The KI Trip: An Introduction to the People of Big Trout Lake
Sunday June 23, 2013 On May 19th I read a Toronto Star article about youth leaders of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nations reserve inviting 25 "ordinary Canadians" to fly-in and spend five days with local families, experiencing life in remote Northern Ontario. I was intrigued, but the trip was expensive and coming up fast and I already had commitments that week and, and, and.... And five weeks to the day after reading that article, I'm sorting through photos and notes and memories of an incredible trip to KI. It's a place with many challenges, but the idea of the trip wasn't charity - it was about connecting people that often misunderstand each other and parts of the country separated not only distance, but by ways of life. Guests mingle at KI's Homecoming Grounds. In the end, the original goal of 25 people was far exceeded, with over 40 of us traveling 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay to the shores and islands of Big Trout Lake.