Although overnight camps are prohibited by the provincial COVID-19 restrictions, Camp Chikepak organizers have found a way to bring camp home to Indigenous youth.
“We didn’t want COVID to stop us from being able to offer this experience because this is an amazing learning opportunity,” said Mushkegowuk Council’s information services director Barb Duffin. “It’s something we felt even though the province said they couldn’t do it, we still needed to go forward.”
Instead of the usual two weeks at Camp Bickell, the fourth annual Camp Chikepak will be held via Zoom over a one week-period from Aug. 17 to Aug 21.
The programming, which used to be provided all day long, will be “condensed” and offered from about 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Duffin said.
“It’s the first time everybody’s having to do things online whether it’s work, shop or be at camp. So this is a whole new experience and we won’t know if it works until we try it," she said.
In the past, there were 85 kids camping each week, with 170 campers in total.
This year, there are 60 campers, aged nine to 14, from eight First Nation communities including Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Fort Albany, Moose Cree, Taykwa Tagamou, Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree and Peawanuck who have signed up.
“We have a mixture, it’s about 50/50 between kids learning traditional learning and western science and how those two things fit together,” Duffin said. “We have Grandfather teachings, they’re learning hand drums, Cree language, legends, traditional medicines.”
As for western science, camp organizers teamed up with the Canadian Polar Bear Habitat and Science Timmins as well as with Laurentian University which will be doing some climate workshops, and with a Timmins Const. Bill Field who will be providing a decision-making workshop from the D.A.R.E. program.
Youngsters will also learn how to cook bannock.
“We’ve got Zoom activities. We’ve also got some outside activities,” Duffin said. “One of the things is a scavenger hunt where they have to go and find things and then bring it back and show it to the group. There are other workshops where they won’t be in front of their computers all the time.”
Duffin said each camper will also receive a package based on what the kid signed up for.
“We’re super excited and we’re busy putting things together as we speak," she said.