WTAY and the Yukon First Nations Culture & Tourism Association (YFNCT) partnered to bring wilderness tourism guide training, interpretive training, and cultural knowledge to a select group of six Yukon First Nation youth. The goal of the program was to build and develop Yukon based guides with knowledge and understanding of First Nation history, culture, stories and language. WTAY and YFNCT believe that the opportunity for growth of cultural tourism within the wilderness tourism sector is an important opportunity for our members, First Nation residents and communities and our hope is that this pilot project will develop into an ongoing program.
This intensive training program took place during the month of May, 2018 with three of the six youth receiving summer employment with WTAY members.
The youth were lodged at Long Ago People's Place near Champagne and and received certification and training in Wilderness Advanced First Aid, Moving Water Paddling, Swift Water Rescue, Bear Aware, Leave No Trace, risk management, liability, Foodsafe, Superhost, Yukon First Nation 101 through Yukon College, natural interpretation, and cultural interpretation. Also included were visits to WTAY member companies and several learning sessions with First Nation Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
