by Ian Elliot
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 08/97) - You know the Rangers. Now meet the Junior Rangers.

Two Northern communities -- Paulatuk, which, in 1994, began as the pilot program for the North, and Clyde River -- have Junior Rangers programs up and running and the Canadian Forces Northern Area wants to have a total of 10 operating by the end of March in places as distant as Tsiigehtchic, Pangnirtung, Kugluktuk, Broughton Island and Gameti.

Warrant Officer Chuck Bachmanek, one of the people setting up the patrols of youths aged 12 to 17, says the idea is to form community-based programs modelled on the adult Ranger program rather than on air or army cadet programs, which get more support and supervision from the regular forces.

Ranger patrols, of which there are almost 60 in the North, operate more self-sufficiently and assist the regular forces, report on unusual activities in their area and conduct a week-long sovereignty patrol once a year.

"The Junior Ranger program is a very good program but it's nowhere near as bureaucratic or paper-bound as the cadet program," he said.

The Junior Ranger program also differs in its focus. Only one-third of the program covers the traditional military activities such as drill, weapons handling, navigation and training on global positioning systems, all with an eye to enabling the cadets to go out on the land.

The rest of the training will cover citizenship and issues of concern in each community, which could be such things as drug and alcohol abuse, and the other third will instill traditional knowledge and skills in the cadets.

"That's what makes this program really interesting," Bachmanek said.

Those traditional skills include constructing and using a traditional sled, known as a komatik, running a dog team, preparing shelters and hunting and preparing meat. Those skills will be taught by older Rangers and elders.

In the programs already running, language and elders' stories have also been taught. Bachmanek said the two existing patrols have more than 20 youths enrolled each.

The whole thing is overseen by a committee consisting of Rangers, tribal and community leaders and influential members of the public. The committee will decide what the young people should learn and this will vary in each community which has the program.

"Each community can tailor the program to what they think it should be," Bachmanek said.

When Junior Rangers turn 18, they can then step up to the adult program, he said.

The plans are to expand the program as time passes. The Canadian Forces has identified a further nine communities as future candidates for Junior Ranger patrols including Fort McPherson, Taloyoak, Wha Ti and Whale Cove. The only restriction on the locations of the future patrol is that they must have an existing ranger patrol operating to support the younger one.