SA国际影视传媒淚t's really just extraordinary,SA国际影视传媒� said Rochelle Yendo in Fort Simpson on Thursday. SA国际影视传媒淚 can't explain the feeling I have right now.SA国际影视传媒�

Yendo, a 19-year-old woman from Wrigley, had just stepped out of a 40-foot moosehide boat that she and a team of others had taken 400 km from Virginia Falls, past sacred sites and hunting grounds, to Nahanni Butte and Fort Simpson.

The Nahanni River of Forgiveness Trip took its 16 participants, men and women from first nations in the Deh Cho as well as the Shotagotine First Nation, close to a month to complete. Yendo says sheSA国际影视传媒檇 drop everything and do it again in a heartbeat.

The paddlers were greeted in Fort Simpson by a huge, welcoming crowd, and by drum dancers, and with a gunshot salute.

SA国际影视传媒淭he drums have our heart beating and there's people all around,SA国际影视传媒� said Yendo, her voice slightly trembling SA国际影视传媒� she felt elated and said her compatriots did as well.

SA国际影视传媒淚've learned so many things about moosehide, sewing the moosehide, about the different groups coming together to complete this and here we are in Fort Simpson.SA国际影视传媒�

The Nahanni River of Forgiveness Trip marks the first time in 100 years that a moosehide boat has been paddled down the Nahanni River, according to the trip organizers, citing Dehcho elders. The trip was filmed by 90th Parallel Productions, and the documentary will eventually air on CBC Docs.

She said the trip was not easy, but the groupSA国际影视传媒檚 positivity was behind its perseverance.

SA国际影视传媒淲henever one of us would feel down, we would go to one another and cheer them up and put some positivity into the day to keep on going.SA国际影视传媒�

Lory-Ann Bertrand, from Nahanni Butte, says the moosehide boat didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have drag like youSA国际影视传媒檇 find with modern fibreglass canoes.

SA国际影视传媒淥nce the boat hit the river, it would take off like really fast SA国际影视传媒� when it takes off, it really takes off,SA国际影视传媒� said Bertrand.

She says it was hard to get used to having a camera crew around at the beginning, and being on camera, but she got used to it by the end.

Both Bertrand and Yendo said they made friendships with their companions that will last forever.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are some things out there that happen for certain people SA国际影视传媒� something in the sky, something in the weather SA国际影视传媒� that people would take as a little sign of why we were here.SA国际影视传媒�

Bertrand, who also says sheSA国际影视传媒檇 love to have the opportunity to do a trip like this again, said a lot of people she talked with before going couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 imagine doing such a thing SA国际影视传媒� but for her, it was going back to her roots.

SA国际影视传媒淚 just think of it as how our people lived for so many years before colonization. We used to live and breathe out there. So, it's not really anything different.SA国际影视传媒�