Building Bridges

A group of Wakefielders and a group of Dene from the small community of Lutsel’ke in the NWT are seeking to connect, learn from each other and build a relationship of respect and mutual appreciation. They are working together to create a cultural exchange in the coming year where 15-20 members of the Lutsel’ke Dene will come to Wakefield in October 2015 and a similar group of Wakefielders will go to the community of Lutsel’ke in the summer of 2016.

 A new national park is being proposed on the east arm of Great Slave Lake and the community of Lutsel’ke is beginning to plan this exciting new project for which they will be key stewards. Wakefield is a village with a significant tourism economy. Beyond cultural exchange, these two communities will learn together how to improve and build their tourism economies. And our hope is that new friendships and longterm relationships might be formed.

In the context of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recent report, it is our hope that we can contribute to the process of understanding and dialogue through this exchange in a very concrete way.