As the climate warms, Michelle LeMouel worries and wonders if she will be able to take her kids out on the land.
SA国际影视传媒淓specially with being Indigenous, weSA国际影视传媒檙e losing our ability to go onto the land and learn these traditional knowledge and skills,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
LeMouel was one of 30 people who attended Ecology NorthSA国际影视传媒檚 2021 Young Climate LeadersSA国际影视传媒� Summit about Northern climate change at the B. Dene Adventures Camp from Aug. 17 to 21.
Participants ages 18 to 30 years old listened to experts talk about the effects of changes in the environment.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an amazing opportunity and itSA国际影视传媒檚 very informational and very eye-opening and just being able to participate in this whole project and go out on the land has been another level,SA国际影视传媒� said LeMouel, 21. SA国际影视传媒淟iving in the North, you witness first hand these effects on your territory. For example, the past five to 10 years, the ice road is taking a little longer every year to open up and itSA国际影视传媒檚 closing a little bit quicker.SA国际影视传媒�
She said she will reassess how she lives her day-to-day life as a result of some of the things she heard during the summit.
SA国际影视传媒淚t filters out the impacts of these little things you do on a daily basis. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 just eye-opening, so youSA国际影视传媒檙e kind of more aware of what youSA国际影视传媒檙e doing, how youSA国际影视传媒檙e doing it but also these big kind of issues that you hear about,SA国际影视传媒� LeMouel said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey really connect big events that could eventually happen and how it can trickle down to individuals and the effect on their daily life.SA国际影视传媒�
Bridget Larocque, a policy adviser and researcher at the Arctic Athabaskan Council and one of the experts on hand, has been involved in the Young Climate LeadersSA国际影视传媒� Summit since the event began in 2009. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 held every second year.
Larocque spoke to the youths about leadership and government and led them through mock Arctic council activities. The participants in the mock council raised issues that impact the climate and discussed what actions would need to be taken to address them.
Reegan Jungkind, 19, said sheSA国际影视传媒檚 really passionate about climate change and the SA国际影视传媒渨ell-being of the Northern communities.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be very helpful in future organizations that we participate in and work together SA国际影视传媒� making connections across the North SA国际影视传媒� and itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to make our territories and our work stronger,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Among the summitSA国际影视传媒檚 objectives were to provide opportunities for youths to develop their professional networking with other young Northerners; give them opportunities to connect with the experts and organizations from southern Canada; and to build a network of young Northern leaders that can effectively advocate for climate mitigation and adaptation solutions for their communities.
Richelle Castillo, project officer and events planner at Ecology North, emphasized the safety protocols in place in light of COVID-19.
SA国际影视传媒淓cology North was cautiously optimistic organizing this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 Young LeadersSA国际影视传媒� Summit on Northern Climate Change,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e planned multiple scenarios. Fortunately, we were able to come together in-person. The safety of our communities, collaborators, Elders, participants and staff is our top priority.SA国际影视传媒�
Everyone involved in this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 summit is fully-vaccinated, and people who came from outside of Yellowknife went through screening and testing for COVID-19, Castillo added.
