Canoeing program for Mtis youth creating friendships along the Red River

Mtisyouth found out how challenging paddling the Red River is during a series ofcanoeing excursions along the historic trade route this week.

Morgan Ginthersaid it was difficult paddling against the wind on Tuesday.

"We got blown like a 45 degree angle to the river and we couldn't turn so that we can move forward again," she said.

Ginther was one of a dozen youth who signed up for Mtis Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow (MELT), anenvironmental stewardship program run by the Manitoba Mtis Federation (MMF).

WATCHMtis youth canoe historic Red River:

Mtis youth canoe historic Red River

3 years ago

Duration 1:49

Youth in the Mtis Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow program canoed along the Red River about 20 kilometres a day and participated in land-based activities.

The five-day program started in Winnipeg on Monday. The youth canoe along the Red Riverabout 20 kilometres aday and have land-based activities.

That includes stops at historic sites like Lower Fort Garry,where Treaty 1 was signed 150 years ago,andsites of significancetoMtis.At Selkirk Park, they metMMF elders and watched a jigging display, and atLake Winnipeg,they spend the day fishing.

Ginther, who performs at many of the Mtis events in Selkirk, Man., played the fiddle alongside her family members during the Selkirk stop on Tuesday.

"It's nice to know that there's people like me that I can hang out with and be friends with," said Ginther.

For Niko Yanez-Ramosand many of the participants, it was their first time canoeing.

"I was a little scared because I didn't really know what to do, but I caught on really fast, so it was awesome," said Yanez-Ramosafter a three-hour journeyon the water.

"It's been really great. You know, it's such a good workout. It's fun. The water is amazing."

Reconnecting to the land

The MELT programis focused on creating environmental leaders and will be working with Mtis youth from kindergarten to Grade 12.

Program directorAmber Chambers said that it's important to get Mtis youth reconnected to the land.

"We need to focus more on going back to those traditional land management techniques, and learning the traditional knowledge that is passed down from elders to new generations," said Chambers.

For the canoeing excursion, MELT partnered with Indigenous-led non-profit organization Waterways, which runs paddling programs for Indigenous youth.

"Canoeing is uniquely Indigenous and it's our own and it's something that we share amongst a lot of peoples," said Waterways co-founderJames Lavalle, who is Mtis.

"It's a great vehicle to be connected to culture, to language, to harvesting. And there's so many different ways that you could do that. But that really all connects us back to our identity."

Lavalle, who won three kayak medals for Team Manitoba at the 2017 Canada Summer Games, said it wasa "dream come true" to paddle with Mtis youth on the Red River.