Exchange to Fort Albany First Nation

 In March 2013, 14 students and 3 teachers from PETES were welcomed in Fort Albany First Nation. The youth exchange, funded by the YMCA, gives students an opportunity to connect and learn about how other students in Canada live.

In the months before the trip, the teachers and students planned, organised, raised funds, and volunteered in their community. Finally, the big day came! Three planes later and they found themselves in Fort Albany First Nation, in treaty 9 territory.

Here is an excerpt from a students journal (shared with permission):

“We have been treated so well. Everyone here is friendly and kind to us. There are many amazing people in Fort Albany. So far, we have volunteered at their school, Peetabeck Academy. We read to the little ones. We have also learned how to make snares. We spent a whole day in the bush, building fires and making tracks in the DEEP snow. Today we made bannock and went to a sweat lodge!”

In May, we welcomed our friends from Peetabeck Academy to Gatineau, QC. It was an amazing experience to share our world with them. Learning about each other is key to understanding.

That summer, Ms. Howell, Chase, and Johnathan spoke at the President’s Forum of the Canadian Teachers Federation. They spoke about their experiences being making friends with Indigenous youth, and learning from them, in their community. Both Johnathan and Chase have called their experiences in Fort Albany life changing.