Over eight days and 187 kilometres, 25 young people from northern Saskatchewan embarked on an unforgettable journey with only themselves, their gear and a little willpower.
“It was challenging; it tested them at times. But they made lifelong friendships and I’m sure it’s a trip they’ll never forget,” said Rock Cree Language Council Inc. chair Andrea Custer, who led the recent trip with her husband Randy Clarke.
It began north of Lac La Ronge at Otter Lake (approximately 450 kilometres north of Saskatoon), journeyed through the Churchill River and ended in Custer’s home community of Pelican Narrows.
The epic, culture-infused trip was the culmination of Custer’s masters degree in land-based education, a project motivated by her personal experiences growing up and learning in nature.
“I wanted youth to experience that traditional highway, too,” she said.
“There’s so many beautiful teachings when you travel that route, so I wanted to give the youth a sense of what our ancestors experienced and the lands they lived on.”
The group was originally supposed to include 20 people but grew to 25 due to the large number of applicants. The participants, many of whom did not know each other prior to the trip, were between the ages of 14 and 22, from communities across Saskatchewan including Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Deschambault Lake, Sandy Bay, and Pelican Narrows.
“Some of the kids had never done anything like this before,” Custer said.
“Sometimes it was really challenging, but at the end of the day they were always happy and excited when we got to camp, and enthusiastic to start the next day,”
Along the way, they visited traditional camps, families in the area, heard stories and history, and saw ancient rock paintings. Custer also made a point of teaching language during the long hours paddling on the water.
“I told them what life was like for our ancestors, how they had no boats or connection to the outside world,” Custer said.
“The kids got a strong sense of how strong they (themselves) were, because they could do it, too. They got a stronger sense of pride in who they are.”
During the mornings around camp, the youth also had conversations about contemporary issues in their home communities, Randy Clarke said.
With a background in education, politics, and land-based teaching, he took the opportunity to give the young minds positive reenforcement.
“There’s a high use of crystal meth and drugs in our communities. So we had circles every morning,” Clarke said.
“We explained to the youth that if you work hard, if you have obstacles, keep working and you’ll achieve it. We made sure to compliment all their hard work every morning.”
Several long portages — areas in which they had to carry their canoes and supplies through the bush to the next lake or river — were among the most challenging aspects of the journey. But those great obstacles meant an even greater reward, Clarke said.
“Some of them cried at the end when we got back,” he said. “They were so happy to have this experience. They all bonded through going through something hard together.”
Clarke believes the trip will have a significant and lasting impact on the youth. He hopes more communities and organizations around the province will see the value in investing in these sorts of excursions.
“We’ve had so many sad stories, stories of shootings in the community. Hopefully in the future, bands are inspired and bring more money for the youth. It’s a great experience for them,” Clarke said.
“I think this can help with drug and alcohol issues. It gets them out, it keeps them busy, and shows them the benefits of hard work. It’s never a bad thing to teach the value of hard work.”
NC Raine is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with Eagle Feather News. The LJI program is federally funded by the Government of Canada.
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