One of the big things that I worked on this summer for the Yukon River Inter-tribal Watershed Council was the bi-ennial (that means every 2 years) Summit.
The Summit is a gathering of the First Nations and Tribes of the Watershed. It's part celebration and part business. Overall, it is a time for all the staff, the board members, the member nations and experts in the science and policy to get together. There are a lot of old friends meeting and new friendships forming.
This year the Summit was held at Helen's Fish Camp, on Lake Laberge, which is about 40km north of the city of Whitehorse. It is a great camp that is in the traditional territory of the Ta'an Kwach'an people and there were older summit attendees sharing stories of their childhood experiences at the camp. Across the lake (it's a wide spot in the Yukon River) is the old Ta'an village which we had tours to throughout the Summit (which I missed due to my running around helping out).
One of my roles at the Whitehorse office was to get youth from Yukon First Nations to the Summit. A bit of a challenging task given that most youth are out and about for the summer. However, in the end I think we had over 20 youth come join us and we were pleased to have 3 new preps for the Yukon region come out of it. They went canoeing, created a mural, chose new regional reps and got a chance to meet some of the elders of the YRITWC. Of course they also made new friends and got to get to know each other a little better...it's all about building networks and meeting new people in other parts of the watershed, even if you are only 16! It was great to have the youth with us, providing a visual reminder to the leaders and the elders why their work is so important...as one of the girls said "The Next Generation is coming..." I loved getting to know some of the youth and to find out what they were interested in. They probably didn't know it, but they shared some great pearls of wisdom every once in a while. They were also the instigators of the handgames/stickgambling tournament that went off on the last night at the Summit.
There were many great people at the Summit sharing their knowledge and blessing us with their presence. I've tried to find some good links for them so you can get a better idea...
Oren Lyons: faith keeper for the Turtle clan of the Onondaga Nation and Indigenous activist
Roy Sampsel: Institute for Tribal Governance, Roy has been involved in Columbia River issues
Mitch Factor: Comedian and youth mentor
Clarence Alexander: Gwich'in leader and YRITWC Board Chair from Fort Yukon, Alaska
Carl Sidney ("Uncle Carl" as I like to call him): YRITWC Board Chair from Teslin, Yukon
Sarah James: Gwich'in women full of spunk and fighting for the caribou
We also had lots of northern organizations represented, the United States Geological Survey (our partners in science), the United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee, Yukon government (water resources, environment, etc), and more.
The evenings featured some great cultural performers including dancers from Atlin (Taku River Tlingit), the Dakka Kwan dancers, Dhe Cho drummers, Grandma Suzie (comedian at lunch), Mitch Factor...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Two or Three Trips with Ginger
We made it to Alaska! And the downhill!
Fraser, BC. Canada customs post!
Holly happy to be heading out from our roadside camp!
Leaving Annie Lake Road in somewhat high spirits.
Here's that incriminating photo. 
Atlin garage sale at the Festival. Picked up some good bargains here!
Tiger gloves are good for sharing.
Atlin lake paddling.
Beautiful Atlin from Monarch Mountain.
Dinner atop the island in Teslin Lake.
One of the things I heard about the Yukon is how great the people are up here. Well, my friend Holly, aka Ginger, aka Orange Kid, aka Holls, aka Hollster, aka Gingerita is one of them. She's all kinds of fun and is pretty much up for anything. There are lots of good folks that I've met, but for some reason she's in a lot of my pictures so I'm writing about her.
Trip One: Atlin Music Festival.
Atlin is one of the prettiest towns in BC, I'm sure. And the music festival is a great time. Good music, garage sales and a pancake breakfast where we shared our picnic table with "the" Stephen Fearing and "the" Colin Linden. One of the venues is a small church, which is where we saw one of our favorite acts: Headwater. Another favorite was Twighlight Hotel, who we saw with the mandolin player from Dehli to Dublin and the bass player from Headwater at a beautiful and small theater. The only act that disappointed was Mammagaroove cause I'm pretty sure they weren't so werid last time I saw them. Dispite the weirdness the tiger gloves were dancing like mad. The pink sunglasses also made an appearance a few times...Rob, my boss, sported them in the beer gardens long enough for an incriminating photo.
Trip Two: Teslin Lake paddle and camp
Ginger and Brook and I borrowed a kayak from our friend Karl and paddled across Teslin Lake to a little island to camp for the night. I don't what to say except that it was my first sea kayak expereience and when I finally figured out how to keep it straight it was a good time!We then went to the big Tlingit gathering in Teslin. All of the Tlingit groups get together to celebrate, meet with family and friends and share their culture and traditions. It was "Taku River Tlingit Day" and two young guys from Atlin were happy to invite us to the feast that night...of Taku River salmon. We saw women preparing the salmon, we were taught one of the many steps in tanning moosehide by hand, saw the traditional canoes come in and chatted with a YRITWC friend, Carl Sidney. Our stop was too short, as there was a lot going on that would have been great to be part of!
I don't have any photos as I want you to come and experience Tlingit culture for yourself!
Trip Three: Road-ride from Annie Lake Road to Skagway.
It goes like this: Ginger and I left Annie Lake Road (the road I live on) after much frustration on my part getting my gear to work, at 7:45pm to ride to Skagway. We were on the 140km mark meaning that it was that distance to Skagway. And as I would later find out, a LOT of uphill to the summit of the Klondike highway which is at over 3000 meters!
The first day we rode until about midnight...yes, it actually does get dark, unlike I had predicted when I said "let's just ride through the night". My bearanoia was on overdrive and my quads were on underdrive, a terrible combo for such an adventure! We found a flat spot on the side of the road and slept for a few hours. Got up at 6am to hit the road for another 76km of headwinds past mountain lakes, through the moonscape of the summit, over the border and then, for the loooong downhill into Skagway! The border guard was suspicious of us for some reason, I don't know if it was the bikes or he thought that I must have had something hiding in my spandex shorts?!
On getting into Skagway, we got info for the ferry to Haines, relaxed a bit, and then went over to Haines to meet some friends. It was the South East Alaska State Fair weekend in Haines, so we were able to go dancing, have some beers, meet with friends, eat corn on the cob and watch some fun bands.
Have I ever expressed my love for Haines on this blog? If not, I will right now. I love Haines!
Water Quality
One of the major projects that the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council undertakes is an impressive water quality monitoring project.
Maya and I got sent out when our water tech was away for a vacation. We went out to 2 locations: Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, which are essentially wide spots of the Yukon River. We took basic WQ measurements and also prepared samples to be sent off to the USGS, our partner in this long term sampling program, a unique collaboration between the YRITWC, the Indignous people who live on the river and the USGS.
It was a beautiful day and after some time sorting out the equipment (thank goodness Maya has a background doing this work!), we were off in the boat to collect the water and the measurements. The day ends by re-filtering some of the samples, preparing them for shipping and a call to the friendliest FedEx guy on the PLANET!
A good day of work, being out on the River, in the sun!
Visitors from Home!
Obligatory roadside bear, Haines Junction.
When I asked the people at work who I looked like, they said my dad. I don't know what they are talking about ;-)
Mom and I at Kathleen Lake in Kluane National Park. Super windy!
QT with the 'rents.
Mom and Dad at the BC/Yukon border. They hated having this picture taken, but look how cute they are!
This way to Skagway!
Taking a roadside break enroute to Skagway.It's always nice to have some visitors. Mostly because they bring thoughts of home and, when it's your parents, they take you for dinner. It's also a great excuse to visit the S.S. Klondike, drive up to Grey Mountain, go to Skagway and generally be a tourist!
I think I already told this story, but it rounds out the visitor entry because I only had two: My first visitor was my cousin Lauren, who got a grad gift from my mom's family of a trip to Whitehorse to visit me (Whitehorse = cool, visiting your crusty old cousin = less cool). I'm not sure what Lauren thought of the mosquitoes and the lack of running water at the Cabin, but then again, I'm not sure what I think of that either!
A few weeks later, mom and dad came up to visit for the weekend. They wanted to see a few things: Kluane National Park, floatplanes and when I suggested a brewery tour at Yukon Brewing they jumped all over that too! We also visited the S.S. Klondike and revived a piece of family history, as the boat was so similar to the boats that my dad's grandfater worked on the Kootenay River and Lake. There is a similarity in the history of the Kootenays and the Gold Rush history of the North...makes me feel kind of at home. We also went to the USA together...I was hoping Pops was going to spring for some diamond earrings in Skagway but as usual he is way too practical for that and knows my mom and I better than to buy us the "Cruise Ship Special" anyway!
When they got home, on a phone call with my mom I asked "how are things?" and she replied "It's terrible Carmen!". This worried me, so I asked what was wrong. She replied "it's just awful. When I went to bed last night, it was DARK out". To which I laughed and valued my summer of light even more!
An absence explained
It's been far too long since I updated this blog, especially for those of you who actually use it to keep track of me. My apologies but I don't have internet at home in the cabin and work was just too busy to be on the blog.
It is now almost time for coming back south, so I will try to write a few quick entries on some recent experiences...
Thanks for reading, I hope these next entries will explain why I love it up here so much!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Inspiration
When I got back to Whitehorse last week, Rob and Loni said that they were going out to visit a carving camp out near/on Lake Laberge. Although I was anxious to get home to the cabin to check the mouse traps, I thought it would be a few hours that would be well spent so asked them to see if they could get me on the boat, and they did.
The Sundog Carving Camp is situated on the banks of the Yukon River, on an island that of course, is only accessible by boat. The camp (referred to as Fort Dugout by the youth) is 18 First Nations and non-FN youth who are working with master carver Wayne Price (Haines Alaska) to carve a traditional Chilkat cedar dugout canoe. A special place indeed. At that point, they had spent 22 days carving the canoe and had been at camp for one month. A tremendous committment not only to the canoe and to each other but to themselves...no drugs and alcohol, no parties, a summer in the bush learning traditional skills, spiritual healing and as is the case for all of us spending time away from the built environment...about themselves.
We went with a delegation of parents, grandparents and friends. To my surprise, there was also going to be a special visit to the camp by the dancers from Carcross. The carvers didn't have any idea that they were coming. The boat took them around the island so that they could drift in from upstream. We had just finished eating and were listening to Josh, one of the carvers, play a song he had written on his guitar. From a distance came this sound of drumming and singing...some people started to go to the water to see what was going on. "What is that?" "Do you hear that?". Soon the boat carrying the dancers (and some elders) came around the bend and into sight. Drums went down to the dock with the carvers and there was a beautiful and moving singing between the groups in Tlingit (so I didn't understand any of it). The dancers then asked to come on shore and the carvers welcomed them.
The sound of drums and Tlingit song over water, reverberating in the trees and off the banks was beautiful. The strong calls of these young men on shore reaching up to the sky, echoing back to them. For me, somebody from the South, on their land, it was very moving.
Once the dancers and more guests came on shore and everyone had been greeted and fed (I forgot to mention that there was a special meal this night...Pizza Hut delivers EVERYWHERE!), I was honored to be able to take part in a pretty special night. The Tlingit dancers danced and sang traditional songs...with the carvers and elders taking part. They shared the translation of some of the songs. Many of the carvers got up to join the dance in the end. There was a small fire (used to warm the drum skins) and the dust was coming up, people sweating and this powerful drumming and singing echoing back...a remarkable scene.
The next thing that happened was a ceremony to bless the canoe, to hear its story and what this group of carvers was accomplishing one wood chip at a time. To honour those before and to honour the work of these youth. I just tried to follow the lead in the dance around the canoe, to remember how to smudge, to respect and have an open heart to the traditions of the people whose land I was visiting.
A thought came to me during this, when I really was feeling like an outsider, like an observer...that I was so honoured to be welcomed to be part of this. That there was a time (and still is in some ways, in some places) that the opposite would never be imagined...that the Natives wouldn't be welcomed into the community celebrations, the sacred times and places of the generations that came before me. I think it is a powerful statement to the day when we can finally heal our collective wounds of a shameful history that dispite the way that they have been treated, First Nations communities continue to open their arms, their hearts and their land to us. I was really moved by that, and really honored to be part of this evening of celebration.
Those young carvers are doing something tremendous. I can't wait to see the cedar dugout come down the river with paddles dipping, drums beating, voices raising to the sky!
And as for this "few hour" field trip...well, next time I'll pack a sweater when it's a "few hours"...Yukon time!
The Sundog Carving Camp is situated on the banks of the Yukon River, on an island that of course, is only accessible by boat. The camp (referred to as Fort Dugout by the youth) is 18 First Nations and non-FN youth who are working with master carver Wayne Price (Haines Alaska) to carve a traditional Chilkat cedar dugout canoe. A special place indeed. At that point, they had spent 22 days carving the canoe and had been at camp for one month. A tremendous committment not only to the canoe and to each other but to themselves...no drugs and alcohol, no parties, a summer in the bush learning traditional skills, spiritual healing and as is the case for all of us spending time away from the built environment...about themselves.
We went with a delegation of parents, grandparents and friends. To my surprise, there was also going to be a special visit to the camp by the dancers from Carcross. The carvers didn't have any idea that they were coming. The boat took them around the island so that they could drift in from upstream. We had just finished eating and were listening to Josh, one of the carvers, play a song he had written on his guitar. From a distance came this sound of drumming and singing...some people started to go to the water to see what was going on. "What is that?" "Do you hear that?". Soon the boat carrying the dancers (and some elders) came around the bend and into sight. Drums went down to the dock with the carvers and there was a beautiful and moving singing between the groups in Tlingit (so I didn't understand any of it). The dancers then asked to come on shore and the carvers welcomed them.
The sound of drums and Tlingit song over water, reverberating in the trees and off the banks was beautiful. The strong calls of these young men on shore reaching up to the sky, echoing back to them. For me, somebody from the South, on their land, it was very moving.
Once the dancers and more guests came on shore and everyone had been greeted and fed (I forgot to mention that there was a special meal this night...Pizza Hut delivers EVERYWHERE!), I was honored to be able to take part in a pretty special night. The Tlingit dancers danced and sang traditional songs...with the carvers and elders taking part. They shared the translation of some of the songs. Many of the carvers got up to join the dance in the end. There was a small fire (used to warm the drum skins) and the dust was coming up, people sweating and this powerful drumming and singing echoing back...a remarkable scene.
The next thing that happened was a ceremony to bless the canoe, to hear its story and what this group of carvers was accomplishing one wood chip at a time. To honour those before and to honour the work of these youth. I just tried to follow the lead in the dance around the canoe, to remember how to smudge, to respect and have an open heart to the traditions of the people whose land I was visiting.
A thought came to me during this, when I really was feeling like an outsider, like an observer...that I was so honoured to be welcomed to be part of this. That there was a time (and still is in some ways, in some places) that the opposite would never be imagined...that the Natives wouldn't be welcomed into the community celebrations, the sacred times and places of the generations that came before me. I think it is a powerful statement to the day when we can finally heal our collective wounds of a shameful history that dispite the way that they have been treated, First Nations communities continue to open their arms, their hearts and their land to us. I was really moved by that, and really honored to be part of this evening of celebration.
Those young carvers are doing something tremendous. I can't wait to see the cedar dugout come down the river with paddles dipping, drums beating, voices raising to the sky!
And as for this "few hour" field trip...well, next time I'll pack a sweater when it's a "few hours"...Yukon time!
Points North
Last week we spent a few days heading further North, into the communities to meet with First Nations and other people along the way.
We had a few places that we wanted to visit to do some water quality monitoring, as well, Maya was going to meet with Lands departments staff to discuss some of the key issues around contaminated sites and issues for discussion at the Summit. It was also a way for us to get a better idea of what the communities, River and people were like outside of Whitehorse.
We drove up to Da
wson City the first day and camped overnight. The next morning we went in to the Tr'ondek Hwechin office for a meeting. We discussed a few issues around Dawson...a long history of mining (placer gold mining) and human settlement (historic landfills) has left a few spots that may be impacting the river and/or Settlement land (FN land). With some help we identified a few sites that would be good to stop at and have a look at some preliminary water quality measurements...downstream of old mines and landfills mostly. We also looked at the water in the River itself.Dawson City is a great little town on the banks of the Yukon River. Like most of the Yukon, it's got
a rich history from the Klondike days that were preceeded by the First Nations people living there. It is now a vital stop on the modern stampede of motorhomes cruising up to Alaska from all over...my how our adventures have changed! It is also well known for its annual music festival, coming up this weekend.After Dawson we drove back down south to Mayo. Where they have a sign on the highway "Mayo-Heart of the Yukon" and stencilled underneath, as an afterthought, yet important consideration..."Good Fishing". We sayed at a glorious lake where, for the first time this summer we could actually enjoy the water long enough to put our whole selves in, to swim around and enjoy being submersed! The Yukon has a lot of lakes and rivers, but most are painfully cold to try to swim in (see a later entry about Atlin Lake). In the morning we went up to Keno City, an old mining town in the mountains. Like most communities built on a single resource, it had its heydey and is now a few homes, a museum and of course the leftover fortune seekers. We had coffee with the old boys at the Keno Cafe and then went out to monitor a nearby creek while we waited for the Mining Museum to open up. Keno is an absolutley beautiful setti
ng, up in the back of a valley so close to the alpine. In the old days they lived up closer to the mines, in tents at the top of the mountain. View was great but can't imagine the winters. We toured the museum, which is very well kept and has some great exhibits by the way, and I imagined the generations of my family living in mining towns in the Kootenays...much the same way the Kenoites seeking the fortunes of mining had. The crisp photos of everyday life in the 50's in Keno really brought that to my mind.Anyway, so here we are in Keno and we run across this spunky lady out walking her little dog. She started to tell us about the proposed mine and how the community (not an anti-development communtiy by any means) had been trying to have thier voice heard about concerns they had regarding the tailings, the mill site and the pollution that would be coming from the mine. It is a story that is common, about a small, rural community that wants to be part of the decision making process that is going to impact the water they drink, the food they eat and the livlihoods they make. This isn't even getting into any First Nations issues. At any rate, I think it's so important fo
r rural communties whether Native or not, to be meaningfully involved in the decision making process and for people to have the capacity to engage in these processes. We ran around to a few places in Keno to monitor water and then we headed down the road to see if we could walk in and meet with somebody from Na-cho Nyuk Dun. Alas, the people we wanted to see were out, and the office was a bit busy as it looked like they were just moving in to a new building.We continued driving South to Carmacks (stopping at Five Finger Rapids on the way). The Village of Carmacks had invited us to attend a Council meeting to discuss them signing on as an affiliated organization with the Watershed Council. On the drive Maya asked something about coffee and cookies at the meeting...I said no way, you never get food at a council meeting! Well, low and behold, the Village of Carmacks knows what is what and had a bag of cookies for their guests. I was proven wrong. They agreed to sign on as an affiliated organization, essentially saying that they support protection of the Yukon River. Our first Yukon non-Indigenous government signer!
The next day, after camping out roadside, we went to meet with the Little Salmon/Carmacks Land Manager. We spent a while discussing mining operations in the area, proposed mines and what Little Salmon/Carmacks was concerned about. It was good to get an idea of the scale of the development and what is proposed, as well as to put it into a landscape context.
I was also trying to meet with Youth Co-ordinators to do some outreach to youth to attend the Summit...met with mild success on that front as there were new co-ordinators and had trouble getting in touch before I went up (hey, it's summer and there are better things to do up here right now!).
Our little trip up North came to a close. Many, many kilometers, 3 nights in Maya's camper and some new friendships formed...well worth it!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A quick update before I head off on a work field trip to meet some people outside of Whitehorse!
Maya and I are taking "the Turtle"...her green Dodge Dakota with camper up to visit Dawson (Tr'ondek Hwech'in), Mayo (Na-Cho Nyuk Dun), Carmacks (Little Salmon) and Pelly Crossing (Selkirk).
My cousin Lauren was visiting this week, so it was a gr
eat time to be a tourist. Yesterday we spent the day in Skagway, Alaska...cruise ship capital of the North. Great day to be celebrating Independance Day with the locals and the tourists alike! Tug of war, arm wrestling, slow bike race, candy apples, cotton candy, ice cream, beer, lots of red white and blue. It was classic America Day as I imagined it.
The drive to Skagway from Whitehorse (which I have every intention of riding my roadbike on) is in short: stunning. It is just a short drive and as a bonus, I live about a half hour into it already. We saw a little bear on the side of the road at the Summit which we saw on the way back...still don't know if it was a grizzly or a blondish black bear. See the next post to enter your vote!
We also saw two adult looking grizzly on the tidal flats (right where the campgrounds are, how comforting), just outside of Skagway, on the way to Dyea. It was just like I've imagined Alaska and the BC Coast to be...end of a fjordlike channel...big river flowing into the ocean, tide flats with tall grass and a few grizzly bears. Absolutley gorgeous.
The most exciting part of the Skagway venture was the big purchase I made...of a hand powered coffee grinder. I am so excited to start making real coffee again, those who have witnessed my addiction and my general snobbery around coffee will understand that I have been a bit lost without electricity and a coffee grinder. Haven't tried it out yet though (see next few posts about where I've been this week...). Really won't want to leave the cabin now...
Maya and I are taking "the Turtle"...her green Dodge Dakota with camper up to visit Dawson (Tr'ondek Hwech'in), Mayo (Na-Cho Nyuk Dun), Carmacks (Little Salmon) and Pelly Crossing (Selkirk).
My cousin Lauren was visiting this week, so it was a gr
eat time to be a tourist. Yesterday we spent the day in Skagway, Alaska...cruise ship capital of the North. Great day to be celebrating Independance Day with the locals and the tourists alike! Tug of war, arm wrestling, slow bike race, candy apples, cotton candy, ice cream, beer, lots of red white and blue. It was classic America Day as I imagined it.The drive to Skagway from Whitehorse (which I have every intention of riding my roadbike on) is in short: stunning. It is just a short drive and as a bonus, I live about a half hour into it already. We saw a little bear on the side of the road at the Summit which we saw on the way back...still don't know if it was a grizzly or a blondish black bear. See the next post to enter your vote!
We also saw two adult looking grizzly on the tidal flats (right where the campgrounds are, how comforting), just outside of Skagway, on the way to Dyea. It was just like I've imagined Alaska and the BC Coast to be...end of a fjordlike channel...big river flowing into the ocean, tide flats with tall grass and a few grizzly bears. Absolutley gorgeous.
The most exciting part of the Skagway venture was the big purchase I made...of a hand powered coffee grinder. I am so excited to start making real coffee again, those who have witnessed my addiction and my general snobbery around coffee will understand that I have been a bit lost without electricity and a coffee grinder. Haven't tried it out yet though (see next few posts about where I've been this week...). Really won't want to leave the cabin now...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
True North.
Yesterday was the birthday of the nation of Canada. I've been thinking a lot about what I think about my country and what I think of being a Canadian lately and thought it was a good time to share.
Our Home on Native Land.
I've always liked this twist on the line "our home and native land" from our national anthem. It is true, and few places as apparent as Whitehorse and the North in general. I reflect on the history of the people who call this massive land home...Aboriginal people, European immigrants, displaced peoples from around the world, peacelovers from South of the border, former slaves, intellects, scientists, entrepreneurs, mail-order brides, fortune seekers...all of us who have come to live together, in whatever sense of the word.
It is sad and true that the first time I learned of the minimal existence of treaties in British Columbia was in my 5th year at the University of Alberta, in a 300 level Native Studies class that I begged the faculty to let me in to without the pre-requisites. The intensity of the utterly profound realization that what is now 7 generations of my family have lived on land that was never legally ceded or surrendered is as real now as it was then (my shout out to Dr. James Dempsey at the UofA School of Native Studies for powerful teaching). With a course in Constitutional Law now solidly under my belt, it is even more profound for me to contemplate this idea. Working here with a myriad of agreements, legislation, understandings and misunderstandings, it is difficult to see how our country operates on a semblance of justice or equity.
The difficult thing for my (our) generation is...where do we go? How do we move forward? How do we recognize the war that has been waged against Nations in the background of the building of our country? I was born here too, and while I did not have a hand in creating the situation we're in, I think I best take note of it and start from a different place. Billy Joel says it best: We didn't start the fire...we didn't light it but we'll try to fight it (OK, something like that, sorry Billy!).
Living in a territory where there are self-government agreements and a much larger proportion of the population that is First Nations has opened my eyes at least a little bit to the realities of the history of all our nations and what it means to the future of our country. We can't go forward and leave some people behind. We have a rich natural and cultural history tied up with the First people of Canada. The sooner we recognize that the path forward is one of building communities out of the foundations of respect and understanding, the sooner we can truely see what we can achieve together. Are we on the right track? It's not for me to say.
True North
Living for a short time in the north is something that every Canadian should do...on second thought we should probably all spend time in all the regions of Canada. But the thing is that there is MAGIC here. I have been drawn to the North, sort of circumpoloarly for a while, not knowing why. After spending a fall in Finland, at about the same latitude as I am at now but in a very different climate, I knew I needed to visist Canada's North.
I can't really describe what it is, and anybody who has been to the North knows what I mean. The pictures I take might tell 1000 words, but I need a million. It's the way it makes me feel, the way the night never comes, the trees don't block out the sun, the mountains that look like praries that got their backs up, the forgetting to go to bed because there is so much to do, the water that doesn't really warm up enough to go for a comfortable swim, the mosquitoes, the closeness of Alaska (I can see it from my backyard hahahahaha) with the ocean and the big mountains that rise right out of it. Or that there is this strange feeling that it's important to have people living up here (OK, I'm not even north or important compared to Old Crow, etc) just in case somebody wants to check in to see that we're squatting the North properly so that it doesn't get taken away buy hmmm, Russians? Greenlandians? The Swedes? I'm rooting for the Swedes, for sure...imagine our potential for hockey greatness if were were annexed by Sweden...or our potential for a school system that teaches based on merit and not ability to pay (whoa, I think I feel a whole other tangent coming on...noted and saved for later).
At any rate, there is so much to love about the North. The wild spaces (WILD!), the clear and raging rivers, the active lifestyle embraced by so may, the art, the time to make art (less a product of the North and more a product of lifestyle). But I can't tell you about it, you have to come and experience it yourself!
Strong and Free
Being to Alaska and back a few times since I've been here, even since the great passport law which I still don't understand the big deal about, I realize how lucky we are to be able to come and go (not like the Cubans I met this winter). And that while we may not always get along, we do have pretty great neighbours (good friends, good neighbours as Boris from Haines said). We need them, they need us, simple as that. Working for an organization that spans both sides of the border and connected by a river highlights that. Downstream users need us to kindly refrain from polluting their water and we need the downstream communities to take care of the migrating salmon populations that people depend on upstream. Whether there is an international border between communities doesn't much matter to fish or to water quality...the decisions we make about how to care for them is what matters.
Oh. Canada.
You are not perfect, you've got a past that you don't teach your children about. You have a neighbour that is a bit of a bully but who you know depends on you (sounds like a relationship that needs some work). You have wild things and wild places.
I think that we have some work to do if we really think that we can be a truely equitable nation that respects the dignity and history and determination of ALL the people who live here. But I don't think that I would want to do that work any other place in the world. Because this is home, from Coast to Coast to Coast. And I'm starting to feel a bit about what that means...it took me 2500 kms from my roots to start to understand that....
Happy Canada Day!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Whitehorse City Council
Last night I presented on behalf of the watershed council to the Whitehorse City Council. We are asking them to join our Council as an "Affiliated Organization", which is an agreement that essentially says that they agree in principle with the work that we do and our mission and vision. The other reason for the visit was to invite them to the Summit that is to be held in August.
I haven't been to a Council meeting since I sat on the other side of the desk (for those readers who don't know my political and work history, I served a term as a Town Councillor in Golden, BC), so there was a combination of nerves and nostalgia as I sat and waited my turn to speak. The fun part about being in a new town is that people don't know who you are...so I got to listen to one Councillor express his disdine about me getting on the agenda while I sat in the gallery and listened...wow. But rather than be disheartened by it and his questions, I took it as a chance to use the persuasiveness that I am apparenlty learning in law school. We'll see about that I guess.
As it was a Committee meeting at which City Council does not make decisions, my job was primarily to provide some information about the Summit, the YRITWC and the affiliated organization agreement. All of this in 5 minutes. Now...in Golden I believe that we had a time limit for presentations to Council, but I really don't know what it was because some were 5 minutes, some felt like 5 hours...it really depended on who they were and how many jokes Aman would make at the presenters expense (your spirit was with me in the Chambers Aman...I imagined a little brown man with a twinkle in his eye listening to the presentation). Here in Whitehorse they definitely don't run their meetings on Yukon time! They had a little box with lights and a timer to cut you off when you were supposed to finish. And the presenter before me did indeed get cut off.
The funny thing about running a government is that I think that no matter where you are or what you are doing, the issues are pretty similar. Right before me the local swim club was in begging council for more lanes for their swimmers...using the same arguments that we'd heard in Golden for figure skaters, hockey players, swimmers, soccer players, ball players, etc. I wanted to comment to the Whitehorse council about that but wasn't sure that my "sage wisdom and advice" would be welcomed!
In the end, the City Council asked a few good questions (which if you saw the video you could watch me stumble and mumble a bit) but in the end I think that we will get them on side...or at least I hope so! It was nice to get out and to use the experience and skills that I've been gathering up for the past few years.
I'll let you know if they sign on at their next Council meeting...stay tuned!
I haven't been to a Council meeting since I sat on the other side of the desk (for those readers who don't know my political and work history, I served a term as a Town Councillor in Golden, BC), so there was a combination of nerves and nostalgia as I sat and waited my turn to speak. The fun part about being in a new town is that people don't know who you are...so I got to listen to one Councillor express his disdine about me getting on the agenda while I sat in the gallery and listened...wow. But rather than be disheartened by it and his questions, I took it as a chance to use the persuasiveness that I am apparenlty learning in law school. We'll see about that I guess.
As it was a Committee meeting at which City Council does not make decisions, my job was primarily to provide some information about the Summit, the YRITWC and the affiliated organization agreement. All of this in 5 minutes. Now...in Golden I believe that we had a time limit for presentations to Council, but I really don't know what it was because some were 5 minutes, some felt like 5 hours...it really depended on who they were and how many jokes Aman would make at the presenters expense (your spirit was with me in the Chambers Aman...I imagined a little brown man with a twinkle in his eye listening to the presentation). Here in Whitehorse they definitely don't run their meetings on Yukon time! They had a little box with lights and a timer to cut you off when you were supposed to finish. And the presenter before me did indeed get cut off.
The funny thing about running a government is that I think that no matter where you are or what you are doing, the issues are pretty similar. Right before me the local swim club was in begging council for more lanes for their swimmers...using the same arguments that we'd heard in Golden for figure skaters, hockey players, swimmers, soccer players, ball players, etc. I wanted to comment to the Whitehorse council about that but wasn't sure that my "sage wisdom and advice" would be welcomed!
In the end, the City Council asked a few good questions (which if you saw the video you could watch me stumble and mumble a bit) but in the end I think that we will get them on side...or at least I hope so! It was nice to get out and to use the experience and skills that I've been gathering up for the past few years.
I'll let you know if they sign on at their next Council meeting...stay tuned!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Watershed Council and the Wizard of Oz (we also call him Rob)
Work at the YRITWC has been progressing along. Lots to learn and so many opportunities to work on interesting projects.
The Yukon office consists of myself and Maya (another Canadian Lawyers Abroad intern), Loni - co-ordinating the Summit and Albert- our water tech and all-round authority on all things Yukon.
When I was hired/selected/roped in to this internship, I'd been talking to a man named Rob Rosenfeld. Rob is an Alaskan who lives in Homer and spends his time working with Aboriginal people from all corners of the globe. He is also the kind of guy who does all his business on the phone but will answer the odd email. Oh, and did I mention he is running for Govenor of Alaksa? Anyway, I had spoken to Rob on many occassions...from my car on the way home from a ski trip, in the campaign office in Kimberley when I was working there for Norm Macdonald's re-election campaign, from the office in Whitehorse when Rob was meeting with important people in Washington, D.C. However, for the first few weeks, Mr. Rosenfeld was simply a voice on the other end of the phone...and I started to joke that he wasn't real...he was like the Wizard of Oz and we would pull back the curtain and find a voice recording instead of a man. To make it even better, the day that Rob was supposed to arrive to our office, I was still living here...waiting, waiting, made extra dinner, cleaned the place up, waiting...no Rob. 1 am. No Rob. I thought for sure that he was not coming. In the morning I woke up and the door to the other bedroom was closed. But I hadn't heard anybody come in so I thought the wind had closed it. 8am, 9am, 10am...no Rob. Then finally, there was a stirring from the room and there was the man behind the voice...slightly travel worn but in general good spirits. It had apparently been an epic travel back up to the Yukon and a late night journey from Skagway.
The week with Rob in the office was both interesting and a lot of fun. He's been with the watershed council since the beginning, and has been working in rural and Aboriginal communities for much longer. I got to learn a lot more about the YRITWC and the work that is being done on both sides of the border. Also some background issues like why there are so few salmon left in the Yukon River Watershed and just how lame Sarah Palin is.
We are working on organizing for the big Summit in early August. I have been working to build a great agenda for the youth who will be attending the Summit and also getting the Yukon First Nation youth out. The summit is going to be held on the shore of Lake Leberge, so we are planning to have some paddling opportunities, time for the youth and elders to interact, a group art project, traditional skills and more. This year we are hoping to build the group to work together in the future and an incoming intern who will be here in mid-July will continue that work. Youth empowermet is pretty near and dear to my heart, as I was able to participate in so many great character and knowledge building events, not to mention made great contacts and friends around the world. There is so much potential for these youth to take real action to protect their land, it is a matter of bringing that out in them! I am excited for the Summit...it will be a full 3 days of learning, teaching and celebrating. Water....how it brings people together and connects us! It is one thing that we can agree on: we need clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems for humans to survive...now it's what that looks like and how much we can take that is the difficult part.
Other projects that I've been working on include researching the regulatory regime in the Yukon for the installation of a hydrokinetic generator (I think I have already written about this), which I will be writing an article about for the Summit, researching some statutes and case law concerning the Nations and Tribes adopting their own water quality standards in the Watershed (which is really interesting if you are a super nerd like me), doing outreach to Yukon municipalities to join the Council as affiliate organizations and just generally helping out where help is needed.
Next week I will go present to the Whitehorse City Council about the Watershed Council, invite them to the Summit and invite them to sign on as an affiliate organization. It will be my first time attending a council meeting on "the other side" of the table since leaving Golden Town Council. Just going into City hall and asking to be put on the agenda brought all sorts of nostalgia running back!
Over the time that Rob was here we also went to meet with the Yukon gov't about a major funding opportunity. I have also been researching potential funding sources for the Council to both continue our water quality monitoring program and to build our youth programs. It is definately a bit of a flashback to Wildsight days and it made me thankful for the experience that I got there and the work that we did. The ENGO world is a small one, that is for sure!
One month has already gone by and it's been going fast. So much to learn and so much to do...just the way I like it!
The Yukon office consists of myself and Maya (another Canadian Lawyers Abroad intern), Loni - co-ordinating the Summit and Albert- our water tech and all-round authority on all things Yukon.
When I was hired/selected/roped in to this internship, I'd been talking to a man named Rob Rosenfeld. Rob is an Alaskan who lives in Homer and spends his time working with Aboriginal people from all corners of the globe. He is also the kind of guy who does all his business on the phone but will answer the odd email. Oh, and did I mention he is running for Govenor of Alaksa? Anyway, I had spoken to Rob on many occassions...from my car on the way home from a ski trip, in the campaign office in Kimberley when I was working there for Norm Macdonald's re-election campaign, from the office in Whitehorse when Rob was meeting with important people in Washington, D.C. However, for the first few weeks, Mr. Rosenfeld was simply a voice on the other end of the phone...and I started to joke that he wasn't real...he was like the Wizard of Oz and we would pull back the curtain and find a voice recording instead of a man. To make it even better, the day that Rob was supposed to arrive to our office, I was still living here...waiting, waiting, made extra dinner, cleaned the place up, waiting...no Rob. 1 am. No Rob. I thought for sure that he was not coming. In the morning I woke up and the door to the other bedroom was closed. But I hadn't heard anybody come in so I thought the wind had closed it. 8am, 9am, 10am...no Rob. Then finally, there was a stirring from the room and there was the man behind the voice...slightly travel worn but in general good spirits. It had apparently been an epic travel back up to the Yukon and a late night journey from Skagway.
The week with Rob in the office was both interesting and a lot of fun. He's been with the watershed council since the beginning, and has been working in rural and Aboriginal communities for much longer. I got to learn a lot more about the YRITWC and the work that is being done on both sides of the border. Also some background issues like why there are so few salmon left in the Yukon River Watershed and just how lame Sarah Palin is.
We are working on organizing for the big Summit in early August. I have been working to build a great agenda for the youth who will be attending the Summit and also getting the Yukon First Nation youth out. The summit is going to be held on the shore of Lake Leberge, so we are planning to have some paddling opportunities, time for the youth and elders to interact, a group art project, traditional skills and more. This year we are hoping to build the group to work together in the future and an incoming intern who will be here in mid-July will continue that work. Youth empowermet is pretty near and dear to my heart, as I was able to participate in so many great character and knowledge building events, not to mention made great contacts and friends around the world. There is so much potential for these youth to take real action to protect their land, it is a matter of bringing that out in them! I am excited for the Summit...it will be a full 3 days of learning, teaching and celebrating. Water....how it brings people together and connects us! It is one thing that we can agree on: we need clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems for humans to survive...now it's what that looks like and how much we can take that is the difficult part.
Other projects that I've been working on include researching the regulatory regime in the Yukon for the installation of a hydrokinetic generator (I think I have already written about this), which I will be writing an article about for the Summit, researching some statutes and case law concerning the Nations and Tribes adopting their own water quality standards in the Watershed (which is really interesting if you are a super nerd like me), doing outreach to Yukon municipalities to join the Council as affiliate organizations and just generally helping out where help is needed.
Next week I will go present to the Whitehorse City Council about the Watershed Council, invite them to the Summit and invite them to sign on as an affiliate organization. It will be my first time attending a council meeting on "the other side" of the table since leaving Golden Town Council. Just going into City hall and asking to be put on the agenda brought all sorts of nostalgia running back!
Over the time that Rob was here we also went to meet with the Yukon gov't about a major funding opportunity. I have also been researching potential funding sources for the Council to both continue our water quality monitoring program and to build our youth programs. It is definately a bit of a flashback to Wildsight days and it made me thankful for the experience that I got there and the work that we did. The ENGO world is a small one, that is for sure!
One month has already gone by and it's been going fast. So much to learn and so much to do...just the way I like it!
Little Cabin in the Woods
I thought it was about time to let you all in on what's been going on recently.
First things first...living the Yukon dream.
When I arrived in Whitehorse, I had been living in our office (which is a 2-bdrm apartment), which was nice, free and couldn't beat the commute of roll over, make coffee, at work. However, in my head I saw myself living in a little wooden cabin by a lake or a creek, hauling water, chopping firewood and being constantly paranoid of being eaten by a bear. What I'd like to call the Yukon dream.
It came true! I called about a "rustic but cozy"
cabin in the newspaper, the price was right and the location sounded pretty decent. So I went to look...it turned out to be better than I had imagined...down a gravel road that the Southern Lakes Caribou herd frequents (or so rumor has it). Just a few km from the cabin is Annie Lake and the Wheaton River, not to mention the Annie Lake Golf Course, which I missed on my first few drives out.
The cabin must have been built in stages, as the former inhabitants got either bored or inspired. There is beautiful handmade log furniture...a big log bed, desk, kitchen table, chairs. Maybe this is
what cabin fever inspires. A wood stove for heat, propane stove for cooking, solar panel to keep a light on in my room and the bathroom. There is even a spare bedroom...so no excuses not to come and visit! A little path leads down to the Watson River and a potential swimming hole, but I'm not sure that the mosquitoes or the cold water will make that a reality!My landlords are super, and live just a little walk away. They recently got two little black lambs that, as Brett put it "probably won't see winter". Sigh. The trouble with being vegetarian. But now I have some little buddies to eat up the leftover veggies I have without risking a compost. There are also 5 dogs that live on the property...my favorite is the Australian sheep dog named Tetra. She comes to say hello and is a little sweetheart.
Evenings at the cabin are spent drinking tea, painting and reading. I'm working on "My Life", Fidel Castro's biography. It's a big read and I'm just about to get into the good stuff...they're about to march in to Havana.
There is also a small garden just outside the door. I planted some beans and lettuce and will get some squashes and maybe potatoes to through in. I seem to have a legacy of gardens that I tear the weeds out of, plant and then move away from...Golden, Edmonton, now Whitehorse! Thank goodness the main weed here is fireweed, which is a beautiful plant in its own. The raspberry plants are also taking over the garden...so when I leave there will be something left I suppose.
I saw my first bear the other day. About 7km down the road from my house this BIG black mass was hanging out by the road near a few other homes. Now, why this beautiful creature is spending its time with the only humans within 100's of kms of wilderness is kind of beyond me! Now hopefully I don't see that guy again....
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Last weekend Maya, Martina, myself and about 1/2 of Whitehorse took off to Haines, Alaska, for the 17th Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival. Yes, I went to the USA for the beer, which was outstanding, even after many tastes (the Haines Brewery Spruce Tip actually uses spruce tips in the brewing and it is the finest beer I have ever tasted). The festival was held at the fair grounds, which also happened to be the set for the movie White Fang. Amidst the revelling in beer was first a band that sounded like it came from the Kootenays and then a bluegrass band. Adults in overalls where out in full force. The police where there but only to keep an eye on girls passed out in the sun...I'm surprised they didn't stand so as to make shade for them they were so nice.
Our trip over was great. Spotted 3 grizzly bears by the road and saw Kluane National Park for the first time, it looks absolutely stunning. The Haines Junction, YT to Haines, Alaska, is probably one of the finest drives. There were a lot of superlatives and explicit language as well as some sheer silence to describe the views. Shortly after arriving at the summit, we dropped down into coastal forest and came to a screech at the border (who puts a boarder crossing station on a steep hill??). We were greeted by none other than a fine Mr. Allgood. Yes, it was his name and I am sure that he got drafted by the border service to work at that particular crossing based on his perfect name. After confirming that we did not have any ivory or firearms (I accidently lied about some apples and eggs for no apparent reason), we were in the USA, my first trip since I lifted my self-imposed travel ban when GWBush got re-elected. A few kilometers past the border was my favorite sort of business, the "Food Gas Beer" establishment, but we had just eaten at the Frosty Freeze in Haines Juction so rolled past.
On the way home from Haines, Maya and I stopped just inside BC to go for a hike off the road. Looked easy enough, just up to a nice ridge to see what we could see. Well, after a few hours of slogging through ankle/knee/waist deep snow we decided that maybe we'd come back later in the summer and brave the bears instead. The views were amazing though and it was a great day out in the sun beating the willow, crossing creeks, kicking steps into snow and looking at rocks and ice.
We also stopped at Million Dollar Falls to see if it really was worthy of its name. It is a pretty stunning waterfall with some exellent trail crew boardwalk installation and a really nice campground (for the Alaska-Yukon RV season).
For Fun
Whitehorse is an incredible city, and the North is an incredible place.
Now, I've only been here for less than 10 days, but have been able to check out a few things and make a few observations.
First of all, anybody you ever knew who now lives in Whitehorse will instantly renew a friendship and share their friends. The connections here are unreal as there are lots of transplants and newbies here. I'm not sure what the term is for somebody who lives in Whitehorse, but I would just call them "nice people". Within a few days of being here, I went to a potluck with Alison who I met while she was at the College in Golden. It was like Golden except that the hostesses mother, from Vancouver Island, smuggled a frozen chicken on the plane for dinner, which reminded me of how far food travels to get to the table up here. Unless of course it's fish, game or berries, much of which is not in season right now.
The recreation possibilities are virtually endless and I am looking forward to my upcoming weekend of "100 mile recreation", kind of like the 100 mile diet. As I have been driving so much lately I thought it prudent to reduce the footprint and stay within 100 miles of Whitehorse. Which means I could go birdwatching, hiking, biking, fishing, running, canoeing, swimming, or possibly grizzly bear wrestling. There is a beautiful trail along the river that connects the downtown (and the S.S. Klondike!) with the campground and the fish ladder (have to go check that out too) at the other end of town. Lots of trails around town to check out as well.
There is a serious arts scene here as well. Lunch time concerts (free) in a little park a few blocks from the office. Lots of galleries. Pottery studio for $5/hr that I will check out on Sunday. Buildings that double as works of art (CBC North is the pinkest pink I've ever seen). I await the cancan dancers this summer. And the festival season! As well as the tourist season.
As part of the environment forum last week, I also attended an evening presentation with a local artist, Marten Berkman and he spoke about the question of whether art can really move people to be connected to place. If a photograph in a boardroom can make people who make decisions about the land actually care about it. It's certainly a good question and one that I'm not sure has an answer.
There are tonnes of good food options here, my favorite thus far being a little cafe called Baked which is right downtown (well, everything is right downtown, really). There are rumors around town that a little brewpub is supposed to open soon, but I don't really know. One of the weird things about the Yukon is that in order to have a liquor license you need to have a hotel. So there are really no standalone bars (no Taps, that's for sure). I guess it's to keep those rowdy goldminers on the downlow when they roll in to town?? If anybody can explain this one, please post in the comments!
At any rate, the bottom line is that there are lots of fun things to do in lots of pretty spots here and it's exciting to be in a brand new place to explore!
Now, I've only been here for less than 10 days, but have been able to check out a few things and make a few observations.
First of all, anybody you ever knew who now lives in Whitehorse will instantly renew a friendship and share their friends. The connections here are unreal as there are lots of transplants and newbies here. I'm not sure what the term is for somebody who lives in Whitehorse, but I would just call them "nice people". Within a few days of being here, I went to a potluck with Alison who I met while she was at the College in Golden. It was like Golden except that the hostesses mother, from Vancouver Island, smuggled a frozen chicken on the plane for dinner, which reminded me of how far food travels to get to the table up here. Unless of course it's fish, game or berries, much of which is not in season right now.
The recreation possibilities are virtually endless and I am looking forward to my upcoming weekend of "100 mile recreation", kind of like the 100 mile diet. As I have been driving so much lately I thought it prudent to reduce the footprint and stay within 100 miles of Whitehorse. Which means I could go birdwatching, hiking, biking, fishing, running, canoeing, swimming, or possibly grizzly bear wrestling. There is a beautiful trail along the river that connects the downtown (and the S.S. Klondike!) with the campground and the fish ladder (have to go check that out too) at the other end of town. Lots of trails around town to check out as well.
There is a serious arts scene here as well. Lunch time concerts (free) in a little park a few blocks from the office. Lots of galleries. Pottery studio for $5/hr that I will check out on Sunday. Buildings that double as works of art (CBC North is the pinkest pink I've ever seen). I await the cancan dancers this summer. And the festival season! As well as the tourist season.
As part of the environment forum last week, I also attended an evening presentation with a local artist, Marten Berkman and he spoke about the question of whether art can really move people to be connected to place. If a photograph in a boardroom can make people who make decisions about the land actually care about it. It's certainly a good question and one that I'm not sure has an answer.
There are tonnes of good food options here, my favorite thus far being a little cafe called Baked which is right downtown (well, everything is right downtown, really). There are rumors around town that a little brewpub is supposed to open soon, but I don't really know. One of the weird things about the Yukon is that in order to have a liquor license you need to have a hotel. So there are really no standalone bars (no Taps, that's for sure). I guess it's to keep those rowdy goldminers on the downlow when they roll in to town?? If anybody can explain this one, please post in the comments!
At any rate, the bottom line is that there are lots of fun things to do in lots of pretty spots here and it's exciting to be in a brand new place to explore!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The first week has flown by. And it seems that may have a lot to say...so I will break this into a few posts.WORK (or, why I came to the Yukon).
The Yukon River Inter-tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) has an office in downtown Whitehorse, which is where I live and work. It's a two bedroom apartment with the office in the living room and so I really do have a short commute! I will stay here until a new intern comes in July or until I find a place I really want to move in to.
Most days it's Maya (intern from UBC), Loni Jack (event co-ordinator from Atlin) and Albert our water quality guy around the office. Maya has an engineering background and is looking at mining, environmental assessments, reclaiming old mines and coal bed methane extraction mostly. I on the other hand am researching regulations in the YT to install a 5kW hydrokinetic turbine in the Yukon River. The YRITWC installed one last year in Ruby, Alaska and the company that built it is offering another for the Yukon side. It seems that inadvertantly I've become an IPP proponent in a way...it's interesting to see things from this side because it feels like I'm the one who is going to pull out my hair screaming "but all I want to do is put this little thing in the river...the fish will be fine!". And then I think about some of the places that I have fought for and about...and I start being happy for the regulations!
I am also working on creating a youth agenda for our upcoming Summit in August. We are going to have aboriginal youth from the watershed...hopefully one or two from each community. The program is going to focus on bringing them together (Loni told me that they are shy, especially the ones from the Northern Alaskan communities), and getting them out on the water and the land. I think it is going to be a great time and look forward to meeting delegates from the watershed. We had a meeting with one of the Cheifs (from Ta'an Kwach'an) and organizers from the other local First Nations (Kwanlin Dun) yesterday. I'm sure that this was the first time I've been part of planning an event that we discussed hunters as a key role in the event. Sounds like a wise way to feed 300 on the shores of Lake Labarge in August!
Last week Maya and I attended an environment forum put on by the Yukon Government. It was a good introduction to Whitehorse and the Yukon and what is going on up here in terms of community environmental problems. If you think that recycling is a costly and complicated affair in the South, I challenge you to go to Dawson City! Waste management in many Yukon towns mostly consists of burning garbage in a landfill. And electricity generation means diesel generators. But there are a lot of great initiatives and it's really interesting to see how things are working (or not) up here. Yukoners really care about their environment and that's why most of us are up here (tourists included), so it makes sense to take care of it. The final presenter of the day got us really excited about fishing some of the lakes around Whitehorse. I've got my flyrod and the ice is coming off the lakes!
Well that's a little bit about the work. Please follow the links to get a bigger picture of what is going on (and more pictures).
The next post will be about some of the fun I'm having...stay tuned.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Drive
Martina and I rollled into the Yukon on Saturday evening. We decided to take the scenic route along the Stewart-Cassiar Highway up Western British Columbia.
We got to the intersection of the Cassiar Highway, decided that 3/4 of a tank of gas would last us well to the next gas station and saw our first real Alaskan trucker. Took some photos and North we finally went. In the next few hours I would learn the meaning of "remote highway". There are a few dots on the map that looked to be the same size sort of dots as Golden. Apparently Golden is practically a city in comparison to most of Northern BC/Yukon. Driving along in a tiny car with amazing gas milage (the road is in great shape by the way...most of it that is, just a few gravel sections), I thought that we would be able to go down to about half a tank before filling. Not the case...even in a fuel efficient Yaris we learned to stop and fill the tank every chance we got! May long weekend may be the craziest time for tourist businesses back home, but up here it was still deep in the early stages of spring and nothing much was going on. Bell II was a life saver and I have never been so happy for a cup of Folgers.
We left Golden (after fueling up at Jita's of course) mid morning (no rush) and drove up to Jasper, still not sure which direction we were going. Realized that we should set the trip odometer about 50km outside Jasper...it now reads just over 2000km. After Jasper we headed west past Mt. Robson (couldn't see the peak) into "uncharted territory" as we called it, neither of us had been West past Valemount. We stopped for groceries in Prince George (ummm, like Golden but bigger) after I realized that my friend Gavin, being the friend he is and even though he was on the Sunshine Coast, would probably let us crash in his cabin in Telkwa. We rolled into Telkwa to meet Gavin's friendly landlord and crash in his place. I stole Dharma Bums (hey, I needed a novel really badly) and on the landlord's recommendations headed into Smithers for coffee and baked goods. Martina and I had been using the baseline of having all our student loans paid off to measure if we would live and work in a town along the route for one year...Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, PG, Vanderhoof and decided that we would live in Smithers for much less. The rest of the towns...well, we'd have to see them in the sun perhaps.
We got to the intersection of the Cassiar Highway, decided that 3/4 of a tank of gas would last us well to the next gas station and saw our first real Alaskan trucker. Took some photos and North we finally went. In the next few hours I would learn the meaning of "remote highway". There are a few dots on the map that looked to be the same size sort of dots as Golden. Apparently Golden is practically a city in comparison to most of Northern BC/Yukon. Driving along in a tiny car with amazing gas milage (the road is in great shape by the way...most of it that is, just a few gravel sections), I thought that we would be able to go down to about half a tank before filling. Not the case...even in a fuel efficient Yaris we learned to stop and fill the tank every chance we got! May long weekend may be the craziest time for tourist businesses back home, but up here it was still deep in the early stages of spring and nothing much was going on. Bell II was a life saver and I have never been so happy for a cup of Folgers.We ran into few other vehicles along the way, the odd truck and camper or some sort of highway or gov't official. I think we saw more wildlife than cars come to think of it. And lots of trees...and lots of logging. Now what really puzzled me is the blocks from the 80's that were clearly cedar/hemlock that are full of pine...but that's another rant for another time. Way up into Nisgaa territory we went, crossing the Nass river. A lot of the big rivers who's names I've read and Parks that I have heard about were right there in front of us...with nobody around.
I stared wild eyed up to the Spatsizi Plateau from the Stikine River...crossed the Bulkley, Liard, Fraser and Nass rivers along the way. This is a wild place we call home...and it's hard to comprehend the enormity and the incredible diversity of the landscape.
Dease Lake was our next stop...my first grocery store in the North. Next time I hear somebody tell me that food is expensive in the Columbia Valley because of transport I think I will send them on a trip to check out Dease Lake, because it wasn't so different and there is no fast way in and out of this tiny community. Dease Lake to Watson Lake offered little more than signs for a few mines and some old mines alongside the road and a few odd cabins for human civilization. However, I did see my most exciting wildlife sighting (well besides the ponies back near the Stikine crossing, random!). My first CARIBOU! Big guy, loping across the road and into the bush. We'd see many more...mom with babies and a few more solitary beasts. Martina laughed as I yelled and stopped to take a picture singing "cari-boooo, cari-boooo, it's a cariboooooooouuuuuu". Yeah, kind of excited.
We crossed into the Yukon just south of the Alaska Highway. Stopped to wave goodbye to BC (well, we crossed back over after Watson Lake for a short time) and took pictures in front of the Yukon sign, and the caribou tracks as big as my foot.
Saturday night we got to Watson Lake and decided that we didn't want to tent afterall. Couple of princesses. We stayed at the old Air Force Lodge and enjoyed a hot shower and soft bed. Not a bad idea as we woke to snow and freezing temps in the morning. Had a breakfast (Elise, the Hollindaise sauce would have made you cry, it was so bad. I should have known better...thus ends my no holds barred affair with eggs benny).
With less than 500 km to Whitehorse and a slightly early arrival than we had planned, we drove off to meet some friends of Martina's just outside of Whitehorse, near Marsh Lake (which will mean nothing to most of you!). The instructions were: turn left after the blue bridge over the Yukon River and drive down the dirt road for about 5km, I will call you around 4pm to see where you are and pick you up with an ATV for the rest of the road. Did I mention we are in the Yukon? Sure enough, we found the road and waited for the call. In a little while, Jean-Fred rolled down with an ATV and trailer and we loaded our camping gear up (and myself) into the ATV for a 7km ride to a little cabin by a little lake (oh, the lakes are still iced over up here). Jean-Fred and his friend are working for a couple setting up a guiding busines, and they live in a teepee by the lake...we crashed at their place for the night in our tent. A friendly couple with a little baby and grandparents visiting, we had dinner and then sat around a fire waiting for it to get dark. I went to bed finally but I'm not sure if it ever got dark...it's only May and already the sun stays up until almost midnight!
In the morning (today) after my feet felt as if they were going to freeze off, we got up and packed up camp, said goodbye and headed into town. We arrived in Whitehorse under a cloudless blue sky in time for lunch at the Baked Cafe in downtown Whitehorse. Finally some delicious food that I didn't eat out of our shared bowl in the car! We found our "homes" for the next while and took a few hours break from each other.
My temporary home is a room in the office I work in, which is basically in a two room apartment. We have a balcony where I can look out to the airport and enjoy the late sun. It's only a few blocks from downtown and the river. I'll be looking for a real home that has a couch instead of office chairs and computers. Other than living and working in the same place, it's really nice and happy I have a home for now!
Martina and I met up and went for my first beer since we hit the road (it's been a long time...for me at least). A guy a table over looked over at us about 2 minutes into the beer and asked where we were from. I sarcastically remarked, from here, why? can't you tell? Which he reminded me that everyone in Whitehorse knows everyone and the new kids in town are pretty obvious. And that Yukoners are a friendly lot...which is pretty much all I've heard and all I've seen so far.
We hit the Superstore to stock up on food (again, cheaper than I ever imagined) and now I am working in the office/living room to update you all on this little adventure so far.
The stats for the drive (I'll have to get the fuel amount/price from Martina)...
7 caribou
6 black bear
7 horses (on the road...)
1 hawk owl (yes, I do bird and drive)
2 elk
lots of deer
0 moose
0 grizzly bear
1 CBC Between the Covers 30 episode broadcast of The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill
1 stolen Dharma Bums
1 night in Telkwa BC
5 major highways (Hwy 1, 93N, 16, 37, Alaska Hwy)
1 night in a tent
1 Elvis impersonator by the side of the road
0 room for hitchhikers
4 Americano's (only 2 outside of Golden!!!)
1 bowl for breakfast, lunch and dinner between the two of us
1 viewing of a quad being loaded into the back of a Ford Aerostar van (McBride to Prince George)
Well, that is more than most people will want to read...but I'm sure as I get settled the updates will be shorter and fewer!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Welcome to my journey North!
I've spent the last few weeks in B.C., visiting law firms and public interest law organizations in Vancouver, visiting family and friends in Golden, Nelson and New Denver and working on the campaign to re-elect Norm Macdonald in Kimberley. The time has flown by and suddenly I am facing the prospect of a looonnnnggg drive to a part of the country I've never been to.
What is this summer (and this blog) all about?
An internship adventure in the wilds of Northern Canada!
First things first, way back in the early winter I applied for an internship with Canadian Lawyers Abroad. There were placements all over the world. The one that I thought looked like it was most interesting to me and that I would be able to share some of my experience with was the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council. I was accepted to my first choice and so began this journey.
I realized that as great an experience as I hope to have, working for free was going to be tough, especially when the tuition payment rolls around next fall. I set out applying for funding and appealing to my amazing family and friends for their support.
One of my applications was to the Parhad Programme Summer Studentship, through the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work. I applied and waited and waited. In the thick of exams I had an interview with a really tough panel, that when I walked out I was sure I'd bombed. They emailed me back a little while later to say that I was successful and I had recieved a good contribution towards my living expenses and travel to Whitehorse. Score!
Previous to that I had also applied, along with my fellow intern from UBC, to the federal government's Summer Works funding program. It took until I was in Kimberley to find out that one of our positions was accepted for funding. This then meant that a further funding program through our Student's Union at the University of Calgary called SWEEP (Student Work Experience Enhancement Program) kicked in for me and I get to top up my wage to $15/hr.
In addition, family and friends really stepped up and generously contributed cash as well.
The reason I share this story is that it really shows that doing what you think is right and what you really want to do can work out. It does take hard work and I'm sure that my final grades reflect the time I spent writing applications, going to interviews and corresponding with these funding sources. But in the end, it means that I get to carry out important work, in an amazing place, with and for incredible people, and come out OK for myself. It also shows that the saying "where there is a will there is a way" is so true!
Friday, May 15th is the day that Martina (we were in highschool together a decade ago) and I head out of Golden on the long road north. I will be keeping this blog updated (as per funders requirements) and will get some photos up ASAP as well.
Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and of course to all my funders!
Carmen
I've spent the last few weeks in B.C., visiting law firms and public interest law organizations in Vancouver, visiting family and friends in Golden, Nelson and New Denver and working on the campaign to re-elect Norm Macdonald in Kimberley. The time has flown by and suddenly I am facing the prospect of a looonnnnggg drive to a part of the country I've never been to.
What is this summer (and this blog) all about?
An internship adventure in the wilds of Northern Canada!
First things first, way back in the early winter I applied for an internship with Canadian Lawyers Abroad. There were placements all over the world. The one that I thought looked like it was most interesting to me and that I would be able to share some of my experience with was the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council. I was accepted to my first choice and so began this journey.
I realized that as great an experience as I hope to have, working for free was going to be tough, especially when the tuition payment rolls around next fall. I set out applying for funding and appealing to my amazing family and friends for their support.
One of my applications was to the Parhad Programme Summer Studentship, through the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work. I applied and waited and waited. In the thick of exams I had an interview with a really tough panel, that when I walked out I was sure I'd bombed. They emailed me back a little while later to say that I was successful and I had recieved a good contribution towards my living expenses and travel to Whitehorse. Score!
Previous to that I had also applied, along with my fellow intern from UBC, to the federal government's Summer Works funding program. It took until I was in Kimberley to find out that one of our positions was accepted for funding. This then meant that a further funding program through our Student's Union at the University of Calgary called SWEEP (Student Work Experience Enhancement Program) kicked in for me and I get to top up my wage to $15/hr.
In addition, family and friends really stepped up and generously contributed cash as well.
The reason I share this story is that it really shows that doing what you think is right and what you really want to do can work out. It does take hard work and I'm sure that my final grades reflect the time I spent writing applications, going to interviews and corresponding with these funding sources. But in the end, it means that I get to carry out important work, in an amazing place, with and for incredible people, and come out OK for myself. It also shows that the saying "where there is a will there is a way" is so true!
Friday, May 15th is the day that Martina (we were in highschool together a decade ago) and I head out of Golden on the long road north. I will be keeping this blog updated (as per funders requirements) and will get some photos up ASAP as well.
Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and of course to all my funders!
Carmen
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