Episode 1 of the Neemamo Mishkanan Trip: Leaving the Rez

Episode 1 of the Neemamo Mishkanan (We Canoe Together) Trip captures the all-to-familiar boat taxi, Polar Bear Express train, and bus travel that Moose Cree First Nation youth must journey through from Moose Factory (not a factory where the Moose are made) to Kapuskasing. I want to share northern Ontario's stunning wilderness and showcase the warmth of Kapuskasing's hospitality and a top-secret Smokey Falls Generating Station tour by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) staff.
About the Neemamo Mishkanan Project:
Neemamo Mishkanan ("We Canoe Together" in Moose Cree L-dialect) is a new youth program which comes from the Learning from Lake Sturgeon project- a co-led effort between Moose Cree First Nation Resource Protection (MCFN) and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS) established in 2016. The project's vision is to improve a common understanding of lake sturgeon, as well as rivers and ecosystems in the Moose Cree Homeland.
The Learning from Lake Sturgeon project has been providing youth programming as part of their work on the rivers and namew (lake sturgeon) in Kit Aski Nahnuun (the Moose Cree Homeland) since 2018 based on direction provided by the Elders in the Elders Advisory Group of the project - that youth should be involved in conservation work to ensure the protection of water and namew now and into the future. By engaging young people and helping them discover a future career in environmental stewardship and research, the project hopes to ensure these important places thrive for future generations. From the youth programming provided through the Learning from Lake Sturgeon project, came an idea to reconnect Moose Cree youth with an ancestral canoe route: which has been disrupted and less-used over time due to changes in the river caused by hydroelectric activities - thus came Neemamo Mishkanan.
After much planning, Neemamo Mishkanan was able to happen in 2024. The intention of the Neemamo Mishkanan program is to strengthen connections between Moose Cree youth and Kit Aski Nahnuun (the Moose Cree Homeland) while also providing learning opportunities for valuable skills and practices of both environmental conservation and Traditional Knowledge.
The Neemamo Mishkanan program in 2024 consisted of:
1) an opening weekend of learning from WCS Canada scientists, professional photographers, and Moose Cree Elders/Knowledge Keepers,
2) a training weekend where youth were certified in whitewater canoeing and wilderness first aid, and
3) a final 8-day, 200 km canoe trip in Kit Aski Nahnuun.
The canoe trip along an ancestral route had youth paddling from Kipling Hydroelectric Dam to Moose Factory - a massive accomplishment! Youth mastered their ability to navigate and canoe rivers with professional canoe guides, fished and connected to their lands and waters, and along the way learned from scientists, photographers, and a Moose Cree Knowledge Keepers who paddled with them. Community welcomed the Neemamo Mishkanan group after their long journey, and they received congratulations and recognition from family, friends, and Moose Cree First Nation Chief & Council. In total 11 amazing Moose Cree youth completed the Neemamo Mishkanan program thus far.