Arctic Journal
Experiencing the power of the land
“I have now been at Teenjur Van for approximately two weeks! This week has been a journey. I am drained, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I have come to realize what the word Gwich’in truly means to me. Being out here on the land, separated from the constant incoming emails, phone calls, and so forth, has allowed me to experience the certain power and medicine that the land has.”
That was just a small excerpt from a short blog post I wrote about two years ago. During that time, I would have never come to anticipate that I would be sitting on the Steering Committee for the Western Arctic Youth Collective (WAYC). But it was during that time that the goal or the idea was presented to form a collective of youth who were interested in providing opportunities and programming in the Western Arctic, which is focused on that awkward age group that more often than not is left out.