Shania (left) takes a selfie with buddy Courtney while on placement together in Six Nations.

Hi, my name is Shania Desjarlais I’m from Łutsel’Ke, NT but I live in Yellowknife, NT. For this summer I am placed in Six Nations, a reserve in Ontario. It’s very different from where I live, in the city. Adapting from that to here is nice, I’ve been told it’s the biggest reserve in Canada, I wouldn’t doubt it the houses are spread way out and nothing’s really walking distance.

Me and my buddy Courtney’s daily routine runs like this, we’re outta the house by 8:10AM most of the time and done by 4PM. Our job is called police camp it’s not what it might sound like. Basically the Six Nations Police teamed up with other summer camps and we volunteer to help supervise kids aged between 5-14 each week they change the ages, getting to know them day by day and helping them. Throughout the weeks of our placement, we traveled to many places for trips such as mini golf, bowling, laser tag, Canada’s wonderland, Niagara Falls story book gardens in London, ON and many other things we did along the way which was pretty cool! It was so much fun, working with these kids. During our time off on weekends, Brooke and Bud Powless my host family ask us what things we have never done before and most of the time they make it happen so that we get to try it for the first time and I’m so grateful. So far with Brooke and Bud we’ve checked out marine land, went to a Toronto blue jays game which was cool, they lost that game against the Mariners though. Mostly every Friday we went to the Ohsweken Speedway races which was sick, I like it. We went go karting, the zoo and saw many animals we don’t get up north and we went to a powwow! my first ever 🙂 I loved the dancing and food haha. We also went shopping at malls, eating at new restaurants and meeting new people on the Rez. When they ask where I’m from they get surprised knowing I’m a long ways from home. It’s cool because I’m out here representing Yellowknife in a good way to be a role model for my peers. Over the weeks, this has challenged me to be independent and get out of my comfort zone and get out there, and I really thank northern youth abroad for this amazing opportunity it has given me.