Chiwiishaamitin Expedition: `A life skills development program'

Today’s youth live in a very different time then that of our ancestors.  Our ancestors were a proud and wise people who utilized their hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering skills to survive the difficulties and struggles of their time.  Today, the youth are faced with many similar yet different challenges then that of our ancestors.  These challenges have opened the door to many social issues such as substance abuse, violence and suicide. The example of our ancestors demonstrates that those who have strong ties to the land and cultural values are able to live healthy and productive lives.

The idea to launch this initiative is to introduce Cree Youth to the Outward Bound experiential educational learning using outdoor adventure as a catalyst for personal growth.  The initiative will provide Cree Youth with an opportunity to learn and practise skills that will encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle while empowering them to cope with life challenges.  This initiative aims to take a proactive and preventive approach and to provide an opportunity to develop these skills and values.  The goal is to build self-confidence, self-esteem, self respect and to enable youth to see their true potential by empowering them to develop leadership skills and encourage the participants to become contributing members of our society.

The initiative will be used as an assessment and to evaluate interest and effectiveness whether to purse the program in the future.   Should the response be positive and deemed worthwhile to continue, then the initiative may be developed into a program that will improve and evolve in its development and be refined over time.  The foundation of the program will be to combine the experiential learning process of Outward Bound with the cultural traditions and teaching of the Cree – using Eeyou Istchee as the classroom of the learning.

The coming summer 2008, the CNYC is prepared to take the next step to further develop its land based programming by integrating the experiential learning process of OUTWARD BOUND.  The CNYC will partner with Cree entities and work with OUTWARD BOUND to develop a customized Life Skills and Leadership Development Program for Cree Youth.  This partnership program will be a 10-day Canoe Expedition that will merge Outward Bound’s Leadership and Life Skills development program.  The Canoe expedition is scheduled to take place from July 11 to 20, 2008 with departure from Outward Bound’s Base Camp in Burk’s Fall Ontario.