by Kelly Poirier and
Dawn Foxcroft
Uu-a-thluk Outreach Coordinators
Oct. 19, 2006
"We want them to feel comfortable out where our ancestors used to live. We want them to experience it early so that they can manage the land better when some day they are the leadership in power." Alex Jules
Far away from the comforts of home and the noise of everyday life, youth attending the Kyuquot Rediscovery Camp learn the value of teamwork and their connection to the natural world amongst the beauty of Kyuquot Sound.
In its seventh season, the Kyuquot Rediscovery Camp program is a real success in its ability to give participants pride in who they are and where they come from. The Rediscovery Camp program brings students into Kyuquot territory to get the youth in touch with their culture, build self-esteem, and learn teambuilding and leadership skills to better cope with the societal presures that face Nuu-chah-nulth youth.
The campers leave from Fair Harbour by boat, bringing them to a beautiful location within Kyuquot territory. "There are a few kids who come every year. I see them growing up and a change in them year after year," said Coordinator and Facilitator Alex Jules. "It is gratifying because our program has helped them along the way.'
The camps began when Bruse Carlos took a group of lids camping without any real agenda or schedule. Around that time he stumbled upon an article about the Rediscovery camp concept. Bruce asked Alex Jules if he would be a youth facilitator.
Bruce did a lot of the paperwork and Alex was one of the facilitators, with his sister-in-law Layla running the first Rediscovery Camp. That first year they ran three camps with 15 kids per camp. The Rediscovery Camp program in Kyuquot territory really began to bloom from there. This year Kyuquot ran two camps with 24 participants. The camps are open to anyone who is interested, including non-native youth and youth form any First Nation.
In the first years the camp was assisted by donations from local businesses, with the majority of the cost of the rediscovery camp funded by the Kyuquot First Nation, with 15 spots reserved especially for children from Kyuquot. The MV Uchuck III freight and passenger service has also supported the camp through in-kind donations.
The camp employs coordinator Alex Jules in addition to a cook and their apprentice, and two student workers. There are also a lot of community volunteers, such as boat drivers to transport the students.
A day at camp starts with a morning stretch and breakfast, and an activity that honours the four directions. Some of the day-to-day activities include canoeing, kayaking, and beach and forest games. "The kids really enjoy the forest hikes and beach hikes,' states Jules, "there is also fishing and some long day trips with canoes which I really enjoy," he adds.
Some elders come up and share stories with the kids. "That is who they should be hearing [the teachings] from," says Jules.
The camp program encourages team building and leadership through facilitated games and activities, in addition to traditional teachings. Each camp ends with a Ceremony Night that parents of each camper are invited to participate. The Ceremony Night honours the progress of individuals during their time in the Rediscovery program and celebrates their collective experiences.
With the usual daily exposure to videa games, music and television, Rediscovery camps are an important connection for youth to their territories and cultural teachings. The camps help youth understand that there is much more out there than electronics and pop culture to provide meaning to them, and there is something bigger out there that they can be a part of.
"[The rediscovery camp program] keeps youth connected with themselves and each other. To our ocean and our land," states Jules. "We want them to feel comfortable out where our ancestors used to live. We want them to experience it early so that they can manage the land better when some day they are the leadership in power."
The successful Kyuquot Rediscovery Camp program will continue to operate pretty much the same so that the kids who attend year after year will know what they can look forward to. The only major change Alex would make is to acquire their own kayaks for the program, which they currently borrow from the school.
"Kids are our future managers of the resources and economy," states Jules. "They grow up fast out there working together and helping each other out. That is really important and why the community needs the program. Why any community needs this type of program." Alex is passionate about the work that he does and hopes to continue to work with youth through the rediscovery camps.
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