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Theyhadtocometogetherandfacethatadversitytogether.IanPattersonChiefSunriseEducationalCentreEducationOntheLand11TuesdayJune182013BroughttoyoubyTheNWTMtisNationStudentsbuildlifeskillsontheNahanniRiverSchoolsjointogethertosendyoungleadersonepicadventureByMEAGANWOHLBERGWhathappenswhenstu-dentsfromfourcommunitiescometogetheronaweek-longepicriveradventureAccord-ingtotheprincipaloftheChiefSunriseEducationalCentreontheHayRiverRe-servelivesarechanged.Eighteenstudentsandteach-ersfromtheKatlodeecheschoolDehGahSchoolinFortProvidenceDeninuSchoolinFortResolutionandtheLutselKeDeneSchoolspenttherstweekofJuneraftingtheNah-anniRiverlearningaboutitshistorygeographyandwildlifewhileovercomingchallengesthroughteamwork.Itwashighwatersode-mandingintermsoftherisktakingthatstudentsneededtodosaidIanPattersontheChiefSunriseprincipal.Theyweresortofoutsideoftheircomfortzonewhichledtoaspiritofcamaraderie.Theyhadtocometogetherandfacethatadversitytogether.Mostofthemhadntknowneachotherpriortothistripsoveryquicklytheyhadtogofromstrangerstopaddlepartnersandcampmates.Forsevendaysthegroupofstudentsaged13andoverwasresponsibleforsettingupandtakingdowncampandcookingtheirownfoodandpaddlingbetweensixandsevenhoursaday.Pattersonsaiditwashardworkbuttaughtimpor-tantlessons.BecauseyoureinaremotesettingitsnotlikeifyouforgotyoursleepingbagordidnthaveenoughfoodforsevendaysyoucouldrunouttotheNorthernandgetanotheronehesaid.Soitwasamatterofbuild-ingteamworkthroughhandsonchallengingactivities.Thekidswereputintoachallengingsituationinabeautifulsettinganditwasawonderfulactiv-ity.Throughthattheylearnedtheimportanceofworkingto-getherofworkinghardandget-tingrewardsfromit.Thecamaraderiewasun-deniablesaidDanSummersprincipalofDeninuSchoolandfounderoftheannualcross-schoolstripthathasseenstu-dentscanoeingNWTriverswasanationalparkfromParksCanadastaffinFortSimpsonandlearnedaboutthenaturalhistorygeographicalfeaturesandwildlifefromNahanniWildernessAdventureguides.Youcouldseethedifferentrockformationsthedifferentwaterhydraulicswesawdalltheyrejustlikeeveryoneelse...Therearealotofsimilarities.NextyearSummersishop-ingtheprogramcontinuesthistimebackincanoesontheCoppermineRiverenroutetoKugluktuknowthatthestudentshavepracticebeingondifcultwater.Theideaistoinviteotherschoolspoten-tiallyaswelllikeTroutLake.Thoughtheschoolshavemadesimilartripsinthepastitwasthersttimeallfourschoolscametogetheronsuchanelaboratevoyage.Partici-pantswereselectedfortheirleadershipqualitiesandcom-mitmenttoschoolwiththehopethattheywouldbuildlastingfriendshipswithlike-mindedpeopleoutsidetheircommunity.AttimeswedogetisolatedfromotherareasPattersonsaid.LutselKeHayRiverReserveFortProvidenceandFortReso-lutiongeographicallyarequiteseparate.Buttheopportunitytobringthesesmallcommuni-tiestogetheraroundanoutdooradventureactivitywassortoftheplantohavethemconnectandpotentiallynetworkdowntheroad.Itsnotaone-offtripwherewebringthemtogetherjustforthiseventexpectingthemtocomeoutofitasleadersitsmoreorlessinitiatinganoppor-tunitythattheycanbuildon.PhotoDanSummersStudentscelebrateabeautifuldayraftingontheNahanni.since2011.Hesaidoneoftheyoungestparticipantsa13year-oldboywasexhaustedaftertherstday.Twootherboyshehadjustmethelpedcarryhimfromhiskayaktositdown.Youjustknowitwasateamefforthesaid.Whenthetripendedweevenhadsometearsandtheyhadonlyknowneachotherforsevendays.Apartfromthelifeskillsandfriendshipsgarneredthrough-outtheexcursiontheeldtripalsoincludedamajoreduca-tionalcomponentintermsoflocalhistoryandnature.Stu-dentsheardaboutthetraditionalDeneuseofthelandbeforeitsheepwesawmoosewesawblackbearospreyeaglesaswellastheowerstheladyslippersthewildorchidsthemountainavenstheuniquevegetationinthearea.SotheyalllearnedaboutthataswellPattersonsaid.SummerssaidhestartedtheprogramwiththeintenttobreakstereotypesstudentshadaboutothercommunitiesintheNorth.AlofofthestudentsknewofFortProvidenceandtheothercommunitiesandtheyhadim-pressionsofthemsomegoodbutmostlybadhesaid.Whatbetterwaytoteachthemthanbeingtogetherandseeingthat