Contact
Community Advisors and the Collaborative Administrator are available to answer any questions, talk about your project ideas, and help you with the application.
Connect with a Community Advisor
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Tony Rabesca - Tłı̨chǫ Region PH: (867) 392-6005 Cell: (867) 447-0723 Fax: (867) 392-6404 Email: tony.rabesca@tlicho.ca “Being on the land is important to connect with our inner self based on our traditional four dimensions of life. It connects with our spirit of well-being and at the same time revives our language, culture, and way of life.” |
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"I spent my upbringing on the land with my family. I spent summers at Kendall Island, where families hunted and harvested beluga whales, and in the Fall, we would go to my parents' delta camp to fish. Being on the land reminds us of who we are and where we come from. It keeps us connected to culture and traditions, which are so important in the changing world where access to the land is not as easy." |
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Esther Ross-Kendi - Gwich'in Region
PH: (867) 777-7930 Fax: (867) 777-7919 Email: esther.rosskendi@gwichintribal.ca "I remember each year when school was done in June, my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would head 40 miles up the Peel River to Road River, YT where we would spend the whole summer. Those were the best memories: picking berries, making dry fish, checking nets, boat rides, hauling water, packing wood, re-setting brush in the tents, doing laundry on a washboard, and waiting on the shores to meet canoeists paddling down the Peel. We all enjoyed bush life all summer. Unfortunately, now, that is not a common occurrence like it used to be, but I still make it out to camp when I can as I just love being out there." |
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"We need to work together to provide solutions to promote healthy choices and wellness in our communities. The Collaborative is important because it is a way to support on the land programming for the well being of all peoples of the North. It is also a way to educate Northerners on the values we hold for our environment. The Collaborative supports the transmission of knowledge from Elders to our youth about our land, waters, history, and culture to ensure they are prepared for their roles as future stewards." |
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"The ability to bring people closer to the land provides opportunities to access and gain knowledge in culture and heritage and promotes natural healing and wellness. The Collaborative is a unique and amazing project that supports all ages and cultures across the territory in getting on the land and builds capacity for future programs and generations." |
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"For thousands of years our people have lived with the Land, water and animals of what they considered their home. Everything they needed was provided in an exchange that they understood was from the Creator, and that they in turn respected what they had. In the 1920's with the discovery of oil in what is now Norman Wells, the separation of the people from the Land began. This continued when uranium was found at Great Bear Lake, the creation of government administrative settlements, and the residential school system. These actions broke people from the Land, and it is important to correct these actions and to reconnect people back to the Land. Help is needed, and the NWT On the Land Collaborative is one of the many hands that will get the job done." |
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Kristen Tanche - Dehcho Region
PH: (867) 695-2355 (DFN Office) or (867) 445-7284 (Cell) Email: kristen_tanche@dehcho.org "I am an Alumni of the Dechinta program and have been spending the past few years working with Dehcho regional on the land programming. I have seen the positive impacts of land-based programs on participants and on myself. I believe that the Collaborative is an important initiative that provides more opportunities for land-based programming in the NWT, which in turn brings people closer to the land, their culture, and their people." |
Collaborative Administrator
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