Fort Good Hope (Dec 22/03) - After a couple of months of wondering and waiting, an experimental project that puts teen students out on the land to learn traditional skills is back.

The Turton Lake pilot project was called a major success last year but unseasonably warm temperatures delayed the project this fall.

"It was a slow start," said Keith Hickling, the Sahtu's manager of fish and wildlife with Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.

"It wasn't because of a lack of funding or bureaucracy, it was the high temperatures we had this fall."

The project is a partnership through several government departments, the Sahtu Divisional Education Council and the Fur Institute of Canada.

Last year, nine students from across the Sahtu were flown out to Turton Lake at the end of September. This year, planners decided to wait until freeze-up to begin the project.

Turton Lake is about 90 kilometres southeast of Fort Good Hope.

A total of 10 students from several Sahtu communities drove to Turton Lake by snowmobile about a month ago, where they met up with Wilfred Jackson, an award winning trapper and on-site instructor for the class.

While on the land, the students will learn to trap and set nets under ice. They will also learn outdoor survival skills.

One student, Ernest Manuel Jr., liked the course so much last year, he came back as an instructor.

"The main purpose is to provide opportunities for students to immerse themselves in outdoor skills and maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Hickling, noting that students must still crack the textbooks while taking the course.

Rob Cahill, executive director of the Fur Institute of Canada, said he would like to see the project expanded to other regions of Canada where fur harvesting is still an important part of the economy.

He is also hoping this year's batch of students make it to the fur auction house in North Bay, Ont., next spring to see how the fur industry works.

"There's a feeling that a lot of native kids aren't participating in land-based activities any more," said Cahill. "This is a way to show kids that there are more opportunities in life."