Heather Latter
A group of adults and youths took part in the third-annual “Walk for Good Life” last week, travelling full circle from Eagle Lake First Nation across the Treaty #3 territory as a means to bring to life the dreams and potential of young Anishinaabeg.
“It was really amazing,” enthused Teresa Hazel, CEO of the Good Life for Young People Foundation (Oshki Aa-yaa’aag Mino Bimaadiziiwin), which spearheaded the event.
Focused this year on “Empowering Youth by Celebrating their Gifts,” the 17 core walkers began their 500-km journey on Aug. 1, using the Black Dog method in which participants walk one-mile distances throughout the day.
They returned to Eagle Lake First Nation this past Sunday after a week-long adventure, which became a cultural experience—a journey of self-discovery and accomplishment.
“The youth really supported each other in their journey,” Hazel remarked. “Whether it was cheering them for completing their mile or supporting them when they were having some feelings and sharing their own stories.
“It was really cool to see how the youth supported each other,” she added.
“It’s about accomplishment, healing, sharing, and coming together to support each other—and that all happened.”
Youth co-ordinator Larissa Desrosiers agreed there was an outpouring of support among the walkers.
“If someone cried, there was always a hand on a shoulder or someone holding their hand,” she recalled. “Everyone was very encouraging.”
Desrosiers called the whole experience “indescribable.”
“I’m just speechless because there was just so much that happened,” she said. “It was the highlight of my year so far.”
Desrosiers said the event was a chance to “walk your talk.”
“People say they want to make a difference and live a positive life, but you don’t really see that until people bring that out and I feel the walk was a chance for us to do just that,” she reasoned.
The walkers stopped at many communities for meals and to camp, with Hazel saying all of them were very welcoming.
“And the speakers at the different stops were all very empowering for the youth,” she added.
“The youth were engaged. They listened, they interacted.”
At Eagle Lake First Nation on Sunday at the end of their journey, Arnold Gardner, former chief and elder of the community, offered some words Hazel found fitting for the participants.
“That even though this walk is over, the walk is ongoing,” she recalled. “It never ends. The walk continues in their lives and to keep it with them.
“I think everyone felt this way that it would stay with them.”
In fact, Desrosiers calls the other walkers her second family.
“I’m lonesome for them already,” she admitted yesterday, just two days after the walk ended.
But she felt this year’s theme of “Empowering Youth by Celebrating their Gifts” was quite suitable, particularly for her.
“I’m a performer. I sing and play the guitar. I love the stage,” Desrosiers noted. “Without the Good Life for Young People Foundation, I don’t know how I would have gotten started.
“They are really the ones who encouraged me to get up there and do my thing.”
She added there were other performers on the walk and they were able to share their gift with one another.
Due to the success of this year’s walk, Hazel assured the “Walk for Good Life” will be held again next year.
“The kids are already asking what the date is for next year’s walk,” she noted, citing this is the third year for the event and generally in Anishinaabeg culture, things are done in fours.
“So there will, for sure, be a fourth. Then we will re-evaluate things,” Hazel said.
“I think the more youth that come out, the more youth we can touch and be a part of this, the better.”
In previous years, a benefit concert had been held to support the Good Life for Young People Foundation.
“The concert went for four years [2006-09] so we’re looking at some other ideas, such as a youth summit,” Hazel noted.
“[A concert] might tie into that as part of it, but that’s something that’s in the planning stages for 2012.”
However, Hazel did note the foundation would like to keep the youth participants together as a group meeting a couple of times throughout the year.
“We’d like to engage this same group to help us with solutions to some of the issues within the aboriginal communities right now and getting their input,” she explained.
“These are kids from all different communities that didn’t know each other, so it was really powerful to see them get to know one another and learn from each other.”
The Good Life For Young People is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to bring to life the dreams and aspirations of aboriginal youth through confidence-building and culturally-affirming activities.
