(Photo credit: Alton Michel)
A total of 25 youth aged 14–22 from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation communities have made it back safely after a 187 kilometre canoe trip.
Rock Cree Language Council hosted the Following the Trails of Our Ancestors trip for the first time this year.
The trip kicked off in Southend on July 8 and wrapped up in Pelican Narrows on July 15. The youth were traveling along the Reindeer and Churchill rivers with the intention of paddling roughly 30 kilometres a day.
Throughout the trip, they crossed a total of nine portages, which was a challenge as they were unmaintained. Rock Cree Language Council Chair, Andrea Custer, said they had to pay someone to clear the Steep Hill portage coming out of Southend because the brush was too thick. When the brush was cleared, there was a lot of deadfall on their path, which also caused difficulties.
“There was a hole that ended up in one of our canoes because of that, and one of our team members stepped on a nail, and luckily it wasn’t too bad,” said Custer.
Although the group ran into difficulties along the way, Custer stated she was impressed by the youth’s resilience and positive attitude throughout the journey.
“I think the biggest highlight of the trip was just the youth finding out how strong they are mentally and physically. Their energy was just so enthusiastic that even though we ran into some really difficult and challenging situations, their spirits weren’t dampened,” explained Custer.
Crossing the portages took more time than anticipated, but the group made it to Pelican Narrows on schedule to celebrate the journey.
Rock Cree Language Council is already planning a trip for next year and plans to make some improvements on the journey.