Shaye C.
Shaye is a 21-year-old proud member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. She was born and raised in Fort McMurray, and later moved to Fort Chipewyan as a teenager.
When considering her career options, Shaye heard about the Community Based Environmental Monitoring (CBEM) program through Keyano College; CBEM turned out to be the program she felt most passionate about, and so she enrolled.
The Community Based Environmental Monitoring Program includes various safety training opportunities, preparing students for potentially dangerous situations on the land.
“The most surprising thing that happened in the program for me was taking the Ice Rescue course where I had to fall through ice in -40 and get out. But the reality of all the dangerous things that can happen while you’re out on the land can be very serious and life threatening so I’m glad I’m prepared if it was to happen.”
Spirituality was also a topic covered, says Shaye.
“It was a tough one for me because my parents are residential school survivors, so many of their teachings were lost,” shares Shaye. “It was nice to learn about it coming from other people.”
The students also worked a lot with Elders who would come into the class to share their stories.
For Shaye, the highlight of the program was getting back to her Indigenous roots. “In this program I learned lots about natural medicines, and where to look for them,” she says. “My favourite part about the program was getting my Firearms Acquisition Certificate and Trappers Certificate. And lastly the canoe trip from Fort McKay to Fort Chip was an amazing opportunity; I’m so glad I took part in it! I come from the Voyageur family, so you could say I felt like a true Voyageur!”
Now that Shaye has completed the CBEM program, she is employed by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation – Dene Land Resource Management (ACFN – DLRM) as a field tech. “I haven’t had a job that I loved so much before! It’s amazing being a land user, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
When asked she would tell someone who is thinking about taking the CBEM program, here’s what she says: “I would tell someone who is unsure about taking the program to do it! Especially being Indigenous and combining Western Science with our teachings is powerful. Also, I would like to see more women getting into this field!”
The Community Based Environmental Monitoring Program (CBEM) is a Service Canada-Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF), Service Canada-Indigenous Skills Employment and Training (ISET) and Government of Alberta-First Nations Training to Employment (GOAFNTEP) funded program. This project administered by Mikisew Cree First Nation-Government Industry Relations (MCFN-GIR) on behalf of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation-Department of Land Resource Management (ACFN-DLRM), McMurray Métis and Fort Chipewyan Métis. The CBEM is delivered by Keyano College.
