N.W.T. coalition distributes $1 million for on-the-land programming

The NWT On The Land Collaborative says it has doled out $1 million in funding this year to support projects meant to revitalize and strengthen connections to the land.

The coalition is made up of several organizations — including government, charitable and corporate groups. It's meant to bring various partners together to make it easier for communities to access resources for on-the-land programming.

The funding this year went to support 55 projects across the territory, according to a news release from NWT On The Land Collaborative. The grants afforded ranged from $2,500 to $60,000. 

Some of grants went to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, to help fund a regional on-the-land literacy camp, and to the Dehcho First Nations, to support the Yundaa Gogha youth canoe trip, the release says.

The coalition has also been supporting programs like Wood for Elders, where youth collect wood for elders in Inuvik, since 2016, according to its 2019 report. This year's funding also allowed students to gather traditional medicine with elders hosted by Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita.

These projects "connect community members across generations, creating opportunities for knowledge transmission and mentorship," said Rachel Cluderay, who is the on-the-land programs consultant for the NWT Recreation and Parks Association.

It also creates opportunities for community members, especially youth, to "practice their way of life on the land," Cluderay said, adding it fosters self-esteem, confidence, perseverance and leadership.

Cluderay said she is passionate about strengthening relationships with the land, "as I believe it is the foundation for revitalizing our Indigenous cultures, languages and ways of being."

$4 million in funding over 5 years

In the last five years, the NWT On The Land Collaborative says it has supported 243 projects in the territory and distributed more than $4 million.

Coleen Hardisty was a participant of the Yundaa Gogha youth canoe trip in the summer of 2018. Yundaa Gogha means "for the future" in Dene Zhatie. 

Over six days, she canoed along the Dehcho, beginning in Fort Simpson (Lı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́) and ending in Wrigley (Pehdzeh Ki). 

When the group reached the widest part of the river along the route, she said it hit her like a brick wall. The sky was clear, the water calm and "there was this never ending space, it seemed like," Hardisty said. 

"It made me feel really, really small," said Hardisty. "But it also made me feel really at home and really liberated."

As the youth group paddled down the river, they learned about sites that are culturally relevant to different families in the region. They also learned more about language, heritage, and culture through knowledge-holders and elders.

Hardisty said on-the-land programming has given her a lot of confidence, pride and reassurance.  

"It's really comforting to know that there's more than the 9 to 5, and more than what we were told our lives are supposed to be," Hardisty said. 

"Now I know what I am capable of."