A group of six students, including three current Trent University students and a recent Trent graduate from Germany, are currently having an experience of a lifetime as part of a unique field study course led by Dr. Allice Legat, Trent’s Roberta Bondar Fellow, travelling across northern Alberta and into the Northwest Territories by land, water and air visiting various Dene communities.

Dr. Legat, an expert in the North and a resident of Yellowknife, has created the unique Canadian Studies 4850Y course as part of her fellowship at Trent. The four-week course allows the students to observe and learn in communities that would be otherwise difficult for them to access. Tailored to the individual students’ interests, the goal of the course is to allow students to learn and experience the life, land, politics, and relationships important to the people of the Northwest Territories. 

"I am delighted that these students are able to experience this fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the North and its peoples,” said Dr. Dimitry Anastakis, chair of Canadian Studies at Trent. “This is a unique course that Canadian Studies is pleased to make available to Trent students, and we know that they will gain an incredible life experience by taking part in this course."

After weeks of preparation, the group left on June 18 and will return on July 17. Activities undertaken to date have ranged from preparing moose hides and cooking bannock to working with elders as a way of learning about northern experiences on the land.

During the course, students will also attend community events such as the annual Treaty Days, and travel to the Dehcho Assembly in Fort Providence. In the fly-in community of Gameti, they will visit the community nursing station and experience the difficulties and advantages of life in remote Aboriginal communities. Before returning home, students will meet in Yellowknife with various government and aboriginal leaders, as well as community planners. 

“For these students, they will leave the North with an understanding of the relationship between the land and the people in the Canadian North and its importance to the future of Canada,” Dr. Anastakis added. “The Department of Canadian Studies is extremely grateful to the communities and individuals that have opened themselves to this experience with their guidance and teachings – without them, this course would not have been possible.”

A blog of photographs of the trip as it progresses can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508131839239835/

The Roberta Bondar Fellowship, supported by the Frost Centre of Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, contributes to Trent’s strength in Canadian, environmental and northern studies.

In 2013 / 2014, Canadian Studies at Trent celebrates its 40th anniversary of excellence in teaching and research at Trent, and will be hosting a number of special events throughout the year, including a Speaker’s Series on “Cultural Production in Canada.” For more information, please contact canadianstudies@trentu.ca 

Posted on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.