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The Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge began in 2005 as a national writing competition for Aboriginal youth. In the 2010-2011 challenge year, the Institute introduced an expanded challenge that would now include a visual arts component. Participants in the newly expanded Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge are invited to submit a piece of creative writing (past entries have included short stories, plays, screenplays and collections of poetry), or a piece of two-dimensional artwork that captures a defining moment in Aboriginal history. This program has been fortunate to earn large scale support from Aboriginal Arts and Literary communities across Canada, and winning entries are selected by a jury of esteemed Aboriginal authors, artists and leaders including Joseph Boyden, Tomson Highway, Drew Hayden Taylor, Lee Maracle, John Kim Bell, Kent Monkman and Teresa Marshall.
 

“The Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of young Aboriginal writers. I am honoured to act as Honorary Patron of the project and extremely proud of all the young writers who use the Challenge as a way to make meaning of events that are significant to all Canadians.”

- National Chief Shawn Atleo