Teaching Aboriginal Youth to Survive and Stay Alive in the Forest

By Laurie Saulnier

Think back to your childhood and summer — what do you remember? Hot days, swimming, cooking treats on the fire, and summer camp with your friends! Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through the First Nations Forestry Program and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, is supporting summer camps for Aboriginal youth. As “Part Two” of our series Science and Technology for Young People, we’re focusing on a few of these camps that took place this past summer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The camps, with their theme of “Survive and Stay Alive,” have the goal of educating Aboriginal children on how to survive in the wilderness and incorporate both modern and traditional ways.

Playing on the theme of a similarly titled popular TV show, the campers divided into teams, chose names for their groups and painted their flag. Each day, they were challenged to learn about the five basic elements of woods survival: fire, first aid, food, water and shelter. Teams earned points based on attendance, group work, listening, challenges and respect for one another.

NRCan employees Chris Pitt and Laurie Saulnier visited one of the camps at Eel Ground First Nation, a community of 900 located in northern New Brunswick. Eighteen children aged 5–10 years headed into the woods to brave the hot 34°C sun and hordes of black flies and mosquitoes. Their mission was to learn what to do if they ever find themselves alone in the woods. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and when it was time to make a snack on the fire, Chris was right there with them making cinnamon apples on the campfire.

Steve Ginnish, the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Program (ASEP) Coordinator at Eel Ground, also joined the group and showed everyone how to treat a minor cut with tree sap and a traditional Aboriginal herb called “golden thread” that can be used medicinally when brewed into a tea.

Steve explains the importance of the camp: “With the community growing so fast, many of the children do not have a lot of contact with the elders at Eel Ground. Camps like this encourage youth to involve themselves more in their community and learn more about their heritage. We hope to enhance the program in the future by including even more First Nations content.”

Chris also believes that the camp has great benefits for the children who participated.

“This camp serves to introduce them to the natural environment and their own surroundings. I believe it definitely succeeds in piquing their interest in the forest. Our ultimate goal is to encourage Aboriginal youth to pursue careers in natural sciences and eventually develop the capacity in First nations communities to manage their natural resources. ‘Survive and Stay Alive’ is a good stepping stone to this goal.”