DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE - Fort Providence youth joined the fight against climate change by playing dead.

Pam Gross of Hay River, left, along with Erin Nadli, Dori Ann Lefoin and Kari Hergott were among the people from the territory who took part in Fill the Hill, a climate change rally, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 24. - photo courtesy of Dori Ann Lefoin

Clayton Lacorne, Justin Lacorne, Ben Vandell, Erin Nadli, Dori Ann Lefoin and Kari Hergott travelled to the nation's capital to participate in Power Shift Canada 2009 from Oct. 23 to 26.

During the trip the five Fort Providence youth participated in a flash mob "die-in" at a nearby RBC branch.

The die-in involved more than 100 youth lying down in the branch's lobby and pretending to be dead in protest of the banks' funding of Alberta tar sands projects. Hergott said she was proud of the youth who came out of their shells to actively participate in the protests.

Erin Nadli, 14, said she enjoyed participating in the die-in.

"It was fun," she said.

The Power Shift conference gathered together more than 1,000 youth from across the country to learn about climate change and how they can take action against it.

Hergott, 26, organized the trip for the Fort Providence youth. Hergott learned about the conference while attending the Youth Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change in August. She liked the topics and speakers that were scheduled for the event and the idea of 1,000 youth rallying together.

"I just really wanted to be there and be part of all that," she said.

Power Shift lived up to her expectations.

"It was inspiring and optimistic that we can make change happen, that we can make our voices heard on such a big topic," said Hergott.

The four day conference included training on how to organize events and campaign about climate change, presentations by speakers and a job fair that focused jobs in non-profit, clean energy and other sustainably-focused sectors. Hergott and the Fort Providence group took it all in.

Hergott said she came away from Power Shift with the feeling that people have to take responsibility for their own actions and do things on an individual level to help.

"Climate change is happening," she said.

"I have to do everything I can to make sure the world will be there for my future generations."

For Hergott Saturday and Monday were the most meaningful days of the conference.

On Oct. 24 the group participated in the Fill the Hill event that coincided with the International Day of Climate Action. More than 2,000 people gathered on Parliament Hill to lobby for change, said Hergott. Hergott briefly addressed the crowd when she and two other Young Leaders read their climate change declaration.

On Oct. 26. Hergott along with five other Young Leaders from the territories held a press conference with five MPs on climate change. Throughout the conference Nadli said she learned more about climate change and what she can do about it in her community. Nadli said she's very concerned about the effects of climate change.

"The world is dying and the government is barely doing anything about it," she said.

Nadli said she'd like to see more recycling take place in Fort Providence and other programs to help the environment.

Dori Ann Lefoin, 17, said she enjoyed the flash mobs at Fill the Hill and the RBC event. Falling on the floor and pretending to die in a public place was different but a lot of fun, she said.

Lefoin would like to see more green jobs, jobs related to environmental protection, in Fort Providence.

"I feel climate change is a huge thing. Everyone should do their part to try and help," she said.

Residents of Fort Providence might soon witness some local flash mobs.

In the weeks leading up to the December UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hergott and the five youth plan to hold flash mobs in the community to raise awareness on climate change.