Week 2: Camp Starts

This past week was our first week of camp in Webequie. Lauren was sick, so Orion, Kenny and I were the only ones running camp. Since Kenny sometimes had to leave to take care of things with his hockey team (they are at a tournament this weekend – good luck to them!), Orion and I were left running camp for 20-30 campers. It was a hectic week, but was a lot of fun – especially Friday, when we did cookie baking and decorating with the kids! One camper (she goes by “Girl” – her choice, I swear!) put icing all over her face, and others mounded icing on their cookies until their was more colourful icing than cookie! By the end of the week I was exhausted, so as Lauren recovered, I got sick. The past 2 days I’ve spent mostly in bed sleeping and popping aspirin. Fingers crossed that I’m better for camp tomorrow!

After camp has still been a lot of fun, although not as intense as our first week. One of the local guys, Howard, has been hanging out with us most nights. It’s really cool, because he’s been able to give us a better sense of the community and also has shown us some drumming, sang a few songs, and showed us his regalia (the dancing outfit he wears at pow-wows). He was also kind enough to take us out boating to find our digital camera, which we lost on that treacherous boating trip I mentioned in my last blog. Thankfully, we found it right away, and although it was underwater, it dried out after a few days, and is now working again!

I’ve been going outside the Northern Store to use the internet there, since ours is still down. One night last week I was invited inside by three men who were staying at the connected hotel (no, not in a sketchy way – the door is usually locked and they were having dinner so invited me to join them). Lauren ended up joining me, and we talked to them a lot about the business they were doing in Webequie. They also had wine, which is apparently allowed if you’re staying in the cabins as a guest, so we got to have a glass, which was greatly appreciated after weeks in dry communities. The trio was in town for a signing ceremony; a mine is being set up nearby that the people of Webequie will own 20% of, and will be able to be employed at. After 5 years they will have the right to buy out the company and completely possess the mine. This seems to be a positive step, and is one of the first deals of it’s kind to take place. There is currently a lot of conflict involving Aboriginal people and mining being done on their traditional lands, so could turn out to be a good thing. I guess we’ll see how it goes.

That’s all for now – I’ll be back with more when this week’s Halloweek at camp is all through!

-V