8 | NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
JUNE 2026
‘A surreal experience’ Indspire Award win an amazing moment, Hrechka says
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IT’S GREAT TO BE A SMALL TOWN KID FROM DAUPHIN AND GET THIS AWARD WHERE IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S SOMEONE FROM TORONTO OR SOME BIG CITY LIKE THAT “ – Garrett Hrechka “
Garrett Hrechka accepting 2026 Indspire award PHOTO BY INDIGENOUS GEOGRAPHIC/PASHLEY MEDIA
BY JIM TIMLICK
Garrett Hrechka admits it was a bit unsettling when he walked onto the stage at the Halifax Convention Centre last month for the 2026 Indspire Awards presentation ceremony. The Indspire Awards are the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon itself and honours First Nations, Inuit and Métis people whose accomplishments have helped to uplift communities across Turtle Island and beyond. Hrechka was one of 14 recipients who were honoured during the May 14 nationally televised ceremony. The 24-year-old product of Dauphin received the Métis Youth Award for his dedication to helping others. “It was such a surreal experience,” he says of the moment. “At first, I was kind of like I don’t deserve it because there were so many deserving candi- dates. To be recognized by Indspire was truly amazing. Being recognized like that made me feel like I’m doing something right. It was an awesome experience.” Hrechka was joined in Halifax by his parents.
He says the best part of winning the award was the boost of his self-confidence it gave him and the sense of validation it provided. He hopes his win inspires other young Indigenous people to follow their dreams and understand they can make a positive difference in their community. “It’s great to be a small-town kid from Dauphin and get this award where it’s not like it’s someone from Toronto or some big city like that,” he says. “I hope it helps people realize if you have ideas, then work on them and they matter and see how far you can take them.” Helping others has always been a big part of Hrechka’s life, something he says is a way of life for most Indigenous people. Last summer he worked with the Northwest Métis Council in a couple of different roles. He supervised a group of high school students tasked with maintaining a community garden in Dauphin. He also helped run several NMC summer camps for youth. “It was pretty fun,” he says of the experience. “The main thing I like about it was the com- pany, the people I worked with and working with the youth. It was fun and something I never really did as a kid. I would have loved to go and camp out. It was a pretty cool experience.” Despite a busy schedule, Hrechka also
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