Indigenous Youth Leadership

Ghost River Rediscovery is offering an Indigenous based youth leadership program. The program will be run in the Ghost River Wilderness Area, Canada and in one of our three host countries. Participants will live and work with youth from another country both sharing backgrounds in Aboriginal culture.

Selection
We are looking for a team of young adults, aged 18-28 years, who are keen to make positive contributions to their communities and others. Participants will be selected for their maturity, commitment, adaptability, willingness to learn, communication, group skills, initiative and knowledge of Indigenous issues. Selected youth will have a good knowledge of the area where they are from so they can teach others about issues and cultures in Canada. Successful candidates must demonstrate their commitment to remaining drug and alcohol free.

The Program
Participants will have opportunities to increase their confidence and abilities through program activities based on Indigenous traditions and philosophies and experiential education. The Canadian portion of the training as well as the international portion will assist participants to make change for themselves, their families and their communities. We aim to develop inspirational role models who are able to positively influence other youth and children.
The program will be delivered from the perspective of the medicine wheel. Activities are chosen based on their capacity to challenge participants physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Three main program components will be followed throughout: development; cultural revival and rediscovery, and community leadership. Activities will focus on team building, leadership styles and practice, group dynamics, conflict resolution, cross cultural understanding, organizational and wilderness skills. There will also be intensive study on Indigenous issues in Canada, the host country and international affairs there will also be the involvement of Elders throughout.

In Canada, the youth team will have the chance to develop skills that will enable them to work safely with young people in wilderness environments while offering compassion and support to youth who are searching to understand themselves and their cultural backgrounds, and where they fit it in the world. In the host country, the youth team will assist other Indigenous youth in the running of a youth empowerment program aimed to increase the self-esteem of Indigenous children and youth. They will deliver Rediscovery activities and help with local community projects. The Coordinators of this project have chosen activities that will assist young Indigenous to learn and be proud of their identity and culture and enable them to grow into strong, confident people. Elders, representing the local communities, will be involved, sharing culture, skills and knowledge of land resources.

Personal Development
Activities range with each program but may include:

• Wilderness first aid training
• Canoeing
• Hiking and backpacking
• Activities based on the medicine wheel framework
• Self awareness and personal development

Cultural Revival and Rediscovery
• Participation in traditional cultural activities
• Traditional craft and tool making – drums; warashis; hammocks
• Involvement of Elders
• Oral traditions – story, song, drama
• Personal roots history
• Spending time in natural areas
• Travel and living in the jungle; savannah; mountains
• How to fish; how to hunt; how to fetch berries and food from forest
• Food preparation

Community Leadership
• Public speaking and presentations
• Business skills
• Computers/ technology
• Media and communications; publicity
• Working with youth at a local secondary school - after school program
• Facilitation of Rediscovery activities
• Youth program development
• Logistics coordination
• Risk management
• International Indigenous issues

Ghost River Rediscovery is looking for 10 outstanding youth for an international youth leadership program in Guyana. The International Youth Leadership Program offers youth the opportunity to obtain international experience related to youth leadership development. This program, based on aboriginal culture and traditions, exposes its participants to a variety of unique experiences.

The first month will consist of outdoor based skill building in a wilderness setting in Alberta, Canada. The youth will then depart for an exciting ten week international exchange, in which they will work with indigenous youth in rural area of Guyana. The participants will be working directly with our Guyanese partner, at The Bina Hill Institute, and will build upon the eight years of work that Ghost River Rediscovery has achieved in Guyana.

Requirements:
• Open mind and heart
• Desire to travel
• Ability to live and work in a group setting
• 18-28 years of age

Your Contribution:
• Each participant is required to fundraise $3300 plus airfare and travel insurance. (Fee includes transportation, food, accommodations, cultural workshops and outdoor leadership training costs).

To Apply: Please fill out the application form and submit it to Lori DeLuca, Jr. Program Officer, at ylpadmin@ghostriverrediscovery.com or fax to (403) 270-9371