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Training leaders on the land Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Northern News Services Published Monday, July 18, 2011
"It's something we wanted to bring back for them," said Margaret Gordon, education and training manager for the Gwich'in Tribal Council. The high school students - Arnold Archie, Billy Tyrrell, Tara Wedzin, Bryanna Storr, Karlie Robert and Nathan Francis - will be accompanied by two program leaders, Kelly Henderson of Thunder Bay and Scott Caspell of Bolton, Ont. On the evening of July 14, the group of eight arrived at the Ogilvie River, past Eagle Plains on the Dempster Highway, where they started paddling to Peel River, which they will follow to Fort McPherson. Their trip will take them through Aberdeen Canyon, past the sheer cliffs of Peel Canyon and along the Yukon border. In addition to learning hiking and paddling skills, Gordon said the students will each get a chance to lead the group for the day. "These kids need to learn how to do things on their own and become independent," she said, adding that learning on the land allows them to incorporate traditional culture into these lessons. Storr, a 16-year-old Inuvik resident, said she signed up for the program because she wanted to challenge herself, do something different and was interested in the leadership aspect of the course. Tyrrell, a 15-year-old from Aklavik who has spent a lot of time out on the land, had different motivations. "It sounded like fun," he said. The team's equipment includes four canoes, eight sleeping bags and mats, three tents, a stove and grill, a water jug and six barrels of food, with meals from pasta with alfredo sauce and macaroni and cheese, to stir fry and burritos. What their equipment will not include are iPods, deodorant, cellphones and showering supplies. Trip organizer Jonathan Carroll, who will stay in Inuvik during the trip in case of an emergency, said the biggest challenge the teens will likely face is a four-to-eight kilometre portage through Aberdeen Canyon in the Yukon. Depending on water levels, they will have to carry their canoes for two or three days to avoid the "death rapids" they would face if they stayed in the water, he said. They are expected to arrive in Fort McPherson around 10 a.m. on July 31. From there they will head to the Midway Music Festival to celebrate with family and friends. Although Storr was unsure of what to expect during the trip, she predicted the group would arrive back "brown, with big muscles." Gordon's prediction was a bit different: "The kids will be tired, but still have big smiles on their face."
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