KarunaNews Story

The Georgian Bay Anishinaabek Youth program in Parry Sound, Ontario, brings land-based and cultural learning activities to other young people around Mnidoo Gamii, an Anishinaabemowin name for Georgian Bay. It is part of the Georgian Bay Biosphere, a charitable organization established in 1998 that focuses on sustainability for 347,000 hectares of shoreline ecosystem in Ontario and has supported the youth since 2017. Their first project was building Oshkinigig, a wiigwaas jiimaan (birchbark canoe) in October 2019, over 19 days with more than 850 participants. Since then, the youth have run drum-making workshops and a hide-tanning camp in Killbear Provincial Park and taken Oshkinigig out for annual trips. Youth also visit local schools weekly, holding language and culture classes.