Participants in Indigenous cultural exchange program to New Zealand feel 'scammed'
CBC
What many thought was a dream opportunity for Indigenous youth from Canada to participate in cultural exchange with local Māori communities in New Zealand turned into what one participant describes as a "nightmare."
It was marketed as a 12-week working holiday for Indigenous youth but left some participants feeling scammed.
"They're almost luring us into this program using Māori culture and the idea of Indigenous connection," said Ashley Clearsky, from Waywayseecappo First Nation in Manitoba.
"It was just a bit of a nightmare."
Clearsky said she first heard about the program from a Facebook advertisement. She clicked on the ad and filled out the form.
Clearsky said she was attracted to the program because she has family in New Zealand.
She was invited for a Zoom interview with Go International — a Canadian company based out of Vancouver and a recognized organization with the federal government's International Experience Canada program.
Go International partnered with Jenza, a New Zealand travel company that would manage participants once they were in that country. On Go International's website it says Jenza has "strong connections with employers and the Māori communities."
She was given a fact sheet from Go International and was told to give it to her band office so she could access funds for the program.
"For Indigenous youth from Canada, this program serves as a bridge between nations, fostering cross-cultural understanding and empowering participants to develop valuable skills and embrace new environments and perspectives," read the letter.
But Clearsky said her band didn't give her any money because the program wasn't educational, nor was it going to give her any credits toward the university degree she was pursuing at the time.
"That should have been like maybe the first red flag — my band wasn't willing to pay for it," said Clearsky.
Clearsky ended up paying the $4,200 for the program out of her own pocket.
Participants were also responsible for paying their own travel insurance, visa fees and flights, which by Go International's own estimates on their website would cost about $3,000.
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