Indigenous youth from across northwestern Ontario have spent the week on Fort William First Nation, donning camouflage face paint, scrambling through obstacle courses, and making new friends as part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Eagles Nest Indigenous Youth Camp.
The camp, which travels to a different First Nations community in Canada each year, is open to young people aged 11-15.
It teaches participants skills such as leadership, team building, navigation, field craft, camouflage and concealment. It also offers physical fitness and basic weapons training.
“I really like this program,” said Josh Russon, who recently moved to Thunder Bay from Manitouwadge. “I get to meet new people.”
Asked how he felt about being ordered out of bed at 6:00 a.m. during the summer holidays, he replied, “I’m fine with that.”
Trevor Morris told CBC he thought the camp was fun.
“We get to learn about the military and what they do each day,” he said, adding that his favourite part was the gun training.
Ken Ogima came to Thunder Bay to work for Fort William First Nation. (Ken Ogima)
Fort William First Nation chief executive officer Ken Ogima, once a soldier himself, was instrumental in bringing the camp to his community.
He wanted to give Indigenous youth in the region the same opportunities for personal growth that he had, he said.
“The idea of deportment, discipline, community awareness, community engagement … those are all pillars or [components] to being a soldier,” he said. “If we want our children to be more productive. If we want our children to be more engaged in our community, we’ve got to give them the tools to do so. This is simply a tool.”
Though the Eagles Nest program typically moves to a different First Nation each year, Ogima said he’d like to make it an on-going fixture at Fort William First Nation.
“I think it’ll happen,” he said.