The concept for the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation (AWN) Green Team Project was developed in spring 2007, after officials for Weyerhaeuser and Aseniwuche Winewak Nation met to discuss a framework agreement between the two organizations. The agreement identifies areas of mutual concern and interest such as employment and training, Aboriginal wisdom, and community investment. In past ten years, Weyerhaeuser has sponsored numerous community investment projects ranging from summer youth programs to a traditional land use study. AWN was made aware that Weyerhaeuser had developed a new initiative which sponsored community projects under the "Green Team" banner and encouraged AWN to submit a proposal.

Weyerhaeuser Canada's Grande Prairie operations and Aseniwuche Winewak Nation share the use a considerable area of land in the forests and foothills of west central Alberta. The land used by Weyerhaeuser for timber harvest is the same land used traditionally by the people of Aseniwuche Winewak Nation. The land is marked by traditional trails and camping sites, graves and ceremonial grounds as well as numerous hunting, fishing, and gathering sites still used.

In depth consultation is required to take place between AWN and Weyerhaeuser to avoid impact on traditional use sites and to mitigate impact on AWN member's use of the land for traditional purposes. Weyerhaeuser consults with AWN on an annual basis to review harvesting and road development plans. Elders review maps prepared by Weyerhaeuser and the AWN Traditional Land Use Coordinator compares the maps with information stored in the AWN land use database.

Since 1998, AWN has been gathering data for its traditional use study and database. The study is ongoing with more information being gathered each year. Due to the large size of the AWN traditional use area and the many families, past and present, which use this area, data collection is considered a work in progress. Effective consultation is considered a cornerstone to the relationship between AWN and Weyerhaeuser. The concept to utilize youth and modern technology to gather important traditional land use information for AWN and Weyerhaeuser is unique but practical. This project brings together a number of mutual priorities: training tomorrow's work force, identification of significant sites, and preservation of traditional knowledge.

Aseniwuche Winewak Nation (AWN) entered into a contract with Weyerhaeuser in the spring of 2007 to deliver a Youth Green Team Project in the Grande Cache area. Aseniwuche Winewak Nation delivered the project over a ten week period between June and August, 2007 to train youth to conduct traditional use research within the AWN traditional land use area and provide data for the purpose of consultation with Weyerhaeuser.

The project was targeted at youth at risk of not completing a high school education. The opportunity to learn about their culture and history on the land helped the project youth increase their self esteem and self awareness. Youth gained a stronger cultural identity and a sense of belonging. Interaction with community Elders and the opportunity to serve the community in a meaningful way gave the youth more confidence and knowledge in who they are. The project was well received and supported by the community. Elders were especially pleased to work alongside the youth in traditional land use work. Several parents indicated there was positive change in their children's behavior and attitude towards themselves and others.

The project had a strong emphasis on training and exposing the youth to as many opportunities as possible. Youth had the opportunity to learn about many career options ranging from the production line work at the Grande Prairie mill to anthropology to filming.

The AWN/Weyerhaeuser Green Team Project of 2007 commenced June 19, 2007 with a group of four youth ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen years of age. The youth were recruited from the local aboriginal community through a series of job advertisements and a screening process. The first activity was training in the basics of filming and video editing. The video training has been essential to skill base required by the Green Team in fulfilling the agenda set forth by AWN in its proposal for the project. Towagh Behr form the Golder and Associates of Victoria British Columbia conducted the video training over a five day period. The training was strategically scheduled around National Aboriginal Day in order to use the community events of that day as the basis for a mini documentary. The youth used the Aboriginal Day activities to learn the basics of storyboarding, editing, and some techniques used in filming, all of which has proven valuable in the interviews they later conducted.

A priority for the Green Team was ensuring the safety of the youth, especially when they worked in remote locations. Safety training was completed during the first two weeks of the program prior to visiting the field. The Green Team received training in the following:

ATV Safe Riders Course Bear Awareness First Aid and CPR

In addition to safety, the youth received numerous hours of training from highly qualified professionals in their respective areas. The training was chosen to ensure the youth were given a world view of the work they were to undertake. By providing this training, the youth were also exposed to numerous career paths related to the summer's activities. The youth all originated from the local aboriginal community where they would not have had previous exposure or knowledge of these jobs.

Mountain Pine Beetle workshop, Pat Wearmouth, Weyerhaeuser Introduction to the Traditional Land Use Study of AWN, Rachelle McDonald, Special Projects Manager, AWN and Marc Levasseur, Traditional Land Use Coordinator, AWN Training in the use of GPS, Melissa Pattison, GIS Specialist, Foothills Model Forest, Hinton Video recording, interviewing, and editing, Towagh Behr, M.A., Golder and Associates and Kate MacDougall, AWN Basic mapping, Marc Levasseur, AWN Anthropology workshop, Craig Candler, PhD. Candidate, Golder and Associate

The Green Team attended a day of a Traditional Land Use camp hosted by AWN for various industry personnel. The team was given an overview on how a TLU camp serves as a valuable relationship building tool between AWN and the industries it seeks to work with, in the interest of AWN traditional land use areas. The team was granted permission by the personnel at the TLU camp to conduct interviews of the staff and some elders who attended the camp.

The Green Team also attended a tour of the Weyerhaeuser pulp and lumber mill in Grande Prairie. The tour guides gave in depth description and explanations to the team as to how and why the mill operates and what its objectives are. The tour was informative and gave the team members an awareness of how significant the lumber industry is to the economy and an understanding of how the industry affects Alberta forests, including AWN territories. During the same trip the Team went to the Millennium museum in Grande Prairie and learned a different historical aspect of the region.

The main activities of the summer were: 1) visiting sites and recording field notes and GPS locations and 2) interviewing community elders about traditional land use. The youth were fast learners and quickly developed the necessary skills to be a field researcher. Numerous site visits were made including Nose Creek, Sheep Creek, and McDonald Flats. Elders accompanied the youth to the sites and provided oral history and plant identification. Also a three day camping trip in Jasper wrapped up their summer. They visited significant sites in the park with an elder and learned more about some of their origin.

An added benefit to the summer project was the recruitment of an aboriginal university student to provide day to day supervision and direction. The student served as a role model for further education and the benefits of higher learning.

Overall the Green Team Project has been positive learning experience for the youth who were employed with it. Weyerhaeuser's financial contribution made the Green Team Project possible. All the experiences and learning inherent with such a project has greatly enriched the youth. The Green Team has learned much about elders of their community, the knowledge base from which they have to draw, and why this knowledge is important in the preservation of their culture, language, and traditional territories. The youth have heard and seen firsthand, and recorded on video and GPS, important facts about their traditional history in the traditional habitat. The knowledge and learning experiences gained by the Green Team members will assist in their present and future decision making. Weyerhaeuser is to be commended for so generously contributing to a unique educational and work experience for the youth of the Green Team Project.

My name is Gage Joachim and I live at Muskeg Seepee Cooperative. My grandpa taught me how to sing.

Gage begins to drum and sing in the traditional style that he was taught.

The video shows Gage's eyes moving and sometimes shutting as he focuses on the song.

At the end of the song Gage smiles an ear to ear grin indicating how good singing makes him feel.

Gage is one of the few community boys who can sing and drum in the traditional style of the Rocky Mountain People.