudkowsky,19, for a chat about his past, present and future.
What follows is an edited version of that conversation.
Q: Your last name, Rudkowsky, is not that common in this area is it?
A: That is because my dad is from up North. He grew up there and his dad was Ukranian and that is where the last name comes from.
Q: What have you been up to most recently?
A: I have been busy since the end of summer doing youth work for the Squamish Nation. We partnered with Right to Play, which is a huge international youth-work organization. It has been a great time. I am enjoying it.
We have been revamping the Squamish Nation Youth Centre in Brackendale. I am one of four youth workers there. It has been super good in terms of increaing numbers and programs.
Q: Tell me more about what is happening at the centre. What is going on, exactly?
A: We started a Gentleman's Club and a Sister's Tribe—basically boys and girls groups. We teach basic life skills such as cooking and goal setting, that kind of thing.
It has been a great success. I believe they like it because they keep coming back. I can't speak for Sister's Tribe, but for Gentleman's Club we have anywhere from four to eight kids come out twice a week and after that, we have drop-in for a couple of hours. Youth can come and use the teen centre and use the court and the nice facilities we have.
I work with Rolan Mendoza, a personal trainer. He's super awesome.
I didn't think I would enjoy this work as much as I have.
Q: What are some of the challenges youth face in Squamish?
A: We are trying to encourage them to live an active lifestyle, sometimes that is a challenge. Some complain about school and the lack of facilities in town. They say there is nothing to do in town. To an extent, that is true. But I also don't think they are as aware of what there is to do.
I hope to start an Indigenous outdoor club at some point.
It is just an idea right now, but we would do hiking and climbing, that kind of thing.
Squamish is a cool place to be. I didn't always think that. As a kid, I wasn't that into outdoor recreation. I played team sports and was travelling back and forth to Vancouver playing hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. I didn't think there was much to do here. With Coast Mountain Academy, I was lucky to get exposed to more outdoor recreation.
Q: What I hear about you is that you were and are very active in your community and your Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) culture. How did that come about for you? Was it at home from your parents?
A: I did a lot of cool things growing up. It was just the norm. I always went to Culture Camp, drummed and sang. I was part of the Squamish dance group Welh Tima Kexwusem, meaning "culture bringing people together."
It is funny because at first, I didn't tell my parents I had joined the dance group. I just did it and then played floor hockey after at Totem Hall. When they found out, they said "What? You didn't tell us anything about this."
Q: I know you worked with the environmental charity Tides Canada—from March until August—this year, what was that experience like for you?
A: It was such an awesome experience. It is great what they are doing working with the Marine Reference Guide for Howe Sound. It is exactly what Howe Sound needs, especially with it coming back to life. It was awesome to contribute to and on the land, I grew up on.
[The Howe Sound/Atl'ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide is a Tides Canada project. Information gathered will be added to a centralized online map that could be used to help with government decision making and for community education, Rudkowsky was a Squamish Nation Youth Lead on the project.]
Q: What are your long-term plans for your life?
A: I am doing an Indigenous military course in the summer. It is called Bald Eagle and it is in the Prairies for six weeks. It is like a boot camp.
I hope to get a visa and travel, likely to New Zealand.
I would also like to become a certified guide eventually.
Start a non-profit and do youth work too.
I definitely want to do the Squamish Language program with SFU. A lot of my friends are doing it and it would be cool.
My auntie and great uncle speak it, but I didn't. The language almost died and now there is a resurgence of it.
Q: You have a lot of big plans! What is your advice for young kids reading this?
A: Stay true to yourself and have fun with everything. No one is perfect, you have your ups and downs. Make the best of things. That is all you can do. It is all about your mindset—staying positive.
This story was originally published in The Squamish Chief on Dec. 26.
