Join millions of Canadians this giving season in

#GivingTuesday and support NYA on November 27th, 2018.

Help NYA reach its goal of $5,000 to support the NYA Legacy Fund. This will help Alumni and Future Participants gain access to bursaries, the discretionary fund, and other tools that will help them achieve their ambitious goals. Please Donate on or before Tuesday November 27th.

https://givingtuesday.ca/partners/northern-youth-abroad

My name is Shantel Kanayuq Qirngnuq and I live in Kugaaruk, Nunavut, and I was a Participant in the 2018 Northern Youth Abroad (NYA) Canadian Program. Thank you to everyone who supported NYA. Without your support, my experience with NYA would not be possible.

My host community was Ottawa ,Ontario. There are so many things you can easily access in Ottawa, since it is not so isolated like Kugaaruk. In Ottawa, it would take me an hour and a half to my work placement and back to host parents, but I didn’t mind because it got me over my fear of learning how to use the bus.

All summer, I volunteered at the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre Camp (OICC Camp). There I worked with 20 new kids every week. All through the summer we did fun and educational actives like; Inuit games, Indoor/outdoor games, arts and crafts, stories to tell, and presenters (Let’s talk Science, Sun safety, NYA Next). Some of my work placement responsibilities were to help supervise kids and provide additional support, participate in activities (so kids can join) and tidy up. At my work placement, I learned a lot of things like, being more patient, being more flexible and open-minded, and my time management has improved a lot since Orientation.

I loved the family I stayed with over the summer. My host moms, Rachel and Desneiges, host sister Iris, host brother Xavier, and Jack the cat. They’re so fun to be around because they talk a lot. They’ve been so warm and welcoming, which made the stay very comfortable.

Some of the fun things I did over the summer were going on road trips with my host family. We got to go to Midland, a 6-hour drive from Ottawa. In Midland, I got to go fishing, boating, and meet up with an old friend from Mississauga, ON.

Being a 2018 Canadian Participant for NYA was such a good experience. The program helped me with things like time management, being more open about my feelings, learning how to work as a team, learning more about post-secondary schools, and getting to know the city of Ottawa before going there for Nunavut Sivuniksavut (college).

What I’ll be doing with my experience with NYA when I get home is try to form a Youth Committee to help my community out more, and to share my great experience with NYA and get more youth into programs like NYA by doing a community presentation. Northern Youth Abroad had a very big impact on what I want to do as a career because since I was a kid I wanted to be a Nurse. But now I am thinking to become an Early Childhood Educator.

Northern Youth Abroad helped me in so many ways and I would like to thank the funders and everyone for supporting NYA so that I could have this great experience.

Sincerely,
Shantel Kanayuq Qirngnuq.

Hello, my name is Ethan Tutcho. I am 16 years old going into Grade 12, and I am from Norman Wells, NWT.

I am currently living in Cheltenham, Ontario with John, Julie, Colleen, and placement buddy Kyran. Julie is my host mom and she is really fun to be around. We play chess and sequence (she taught me how to play sequence). Julie is really competitive when is come to board games – she makes it really fun to play! She is a really good cook and she brings us to places I’ve never experience before. John is my host dad. He is a very hardworking person. When he gave us a tour around his job and talked about what he does, it sounded like he works very hard especially when he is working with electricity. Colleen is my host sister. She took Kyran and I to new places, like when she took us to Canada’s Wonderland. It was so much fun, I was really thankful and grateful to be there. She brought us to a bagel cafe and it was really good to eat there.

My work placement i am volunteering at is call “BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF PEEL”. What I do at my job is to act like a Role Model by showing leadership, responsibility, being confident, organized, and have great knowledge. I also plan activities to play for the day. The kids there love to play basketball as much as i do, so every time during lunch break we start up a game to play. I have had the opportunities to go on great trips like the Wet ‘N’ Wild waterpark. I had a really fun time being there, and am excited for our next upcoming trip to watch the Rogers Cup, I am very excited for it and I’ll have a great time watching it.

There are a lot more opportunities I get with activities down south than back in the north. Like getting a tour around a university, and getting an invitation to a basketball tournament, where I  got to meet a lot of new people. Throughout the summer here in Cheltenham, I’ve been playing basketball, eating a lot and trying new types of food, and spending a lot of time with my host family. Me and Kyran had met up with other Participants Jailyn, Allistair, and April at Canada’s wonderland and I really had fun going on the rides with them.

I am really grateful to be in this program and getting opportunities that don’t happen much back in NWT. I feel I am both ready and not ready to go back home in the NWT, I am ready to see my family back home, but I am not ready because I am going to miss this family and all the people I’ve met during the summer. I wish to come back to the NYA Next or International.

Northern Youth Abroad has given me a wonderful experience. I joined this program because I thought to myself “Why not?”. I didn’t realize how much time was supposed to be put in, but the support of my peers made all the difference. Since I came here, I’ve tried so many things I haven’t done before and learned a lot about myself and others. I experienced culture shock when I realized that people down south are always on time. It’s different than back home.

My daily life was waking up 45 minute before my work, and walking to work which took 15 minutes. I worked at the Antigonish Heritage Museum for a week and a half and then I told my host mom, Claire, that I wanted to do something else. I didn’t want to be stuck in a renovated train station filing papers and old photos. I felt like one of the old items collecting dust. Thankfully, we worked it out and I ended up having 3 jobs. I worked at the heritage museum, a French camp for kids, and a traditional Acadian restaurant. I was much more satisfied this way.

Besides work, I went to a lot of places that I don’t have back in Baker Lake. There was much more places to eat, buy food, and get art supplies. There was a small mall, too! I visited one place after another with Sharon before she left. We tried on clothes, explored the bookstore, watched the Incredibles 2, and went thrift shopping. That was my first time trying on clothes. I felt like I wasn’t allowed to do that, despite seeing many others trying clothes. I’ve never done that at home.

We also went to the Antigonish Art Fair, which is held every second Friday. We met an Inuk student who attends St. Xavier’s University. I saw different art styles, and bought a Link sticker for my dad. It made me want to attend the next Art Fair, and I eventually did! I felt pressured because I had to send a couple pieces of artwork before I could gain a spot. I drew as much as I could for a week. When I got my spot, I thought I wouldn’t be successful. Luckily, one of the volunteers asked for a portrait so I can get more customers. I ended up drawing 6 people in 3 hours. The money was rewarding, but I loved hearing the stories my customers told me while waiting to be drawn.

After a sleepless night, I traveled to Cheticamp were I would meet up with Geni, Jeannie, and their host mom. We were all happy to see each other. I could tell both the girls were tired as well. We ate and shared our experiences of the places we’ve visited so far. At lunch, we ate at the Dancing Goat. It’s a small, but hip restaurant. Michelle ordered pancakes, and we quietly ate. Then, we visited a store that had a giant red lawn chair. When I say giant, I mean gargantuan! It could fit all three of us and could’ve fit even more. We then left and headed to the camp. 

 I was also fortunate to hang out with Geni and Jeannie during a weekend in Cape Breton. Before I met them, I stayed at my host mom’s cousin’s farm. They had cows, a cat, and a big old white dog. The dog reminded me of a polar bear. The house we stayed at was over 4 decades old. It was old, and I felt like I had travelled back in time. The floors were eroded from years of walking over them, the paint was peeling, and had dark, matted carpets. The bed was creaky and covered with old and ratty quilts. Clothes were piled in worn bins, and the mirrors were dirty. It reminded me of my old home.

After Cape Breton, I went back to working, kayaking, and doing a lot more activities. I also got 3 comics from my coworkers, too! They told me I was super excited about Amka Aliyak (Snowguard), that they decided to give it as a gift. I was feeling euphoric because I’ve been waiting since spring to get them. My dad believed it was a hoax, thinking that it’s not possible for Inuit to have a positive and accurate representation. The comics made me motivated to create my own, so that I could utilize my drawing and writing skills I’ve gained in the past couple of years. It may take a long time to make this dream come true, but I believe in it, and I hope everyone else chases their own dream, too.

We got to the Skyline Trail, which is a two hour hike. It was hot and humid. After the first hour, we saw the beautiful rock side of the trail. We could also see the sea. I loved every moment of it. Coming back was even worse. We were exhausted and sweaty. After the hike, we stayed in and chatted. When it got dark, we invited out neighbours to have s’mores with us. We were on the topic of Inuit and losing culture. To make it bearable, Jeannie taught me how to throat-sing again. I haven’t done that since grade five. I was relieved that I could get back to it.

Thank you all for this once in a lifetime experience, and I hope to see everyone at next year’s program!

Ayla Kreelak

Hi my name is Alvin, and I am from Gjoa Haven.

My first week in Squamish I climbed up the Chief of Squamish and went down to Whistler at the kids water park where there are a lot of activities to do. Today, we are doing Olympic Games which should be fun.

I’m having a good time here in British Columbia. The mountains are beautiful and the people are very nice. We  do all kinds of activities everyday, like water balloon fights!  I also got to meet a few of the Olympians from 2014-2018 which is pretty amazing. It has been like a dream since the day I came to Squamish. Today we are watching an old movie from the 1900’s, and this weekend I will try to do some exploring. I have already swam in the ocean which has been amazing. I also met the mayor of Squamish and did a  few other things with my host brother Justin . He took me out the camp site with James and we played a few board games with his friends, and now my host dad is taking me out for a late lunch. I’m going to miss Ken’s jokes. He is such a funny host dad! I will miss this beautiful place and my kind host family !

Alvin

Hi I’m Connie and my blog is about how strong I have become. I have been through so much pain growing up, but it has made me the person I am today. I have doubted myself in the past and said to myself “I can’t do it”, but this experience has made me more positive.

When the teacher told me that I got picked, I didn’t believe it at first. After advancing a bit further into the program, I still doubted whether I would make it through. A month before leaving, I thought “no it’s not happening they are going to kick me out and let somebody else in”. I thought I was going to quit or make a fool of myself.  Even though I had doubts, I still kept trying and had hope. Then, it was the day before we had to leave to Ottawa. I was packed and ready to go, and I still couldn’t believe it.

The morning came, and I was at the airport ready to go! When I got to Ottawa, I was so shocked and amazed- I couldn’t believe I was finally here! I saw trees outside the airport! Then 4 weeks later, I was in Nova Scotia, Truro, Bible hill at Deb and Carl’s house with Sharon. The first morning, Deb was shouting “girls get ready to go out because there’s famous people outside (I thought it was Selena Gomez!). Next thing I know, I was outside with the peace runners and held the torch flame and said to myself “ I want to heal myself and let go of the pain that I’ve been holding”. From that point on I realized that it’s okay to let go and that there are people out there that can help. I learned to look at the bright side of things. I am so glad I’m here, and thank you to everyone who helped me have this amazing and wonderful opportunity.

I really appreciate it!

Connie

This is not what I expected, but to be fair I did not know what I was expecting. The first week at camp was rough because it was so hot. You get used to the weather. You don’t think you would, but you do. After one week in Ottawa you travel to your host family, and they’re from all across Canada. I am in Bowen Island, British Columbia, in Western Canada. It is very nice here. Everything is so different from back home. For one , there are a lot of trees.

It is so beautiful here, and the people are so nice. Speaking of nice people, my host family is so nice and welcoming. They’re always telling jokes and making puns. They welcomed us to their home which I am very thankful for. I haven’t started my new work placement yet but I am excited. I wasn’t at first but I’m trying to keep an open mind about it. We get to do so much we don’t have access to back home. Almost everything is different. This is a great opportunity for Inuit youth. I don’t get homesick, but if you do get homesick there are a lot of coping strategies. Keep in mind that home will always be home, and it’s not going anywhere. You could do so much here that you can’t do at home. If you like to shop, there are a lot of places to shop. If you wanted to try something you always wanted to but don’t have access to it at home, you could probably do it here.

I encourage everyone to apply for this program. I love it.

Kulula

Hi, my name is Mackenzie Matto and I am 16 years old. I am from Fort Providence Northwest Territories and am an NYA Canadian Program participant.

I have been placed in West Vancouver, Squamish Nation, BC. For the past few weeks, I have been volunteering with the West Vancouver Community Centre, and have been working at camps around West Vancouver with youth. I help plan activities or just hang out with the youth. This program has helped me become more outgoing and confident. My host mom loves doing fun things and loves taking us to events. We have been to so many festivals and places in Vancouver. I really like it here and I’m sad that it’s almost time to go home, but also very excited, I would definitely recommend this program to youth around The Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as it’s an unforgettable experience. I have had such great experiences, learned new things, and gained work experience.
I have done so many things here and met so many nice and amazing people. This summer went by so fast and I am glad that I made it through the full 5 weeks of being away from home. This was an amazing and fun experience and I am so happy that I got to be a part of this program. Thank you to the NYA staff and to my host family for being there for me, letting me be part of their family, and also for letting me stay in their nice and welcoming home.

My summer has been great and a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to apply to the Next or International Program next year.

Mackenzie