Retracing Our Roots Canoe Trip

One of the primary goals of the Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area is to ensure that the Dënesųłıné way of life continues long into the future. To make this a reality, our way of life needs to be exercised, nurtured, and passed along.
 
Building on our traditions of travelling Thaıdene Nëné by canoe and the success of previous youth programming, the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation’s Thaıdene Nëné Department and the Wildlife, Lands, and Environment Department created the Retracing Our Roots Youth Canoe Trip. The goal of the trip was to allow our people to spend time on our land, travelling our ancestral waterways. The trip was also meant to be an opportunity for young people to learn more about the land, water, wildlife, and plants of our homeland.
 
Retracing Our Roots is just one example of the many land- and water-based programs LKDFN’s Thaıdene Nëné Department has developed to strengthen the connection between Elders and youth and ensure the transmission and continuation of our Indigenous knowledge.

Canoe trip participants received three days of canoe training from Jackpine Paddle prior to departure. They spent the first day in Łutsël K’é Bay perfecting their strokes and manoeuvres like pivots and turns, before moving to the Stark Lake rapids, where they completed two days of moving water training.

Moving water training was necessary because the youth and Elders were going to paddle the Snowdrift River from the tundra to Kezuchaı́ Tué (Siltaza Lake). Unfortunately, successive days of wind prevented the charter from making the trip and forced a change of plans.

Instead on July 11, the twelve paddlers were boated across Christie Bay to the south side of Golaá Ga (Pethei Peninsula), where they began their trip. The LKDFN youth participants were Dawn Catholique, Shene Catholique-Valpy, Dennay Catholique, Nolan Lockhart, Caleb Desjarlais, Ashton Gahdële, Kairo Talbot, Sine Catholique, and Gabriel Enzoe Jr.

From Golaá Ga, the canoe trip participants navigated through Łét’a Dı̨yághe K'é (The Gap), Nıtł'ë́r Nué Na á Tł'áázı̨́ (Wildbread Bay), and across the portage at Łét’a Tsëlaze into Tacheé Tł'áázı̨́ (McLeod Bay).
 
Youth guardian Ashton Catholique was familiar with many of the places on the trip, but he appreciated the opportunity to travel through the area and revisit those places at a slower pace. “I felt like I was seeing places that I knew with new eyes,” he says.

One of the challenges of the new route was long open water crossings on one of the biggest lakes in the country. This was something some of the paddlers were nervous about. But in the end, the wind and waves cooperated and the crossings were among the highlights of the trip for some, including Shene Catholique-Valpy. “My favourite part was the big water crossings. It was supposed to be windy but it was really calm that day.”

Dawn Catholique’s favourite part of the trip was “being able to connect with the land, the water, the wildlife.” “Most importantly,” she adds, “I was able to experience this canoe trip with my daughters, Dennay and Sine.” For twelve-year-old Sine, the highlight of the trip was camping out. Likewise, eleven-year-old Kairo Talbot thought “sleeping on the land was the best part of the canoe trip.”
 
On July 16, after paddling for 87 kilometres, the Retracing Our Roots participants landed at Kałdëlé (Taltheilei Narrows), where community members, including Elders Archie Gahdële, Alex Rabesca, and Doris Catholique, were awaiting their arrival. The paddlers shared stories of their trip. They also learned more from the Elders about the establishment of Treaty 8 and the history of Łutsël K’é Dene at Kałdëlé.

The larger group, which also included Tyra Basil, Sadie Basil, Tanis Desjarlais, Serenity Abel, and Dacho Poole, spent the next few days enjoying time on the land together. In addition to relaxing and eating delicious meals prepared by cook, Saniz Catholique- Baton, the group visited a local waterfall, fished, and played games.

Nolan Lockhart grew up in Yellowknife, but has spent the last two years working in his home community of Łutsël K’é as a youth guardian with the Thaıdene Nëné Department. Along with Desnéthcheé (the spiritual gathering at Fort Reliance), the canoe trip was the highlight of Nolan’s summer. “I had never gone on an expedition like that. The guides from Jackpine Paddle had a different way to be on the land compared to what I’m used to, different systems. It was neat to see how they worked.”
 
Other participants also talked about the skills they learned on the trip. Sine learned how to paddle a canoe. Her mother, Dawn, feels like a more knowledgeable paddler since the canoe training and trip. She also thought it was fun to learn how to sail a canoe. Kairo learned how to avoid tipping and paddle a canoe in rapids. His mother, Shene, feels like she became a stronger paddler while retracing her roots. She also learned how to properly steer a canoe.

​“I highly recommend this trip to the youth because it’s a great opportunity for them to learn how to navigate our land, adapt and utilize the necessary skills when travelling. These opportunities are vital because one day the skills the youth gained will be passed on to the next generations.” – Dawn Catholique
 
“I would highly recommend a paddling expedition to anyone, but especially to young adults looking for guidance. There is no better teacher than our Mother Earth.” – Ashton Catholique

Mársı cho to the Thaıdene Nëné Department and Wildlife, Lands, and Environment Department staff who organized the trip and especially the Ni Hat’ni Dene guardians who were present in the area monitoring and making sure the youth paddlers were safe. The canoe trip received financial support from the Ărramăt Project as well the Thaıdene Nëné Department. Mársı cho as well to Corey Myers, manager of LKDFN’s Frontier Lodge, for logistical support and to Peter Greenland, Jack Weaver, and Pierre-Benoit Rondeau-Chalifoux from Jackpine Paddle for training and guiding. Lastly, mársı cho to the many local youth and Elders of Łutsël K’é, who participated in and supported the trip. Based on the positive feedback received from the participants, we hope to plan future trips with local and regional youth and Elders.