Competition tests wilderness survival skills

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The Ghost River Rediscovery program's 10th anniversary celebrations were held over the Labour Day weekend with special guests Colleen Klein (Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's wife) and Assembly of First Nations regional chief for Alberta Jason Goodstriker in attendance.

The Rediscovery movement began in the Queen Charlotte Islands with the Haida Gwaii, and quickly grew to include programs across Canada and around the globe. The programs draw on the strength of Indigenous traditions to empower young people to discover the natural world through outdoor educational programs and cultural training. Mike Lickers and Julian Norris began Ghost River Rediscovery to cater to disadvantaged youth who have exhausted social services programs. It works with 500 youth annually.

For its anniversary, Ghost River Rediscovery organized a series of activities that showcased the best of what the Rediscovery programs have to offer.

There was the usual storytelling and Aboriginal crafting activities scheduled, but the weekend's real excitement came from a competition that tested knowledge in the area of wilderness survival.

The first skills station gave the teams participating 10 minutes to build a fire and boil a small pot of water. At one station the groups had to build a tarp shelter that would keep them dry when a volunteer poured a bucket of water over it.

One of the most important tests for Rosaline Starr of the Gitxsan Nation, who travelled from Kispiox in northern B.C. to take part in the commemoration, came at the first aid station, she said.

In this competition, the teams happen upon a person who has fallen. They had to assess any injury and provide first aid. Then they had to transport the victim to safety.

In an activity that had the groups protect their food from the area's bear population, they were to toss a rope over the branch of a tree and raise a bag of food a minimum of 12 feet high and four feet out. The team from Kispiox got the height right, but the distance from the tree trunk proved difficult. That's when team member Robert Doane leaped into action and powered up the tree to make the adjustment. He was cheered on, not only by his team members, but those gathered at the other stations nearby. One quickly learns that the Rediscovery program is fueled by encouragement. Even in competition, each team wants the very best for the every individual participating.

Doane, a recent graduate from the University of Calgary, is heading to Bolivia for a seven-month internship to help Rediscovery International set up camps in that country. He said the skills competition exercised the mind and body while it encouraged team-work and achievement.

Doane fit naturally into the leadership role of the group, but he was mindful of the contributions of the others and sought the advice of the elder member of his group.

Doane said young people are sometimes quick to action and brash in their approach, whereas the elder members draw on years of experience. He said they should be consulted and respected for their depth of knowledge.

"The moment you fail to listen, you are not allowing yourself to learn," said Doane.

Of the many comments made about the Rediscovery organization and their programs, the one most repeated over the weekend was that taking part in Rediscovery activities changed the lives of the people involved.

Russian-born Tatiana Holmke took part in a week-long camp with Ghost River Rediscovery and was touched in a profound way, she said. She's cultivated friendships with Elders, rekindled her relationship with nature, has grown to understand herself better and started down the path to a stronger relationship with her son, who also took part in the camp. She now volunteers her time with the organization and was on site to cook, clean and care for the Elders during the anniversary weekend.