Today, the NWT On The Land Collaborative releases its second annual report. The 2017 Report shares highlights from the past year, including new partners, the first annual learning trip, and the creation of a community of practice for land-based programs with a mental health focus.
The NWT On The Land Collaborative was founded in fall 2015 to support programs that connect NWT residents with their land, culture, and community. Since that time, the Collaborative has provided 70 projects across the territory with over a million dollars in funds. Grant recipients also have access to equipment, training, expertise, and other resources.
The 2017 Report features seven successful land-based projects, one from each region, that received grants in 2016. These include the Reviving Trails project organized by the Dedats’eetsaa (Tłįchǫ Research and Training Institute); the Feeding Our Spirits project, an initiative of Trailcross; and East Three Secondary School’s Wood for Elders program.
The report also details the allocation of funds for 2017. This year, grants range from $3,000 to support a canoe trip for grade nine students in Fort Smith to $60,000 for healing and wellness camps for youth in Rádeyįlįkóé (Fort Good Hope). Other funded projects include Trails on the Land, a 10-day trip beginning in Tuktoyaktuk that will take youth and elders through the traditional hunting territory of their ancestors; a land-based youth mentorship project coordinated by the Deh Gah Gotine First Nation; a boating program for Tłįchǫ youth that teaches traditional knowledge and skills; and a hide tanning camp in Łutsel K’e.
Quick Facts
- The NWT On The Land Collaborative was founded in 2015.
- The Collaborative is a collective of diverse organizations that supports land-based programs through funds, resources, and expertise. Current funding partners include the Government of the Northwest Territories; Tides Canada; Dominion Diamond Corporation; NWT Recreation and Parks Association; TNC Canada; Indigenous Leadership Initiative; The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation; Diavik Diamond Mine; Health Canada; and The Gordon Foundation. Participating Indigenous governments include Inuvialuit Regional Corporation; Gwich’in Tribal Council; Tłįchǫ Government; Dehcho First Nations; NWT Métis Nation; and Akaitcho Territory Government.
- The Collaborative supports projects that: get people out on the land; connect community members to their land, culture, and traditions; build or strengthen partnerships; enhance community capacity; and promote sustainability.
Contact
Steve Ellis
Program Lead, Northern Canada
Tides Canada
Email: steve.ellis@makeway.org
Phone: 867.988.1963
Jess Dunkin
Director, On the Land Programs
NWT Recreation and Parks Association
Email: jdunkin@nwtrpa.org
Phone: 867.669.8376
