Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
8TuesdaySeptember242013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGFouryouthfromFortSmithjoinedstudentsfromFirstNationsacrossthecountrylastFridayfortherstoffoursegmentsofatwo-yearprogramaimedatdevelopingAboriginalyouthintoleadersinwatershedmanagement.TheresaFirstNationswatercrisisinCanada.NearlyhalfofFirstNationswatersystemsdonotmeettheguidelinesforCanadiandrinkingwaterqualityandwebelievethatyouthcanprovideleadershiptoassuresafedrinkingwaterandahealthyenvironmentforallpeopleinCanadaStepha-nieYuillapubliceducationspecialistwiththedepart-mentofEnvironmentalandNaturalResourcessaidoftheprogram.TherstprogramofitskindisaninitiativeoftheCentreforIndigenousEnvi-ronmentalResearchCIERcalledOurWaterOurFu-turedesignedspecicallyforFirstNationsyouth.Sixteenstudentsfromfourdifferentwatershedswillbevisitingeachotherscom-munitiesoverthenextyearspendingaweekineachplacedoingworkshopsasawaytolearnfromoneanotherandidentifysharedchallenges.DaltonBeamishJeremyBeamishAlexMarieandRyanDavidEvans-allstu-dentsatFortSmithsPaulWilliamKaeserHighSchool-leftfortheBeausoleilFirstNationinOntariolastFridaytojointheir12counterpartsfortherstworkshop.TheFirstNationlocatedontheshoresofLakeHu-ronsGeorgianBayismeanttorepresenttheAtlanticwa-tershedasitemergesfromtheGreatLakes.Thisweekthethemeisunderstandingwaterandhasstudentslearningfromtraditionalknowledgesus-tainablewaterpracticesandinformationonwaterlawpolicyandgovernment.ItsgettingthatwholebigholisticviewofwatersaidYuillwhoisaccompanyingtheyouthasachaperone.Ithinkitsareallygoodbal-ancebeingabletobringinthetraditionalknowledgebutalsolookingatthingsthatdogovernwatersuchaspoliciesandlaws.Jeremy17saidheappliedtotheprogrambecauseofhisconcernsaboutthehealthofthewateranditsimpactonwildlifebothofwhichcon-cernhimassomeonewhoenjoyson-the-landactivitieslikehunting.Waterisoneofthemainissuesintheworldrightnowandoneofthebiggestjobscomingoutisgoingtobehowdowemakeourwaterbet-terwhatshurtingourwatersystemsandhowtheanimalsgetaffectedbyithesaid.ItwillbeBeamishsrsttimevisitingOntario.HesaidhehopestolearnhowothercommunitiesareaffectedbythemainwaterissuesandshedsomelightonwhatshappeningtotheNWTandnorthernAlbertaswaterways-amessagehewantstopassontootheryouth.Mostpeoplealreadyknowwhatshappeningbutitsgoodtogettheyoungerkidstoletthemknowsotheydontcontinueonpollutingthewaterhesaid.Justgetitintheirheadthatinanother30yearsthewatermightnotbeashealthyforus.Threemoreweek-longedu-cationaltripsareplannedforthestudentsoverthecomingeightmonthswithpartici-pantsheadingtotheSimilka-meenFirstNationinlowermainlandBCinNovemberYellowknifeinMarchandtheIskatewizaageganFirstNationwhichbordersbe-tweenManitobaandOn-tarioinMay.TheNWTismeanttorepresenttheArcticwater-shedtheSimilkameenthePacicwatershedandIs-katewizaageganHudsonsBay.Otherworkshopthemesincludeorganizingtocre-atechangewhichfocusesonplanningpartneringandbudgetingadvocacyper-suadingandimplementinganddisseminatingeducat-ingsharingandcelebrating.ItsallaboutbuildingthecapacityforthemtobewaterleadersnotjusthereshowwaterworksYuillsaid.OnethingIthinkthatsre-allypositiveaboutthispro-gramistheyoutharegoingto...getsomehands-onprac-ticalexperiences.ForexampleatBeausoleilthegroupwillbeparticipat-ingintheGreatCanadianShorelineCleanup.TheyrealsogoingtobeintroducedtoleadersintheAboriginalcommunitiesandwaterleadersandalotofkidsdontgetthatopportunitytomeetpeopleinthosekindsofpositions.SoIthinkthatsreallyimportantthattheycanbeinspiredandhavesomerolemodelsofpeopletolookuptosheadded.Thesecondyearoftheprojectwillhavethegroupsoffourbackintheirhomecommunitiesusingwhattheyvelearnedtoleadman-ageorpartnerwithanotheragencytoraiseawarenessaboutwater.InFortSmiththeyouthwillteamupwiththeAuroraResearchInstituteARI-aplayerintheSlaveRiverandDeltaPartnership-onawaterproject.TheyouthwillhavesomanygreatopportunitiesatARIYuillsaidnotingthattheprojectsfocuswillbeuptotheparticipants.Itcouldbecreatingadisplayitcouldbecreatingaprogramforkindergartenkidsitcouldbewatermonitoring.YuillsaidFortSmithisalogicalplacetorepresenttheNWTbecauseofitslocationattheheadoftheMackenzieRiverbasin.ItstherstNWTcom-munitycomingoutoftheAthabasca-PeaceRiverDeltaanditssuchafocusforwatermonitoringandwaterissuesshesaid.Iknowtheresalotoffocusfromourlandandwaterpeopleonitsoitseemedlikeanaturalt.NWTyouthheadoutonwatershedleadershipmissionAboriginalyouthfromacrossCanadaformpartnershiptoprotectwaterEnviornmentWatershedsPhotoStephanieYuillFortSmithyouthfromleftAlexMarieDaltonBeamishRyanEvansandJeremyBeamishhangoutattheTorontoairportontheirwaytoBeausoleilFirstNationontheshoresofLakeHuron.