“Yaa tahay?” is Somali for “Who are you?” Although this is the literal translation, among Somali people this question is widely understood to actually mean “What is your tribe/clan?” For young Somalis of the diaspora, particularly Somali- Canadians, the response to this question of “Who are you?” is simple – “Soomaali [b]aan ahay” (I am Somali). This response is driven by a mutual sense of Somali identity, commonly known as Soomaalinimo, and this affiliation to Soomaalinimo has been revived by young Somalis of the diaspora, including those in Canada.

Through a series of interviews and participatory workshops, this research seeks to explore the evolution of Soomaalinimo over time. The research explores how a futures approach that is based on principles of dhaqan (culture) and Soomaalinimo could present alternative narratives and futures. Young Somali-Canadians in two cities (Toronto and Edmonton) were given an opportunity to define Soomaalinimo for themselves, re-discover Somalia’s past, and create future scenarios of how the Somali- Canadian identity might evolve in the future for their great-grandchildren. While the focus of this research is specifically on Somali-Canadian futures, this research also presents a new inclusive futures framework that can be generalized to different cultural groups.

The goal of this research, and resulting framework, is to foster the development of futures that are culturally informed, intersectional, and anticolonial.