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12TuesdayJuly82014ByMARIACHURCHAgroupof11youngwomenarelearningtobeleaderswiththeMackenzieMountainsasabackdropthisweekaftertherstofthreesummercampsfromNorthernYouthLeadershiplaunchedearlierthismonth.Thecampfor11to14year-oldgirlsacrosstheter-ritoryisbeingheldatGanaRiverLodgeonPalmerLakeintheSahturegion.LodgeownerHaroldGrindeofferedupGanaRiverforfreetoNorth-ernYouthagenerousandmuch-neededcontributionJillGildaydirectorofthenot-for-protorganizationsaidbeforesheleftforthecampFriday.Theyouthwillbehikingcanoeingshingandpar-ticipatinginotherculturalactivitiesforafullweekallwhiledevelopingleadershipskillsandhavingunpluggedfunontheland.NorthernYouthwillbeholdinganall-boyscampthisJulyaswellwhichwillbeledbyHayRivershermanShawnBuckleyNorthernyouthsummercampstakeoffintheNWTTerritory-wideleadershiporganizationtoloseGNWTfundingEducationYouthCampsalongwithelderElizabethBuckley.ElizabethBuckleywillbereallyneatbecausesheraisedherfamilyonthelakeandwellbespendingtheweeklearningallaboutfishingeverythingfromshingwithnetstosportshingtolineshingandthenlletingdryingsmok-ingandthewholeprocessGildaysaid.Thethirdandnalcampisforgirlsaged14-17andwillbeaweek-longcanoetripfromBehchokotoYel-lowknifealongtheNorthArmofGreatSlaveLake.Thiscampwillbedesignedtoteachyouthhowtoruntheirowncanoetrips.InthepastwevehadalotofgirlsexpressinterestinbecomingleadersforNorthernYouth.Someofourmostexperiencedlead-ersaregoingtowalkthegirlsthroughacanoetripfrombeginningtoendsotheplanningstageshowtoorganizethefoodandwhatsortofstufftheleadersneedtothinkaboutlikenavigat-ingandsafetyGildaysaid.Spotsarestillopenforboththeall-boysandgirlsleadershiptrainingcampswhichwillbothbeheldlaterinJuly.FundingcrunchnextyearThissummersprogram-mingisnaileddownbutcomefallGildaysaidshewillneedtotakeaseriouslookathowtheorganizationisfunded.MuchofNorthernYouthsbudgetcomesfromtheGNWTthroughitswellnessfund.Withthedecentralizingofthefundtobettersupportregionalprogramstheterritory-wideyouthorganizationnolongerfallsunderitspurview.Werelosingourcorefundingandwillhavetolookoutsidebeitcorporateordifferentgovernmentdepartments.WearegoingtohavetoreallylookatndingnewpartnershipsGildaysaid.Itsatoughenvironmentfornon-protsrightnowsheadded.NorthernYouthcharges100peryouthforitscampswhichisaheavilysubsi-dizedcostthatdoesntfullycovertheexpensesofeachcamper.TheNWTorganizationrecentlyjoinedwithTidesCanadaanon-protfoun-dationthatwillrelievemanyadministrativeduties.WithmeastheonlyNorthernYouthstaffIgetaccesstoHRprofessionalslegalprofessionalspeoplewhowritecontractsandpeopleinnancesoitsarealbenetforusGildaysaid.TofollowNorthernYouthndthemonFacebookun-derNorthernYouthLead-ershiporvisithttpwww.northernyouth.caPhotoJillGildayTlichoprepareforfourthandfinalfishcampMonitoringcampscombinetraditionalandWesternscienceByMARIACHURCHYoutheldersandTlichogovernmentstaffarebegin-ningpreparationsfortheannualshcamponseverallakesintheregionafteraplanningworkshopironedoutsomedetailsinWhatiinlateJune.ApartnershipoftheWekeezhiiRenewableRe-sourcesBoardWRRBWekeezhiiLandandWaterBoardWLWBandtheTlichoGovernmenttheshcampshavebeenheldindifferentcommunitiesforthepastthreeyearstomonitorshandshhabitatsbycombiningtraditionalandWesternscienceandtoteachcommunity-basedmonitor-ingtechniquestoyouth.ThisyearscampwhichwillbeheldinWhatiinlatesummerwillbethefourthandnalforbaselinedatacollectionintherstroundofsampling.NextyearthecyclingwillbeginagaininBehchokoallowingcom-parativeanalysistobedonewiththerstsampleswhichweretakenfouryearsago.ThecampsareledbyBoyanTraczbiologistfortheWRRBandSarahEl-sasserregulatoryspecial-istfromtheWLWBalongwithTlichoGovernmentstaffandeldersfromeachcommunity.Overvedaystheyoungparticipantslearntotakeshsamplesinordertotest20whiteshand20laketrout.Theyprocesseachshbeforesendingitawaytoalaboratorywhereresultsdeterminethecontamina-tionlevelsoftheshbytestingformetalsincludingmercury.Thecampersalsolearntocalculatetheageoftheshbythesizeandringsfoundonaboneintheshshead.Theageallowsthemtodeterminelevelsofcon-taminationrelativetoage.In2012samplingfromtheshcamponSnareLakefoundthatlargeolderlaketroutweresixtimesmorecontaminatedthansmalleryoungertrout.DespitethisresultsfromthepastthreeyearsinBeh-chokoWekweetiandGame-tifoundcontaminationlevelswerenotaboveaverage.ThereismercuryintherockthereismercuryinthewaterwejustwanttomakesureitisnotabovethenormalbackgroundlevelsTraczexplainsinavideobytheTlichoGovernmentpost-edontheWRRBwebsite.Thecampersalsolearntotakesamplesofsedimentfromthelakeswhicharesenttoalaboratoryforcon-taminationtesting.BeyondWesternsciencemethodsthecampsareattendedbyeldersinthecommunitywhoshareon-the-landskillsintheaquaticenvironmentlikefishingandmakingdryshfriedshandbannock.ThegoalaccordingtotheWRRBwebsiteistocon-nectyouthtothelandandfosterasenseofprideanddesireforenvironmentalandculturalpreservationinthefutureleaders.Inthefuturewhentheyhavefamiliesandkidsoftheirownourknowledgeandculturewillcontinuetogoonandonaneldersharedinthevideo.TowatchthevideofromlastyearsGametishcampvisithttpwrrb.cacontentnew-gameti-sh-camp-vid-eo-ready-viewingForresultsfromthelastthreeshcampsvisthttpwrrb.cacontentaquatic-eco-system-monitoring-projectPhotocourtesyofSarahElsasserEnvironmentWildlifemonitoringFromleftThereseArrowmakerHannahApplesandAllisonApplesGondissectashprocessingittolookforphysicalabnormalitiesbeforesendingthebodytoalabwhereitwillbetestedforcontaminants.Thehealthiertheshthehealthieritshabitat.GirlsfromtheNorthernYouthLeadershipsummercamphikeintotheMackenzieMountains.