Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Aug 07/98) - A dozen students from Alberta are learning first-hand about Northern culture and hospitality by paddling along the Slave River, Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River.

They are members of Camp Chief Hector, a YMCA summer camp, in Seebe, Alberta, near Canmore. The group calls itself "Sac Dene." They wanted their name to be "the Mackenzie" in Chipewyan, but something was lost in the translation, admitted a smiling Jill Ewens.

They began their journey on July 9th. As of this past weekend, they had been through Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River and Fort Providence.

"I wanted to learn more about the culture," Ewens said. "We've been really overwhelmed by the generosity."

Although the contingent is well prepared with camping gear and provisions (and an assortment of cameras), they haven't been forced to rely solely on their own supplies.

In Fort Resolution, they were welcomed with a drum dance and a feast of moose meat and whitefish. They met an elder and talked about trapping and the traditional way of life. Then, they were put up for the night at a local tourist lodge.

"People have been really great," said Ewens.

A few days later, in Hay River, they were welcomed to stay on the reserve with a band member.

"We sort of come and meet who we can meet," Ewens said. "We try to seek out the culture and the everyday."

In Fort Providence, their arrival happened to coincide with Mackenzie Daze, so they stayed to observe and take part. When the youth war canoe races started, they entered a team and won. Ewens said they planned to support the festival by using the prize money to purchase souvenir T-shirts.

Aged from 17 to 19, most of the members of Sac Dene are about to enter university and "go their separate ways" in the fall. This trip was an opportunity for many, already friends, to have one last educational and social gathering together.

They are covering approximately 50 kilometres per day on the river. Sometimes, they bind the canoes together and put up a sail when the winds co-operate. With stops left to make in Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson and Fort Norman, they expect to be finished by August 19. The group will prepare a slide show when they return.

"It's been quite an experience," said member Michael Birnie. "We're trying to learn as much as we can and take it back to camp."