First Nation Tourism Training Program > Detailed Itinerary
Program Description
GOALS: to increase students’ potential for employment in the wilderness tourism industry and to build land-based program capacity in your community, so that in future years successful students will become a valuable asset to land-based education programs or tourism development in their community.
Overview: (This program has three parts)
Part A: 3-day Wilderness First Aid
Wilderness First Aid is an excellent introduction to wilderness emergency care. The program’s goal is to equip participants with the basic knowledge and skills to adapt first-aid techniques to the demands of wilderness locations. This course’s primary goal is to equip students to identify potential life-threatening emergencies and their severity within a wilderness context. This course is ideal for those who want a brief but intense introduction to wilderness first-aid and are primarily doing personal trips and outings in remote areas. CPR is included and recognized for workplace safety standards.
Part B: 3-day Preparation for expedition. In this part of the program students will actively participate in the preparation for an extended 16-day wilderness trip in the same way that professional wilderness guides do to prepare for a commercial tourism trip.
Part C: In this part of the tourism training camp participants will complete a 16-day Wilderness Tourism development expedition held completely on the land. During this river and mountain expedition students will learn skills in canoeing, risk management, maintaining a safe camp, outdoor cooking, and hiking in the mountains. This camp will take place entirely in the wilderness, and will include a canoe trip on the Big Salmon River and a hiking trip in the Pelly Mountains. Each student will receive feedback half-way through the course, along with an evaluation at the end of the course.
Selection Criteria:
We suggest that students for this program should be chosen from your community based on the following criteria:
• Are interested in activities out on the land
• Are seen as having good leadership/hospitality potential by the Elders of your community who are the most connected to the land. We highly encourage you to include the opinion of Elders in your selection process
• Have the time to participate in the program and can give a strong commitment to set aside the time to participate
• Are currently living a substance-abuse free lifestyle and are in a good place in their lives where they are able to give back to the youth of their community
The Route:
We will be paddling the Big Salmon River, that flows north from Quiet Lake and flows through the traditional territories of both the Teslin Tlingit and the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nations. We will travel on foot for a 6-day hiking trip, leaving behind our canoes in the forest and hiking into the Salmon Mountains along the river. Then we will return to our canoes, finish our canoeing trip on the Big Salmon River complete our trip in Carmacks after joining the Yukon River.
Curriculum Covered on Expedition:
Canoeing Content: Basic River Canoeing Skills Including:
• steering stroke,
• power strokes,
• ferrying,
• eddying-out of the current,
• eddying into the current,
• basic river rescue techniques including how to use a throw-bag, how to recognize river hazards, how to avoid them, or how to manage them
Hiking Content: Basic Mountain Camping Techniques Including:
• Proper packing of your backpack
• Nutrition and cooking in the backcountry
• Navigation by map and compass
• How to travel safely in varying mountain terrain
• Care of your feet to prevent blisters
• How to use your layering system to stay warm and comfortable in the mountains
Leadership Content:
• Principles of good outdoor leadership
• Behaviour Management with challenging youth or clients
• Leave No Trace backcountry camping skills
• Group Debriefing skills
• Skills for getting along with people in the wilderness
• Conflict Resolution
• Games to entertain and educate children while camping
Evaluation Methods : Student will be given a formal written evaluation at the end of the course in the following skills, and a progress report half-way through the course.
• Understanding of Leadership Concepts and Applying them in practice
• Safe Judgment and Decision Making Skills
• Ability to Get Along with others while Camping
• Canoeing Skills
• Navigation Skills by Map and Compass
• Mountain Travel Skills
• Hospitality skills
Outcomes for Successful Students:
• Students will gain significant skill development in wilderness canoeing and hiking
• Students will gain a much clearer understanding of the skills needed to be an effective leader or tour guide in the wilderness
• Students will gain significant skill in recognizing potential hazards in the wilderness and developing strategies to manage risk
• Students will gain significant navigation skills by map and compass
• Students will have more capacity to help with leadership programs involving youth in your community
• Students will increase their potential for employment in wilderness tourism
• Gain the benefit of physical activity and being out on the land
• And have lot’s of fun too!
Program Includes:
• Facilitation of professional wilderness educators supplied by Cabin Fever Adventures for a 16-day wilderness canoeing and hiking expedition.
• Canoe Rental, life jackets, paddles etc.
• Tents, and sleeping pads ( sleeping bag not included but can be rented for $45 for the entire trip )
• backpack rentals
• All group safety cooking gear
• Safety equipment, first aid, satellite phone on course
• Transportation of Students from Whitehorse to Quiet Lake, and from Carmacks to Whitehorse at the end of the canoe trip
• Expert leadership instruction
• 2 million dollars of liability insurance coverage from Cabin Fever Adventures
• Certifications: - Moving Water Canoe Skills Intermediate Tandem ( Paddle Canada)
- Leave No Trace Trainer ( Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics )
- Wilderness First Aid ( Wilderness Medical Associates of Canada )
Please Note: Certifications are not guaranteed. Students must demonstrate competency to acquire the certifications, but there is a high likely-hood of success, based on the amount of training opportunity associated with the program.
About Cabin Fever Adventures:
Dustin Davis ( owner) is:
• A certified teacher with a degree in Education from Queens University in Ontario in the Outdoor Experiential Education Program
• Has more than 13 years of commercial wilderness guiding and instructing experience in canoeing, sea kayaking, hiking, and dog mushing
• Is the co-owner of Cabin Fever Adventures, a multi-activity wilderness guiding/training company based in Whitehorse
Brook Davis ( owner) :
• Is a community nurse with extensive work experience in Yukon communities, including 3-years in Old Crow.
• Is a certified instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates of Canada
• Is the co-owner of Cabin Fever Adventures, a multi-activity wilderness guiding/training company based in Whitehorse
Dustin’s Background Working with First Nation Youth
• Hired by the Mystery Lake School District in Thompson Manitoba, to deliver a 6-week long land-based education program for a local community school in 2003. This program was overseen by the Cree Cultural Co-ordinator for the School.
• Was Hired in 2003 to be the Summer Camp Director for the Cross Lake First Nation in Northern Manitoba
• Worked in Old Crow for three years as the manager of the Old Crow Health and Fitness Pilot Project and physical education teacher at Chief Zzeh Gittlit School.
• Developed and Delivered a 5-day leadership program for young adults of Kwanlin Dun First Nation in Fall 2008
• Delivered a two-week long Youth Camp during March Break 2009 for Kwanlin Dun First Nation (ages 8-12)
• Ran leadership Training for Kwanlin Dun First Nation Camp Staff in summer 2009
About George Bahm: ( head Instructor )
George grew up in the community of Teslin Yukon and is of Tlingit and European ancestry. A lifetime in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and trapping led to a guiding career in 1995. Shortly thereafter George started a fly fishing company and is still active teaching and guiding fly fishing. A passion for guiding and wilderness travel has taken him to many local adventures in Northern B.C., Yukon, and NW.T. as well as international destinations such as Nepal, Chile, and Belize. George began sharing his experience and knowledge with youth at Equinox Adventure Learning and continues to work with other organizations to educate youth in the outdoors.
George stays connected to his First Nations roots by teaching, guiding, hunting, fishing, and maintaining the family trapline on his traditional territory. George is certified in Fly casting instruction, Swift water rescue, Wilderness first aid, Avalanche awareness and is pursuing white water canoe Instructor level 1 certification as well as will be receiving Rediscovery leadership and outdoor education training for the 2010 season.
