Aki Kikinomakaywin

We would like to say CHI MIIGWETCH to all of our staff and partners who supported Aki Kikinomakaywin this year! It was a massive success thanks to each and every one of you.

A big, big thank to our incredible funders and partners:
Lakehead University
Confederation College
Algoma University
NORDIK Institute
Laidlaw Foundation
Up North CBC
CBC Thunder Bay
The Walleye - Thunder Bay's Arts & Culture Magazine
Anishinabek Nation
Canadian Geographic
School of Indigenous Learning
Let's Talk Science
Water First Education and Training Inc.
Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council
Niijii Indigenous Mentorship
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
Sara Kae

On our second last night of camp, we were joined again by Knowledge Keeper Shelby Gagnon () to learn about woodland-style art.

Shelby taught about the connections between traditional food harvesting around Anishinaabewi gitchi-gami (Lake Superior) and the thirteen moons. The timing of each giizis (moon) corresponds to important events in the cycle of life and nature, and these connections are what inspired the artwork the youth created.

Chi miigwetch, Shelby, for sharing this experience with us.

After spending some time with Water First Education and Training Inc. conducting a stream assessment, the youth learned how to look at benthic macroinvertebrates to determine the health of water!🐛🦟

are tiny bugs without a backbone that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and they live on the bottom of streams, lakes, and rivers.

We started the lesson in a biology lab at Lakehead University, then headed to the river with dip nets and waders to collect our samples. Back at the lab later, we used microscopes and ID guides to identify the macroinvertebrates that live in the river. What a fun day!

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For 2 days, Dillon and Caleb from Water First Education and Training Inc. joined us to teach the youth all about (water)!💧

On the first day of working with Water First, they led the group through several fun, hands-on activities that explored the importance of , water treatment, and water distribution.

The next day, we all headed down the river on the Lakehead University campus, where we learned how to conduct a assessment. We rooted our day in biocultural teachings — learning how to couple ways of knowing with Western analysis.

Using a bunch of fun tools, we also learned how to take water samples and how to test the water for a bunch of different water quality parameters!

Chi miigwetch, Water First, for leading us through a few days of fun, outdoor, experiential learning. 💙

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This year, we were joined by folks from Canadian Geographic () for the duration of camp! 👏🏼

We were so lucky to learn more about a new project of theirs, in partnership with Swim Drink Fish () titled Biinaagami. It’s a multi-year, collaborative project centred around a shared responsibility we all have to protect the lands and waters within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence .

Canadian Geographic debuted their giant floor map, showing how we are all connected by water and highlighting the many communities around these water bodies. The team led youth through an activity on the map that incorporated language and connections youth have to different watersheds and water bodies.

Chi miigwetch, Canadian Geographic and Swim Drink Fish, for sharing this beautiful experience with us! 💙🥹

Gathering around the fire pit at Lake Tamblyn, artist Betty Carpick () led the youth for a two-part land-based art activity! 🔥🖌️

We started by shaving down and cutting red willow and charring it in a fire to create . After that, we foraged for materials in nature to create their own unique !

Later in the week, during the second part of Betty’s activity, the youth used their newly-made red willow charcoal and foraged paintbrushes to create beautiful artworks inspired by a musical piece by an musician, Barbara Croall from Odawa First Nation.

Chi miigwetch, Betty, for leading us through this incredible multi-day, art activity!

Elder Sheila DeCorte led a sharing circle where she shared knowledge and teachings about different medicines that were foraged on the traditional lands of Fort William First Nation. Later in the week, youth created medicine pouches and were encouraged to add different medicines to it.

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Who’s ready for a recap of Aki Kikinomakaywin 2023? 👋🏼

On the first day of camp, Knowledge Keeper Shelby Gagnon () joined camp to teach the youth how to tan fish skins to create fish skin leather. Shelby taught the youth how to tan ogaa (Walleye) skins with tea solutions, a form of Indigenous science and art.

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What else are we getting up to this year at Aki Kikinomakaywin? To help us explore the different ways of assessing the health of water, Dillon from Water First Education and Training Inc. will be guiding us through an interactive lesson from a Western science perspective, with Elders rooting the day in water teachings for a Traditional perspective.

We’ll be learning to honour water with teachings and songs with Elders, and about protecting our watersheds and the importance of biodiversity and healthy aquatic habitats. Only a few weeks away!

Hey, guess what — applications to take part in this years program are still open until June 15th! Only a few more days left to apply — fill out a short application here: https://akikikinomakaywin.com/apply

Here’s another sneak peek into the plan for the week: Mentor and Community Partner will be leading an incredibly cool skin tanning workshop! 🐟☀️

Keep an eye on our feed as we share more of this years itinerary. 👀

Up North CBC Host Jonathan Pinto spoke with elder Advisor Shelia DeCorte and Project Lead Lydia Johnson about what is planned for Aki Kikinomakaywin this year! 👏🏼☺️

Listen to their chat here:

Indigenous youth from across northern Ontario will have the chance to travel to Thunder Bay this summer for a land and water based camp It’s called Aki Kikinomakaywin. That translates to Learning on the Land. The Thunder Bay summer camp is back this year for its second annual gathering. Up North Host Jonathan Pinto spoke with elder Advisor Shelia DeCorte and Project Lead Lydia Johnson about what is planned for this year.