Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Friday, August 1, 2008

AKLAVIK

As soon as Prairie Dawn Edwards, 15, saw a poster at Moose Kerr school advertising a trip on the Horton River, she knew it was something she wanted to do.

She even talked her friend Elizabeth Illasiak, 15, into signing up as well.

"I didn't want to do it alone and I didn't want to get homesick alone," said Edwards.

The two Aklavik teens spent 17 days paddling and shooting rapids on the Horton River.

"We went white water rafting," said Illasiak. "It was killer awesome."

Rafting might not be the most accurate description. The girls were in collapsible canoes, far less stable than any rubber raft.

Edwards admitted she was one of the first people to fall in while tackling some rapids.

There were nine Inuvialuit teens and two instructors on the journey. They had to fly about an hour and a half outside of Inuvik to get to their launching point.

"As soon as we got there we unloaded everything," she said. "As we were having breakfast we had a visitor. A caribou came right across the river."

The teens saw at least 30 caribou on the journey as well as signs of other wildlife.

"We saw lots of bear tracks and lots of wolf tracks, too," said Illasiak. "Big tracks about the size of your hands."

The two teens said the food was pretty good, though almost everything was freeze-dried. Edwards said the menu included meals ranging from spaghetti and stir-fry to egg burritos and hash browns.

The trip is an annual event called the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC) Arctic Youth Leadership Expedition. The trip is led by Outward Bound Canada, a non-profit organization specializing in leadership development through outdoor education.

This year marked the fifth such expedition run in through the IDC.

Program director Nicki Mosley said the IDC hopes to make the trip a legacy for Inuvialuit youth. She thinks the students taking part today will be the leaders in business and government tomorrow. The connections and friendships they make on the Outward Bound trip will help them in the future.

"The IDC is interested in involving young leaders, Inuvialuit youth," said Mosley. "They want to develop youth to come in and work and contribute back to the community."

After the canoe trip, the youth traveled to Edmonton, Hay River and Yellowknife to learn about post-secondary education and career opportunities.

This year Canadian Helicopters made a $10,000 donation to the program to help fund next year's adventure.

Both Edwards and Illasiak agreed the trip has changed their lives forever.

"This whole Outward Bound trip is about moving forward in your life and setting goals, and leaving all the stuff behind you don't need in your life," said Illasiak.