Northern youth head off on scientific expedition at sea - Action News
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Northern youth head off on scientific expedition at sea

As part of the Students on Ice expedition, theyll participate in research and deepen their understanding of coastal and marine ecosystems, all while learningabout the impacts of climate change in the Arctic.

Youth from Nunavut and N.W.T. join Students on Ice 'floating classroom'

A young man and his mother pose for a photo
Colm Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin, of Inuvik, and his mother Beverly Kingmiaqtuq. Colm is the only participant from the N.W.T. on a Students on Ice expedition that left on Friday. (Submitted by Colm Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin )

Around fifteen young people from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are are off on an expedition at seatoseveral Arctic regions.

As part of the Students on Ice expedition, they'll participate in research and deepen their understanding of coastal and marine ecosystems, all while learningabout the impacts of climate change in the Arctic.

Tara Mascarenhas, the director of programs at the Students on Ice Foundation, compared the expeditions to "floating classrooms."

"There are huge gaps in the ocean workforce. It tends to be areas where young people don't necessarily see themselves. Part of taking them on expeditions is to actually provide that experiential learning opportunity," she said.

A woman holds a piece of foliage in a forest
Tara Mascarenhas is the program's director with the Students on Ice Foundation. (Submitted by Tara Mascarenhas )

Three of four Students on Ice expeditionsthis year will travel through Nunavut waters.

One leftfrom Nain, Nunatsiavut, on Friday and will reach Iqaluit onAug. 6 aboard the MV Polar Prince. It includes 22 young people ages 14 to 24, including four youth from Nunavut and one from the N.W.T.

Originally from Inuvik, 17-year-old Colm Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin is taking part in the expedition for the first time. He said his younger sister and father, who joined Students on Ice expeditions several years ago, convinced him to do it.

"I was speaking with my father and my sister after they were done, and they said it was very changing and very emotional. They learned a lot about climate change and how it affects places," he said.

During the expedition, Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin and his group will visit several historical sites, including Hebron in Nunatsiavut. Inuit families lived there until 1959, before being forced to leave when the federal government and the Moravian mission decided to shut it down, saying it was too expensive to continue to run.

Joined by researchers and Inuit educators, the group will take part in workshops in TorngatMountains National Park and will learn the history of Tookoolito, an Inuk guide and interpreter who accompanied the American explorer Charles Francis Hall during the 19th century in his search for the wrecks of the Franklin expedition.

A ship sits in the sea with mountains in the background.
The MV Polar Prince, an icebreaker used by the Students on Ice Foundation, is described as a "floating classroom." (Submitted by Students on Ice )

With anInuk mother from Taloyoak, Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin said he sees the expedition as an occasion to reconnect with a part of his culture.

"My mom's side is entirely from Nunavut and [...] I'm very curious about what it's like there," he said.

The teen also said he's excited to make new connections with people from all over the country. As the only participant from the N.W.T., he also expects to have to explain some things to peopleabout where he comes from.

"I live in a very small community and everybody knows each other. It's a very different experience," he said.

Learning opportunity

At the beginning of August, two other cohorts will take off one to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and the other to Resolute Bay, Nunavut, crossing the TallurutiupImanga National Marine Conservation Area.

Another expedition, titled "Blue Future Pathways" will leave Iqaluit Aug. 6, heading to St. John's, N.L., with 20 people ages 18 to 35 years on board.

A girl smiles on what looks to be the inside of a ship
Mealegala Ottokie, 34, is originally from Kinngait, Nunavut, and now lives in Montreal. (Submitted by Mealegala Ottokie )

Thirty-four-year-old Maelegala Ottokie, originally from Kinngait, Nunavut, is an underwater drone pilot and said she's looking forward to participating in research activities and learning to pilot drones during the expedition.

"This opportunity is going to help me rise from where I'm at right now to further up my education and also have the experience at the same time," she said.

"I encourage more Nunavummiut to try. We can do everything if we put our minds into it."

Reporting by Matisse Harvey/Radio-Canada, translated by Emma Tranter