The NWTRPA is committed to supporting community members in getting on the land. The NWT Recreation and Parks Association believes that spending time on the land is vital for building and strengthening healthy minds, bodies, families, and communities. Colonial policies, including residential schools, sought to remove Indigenous peoples from their territories and break their connection with the land. On the land programs are an important part of revitalizing cultures, languages, and traditions.

 

The NWTRPA works with people leading and supporting land-based programs to identify and deliver relevant training opportunities that support the whole person (i.e. physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing). The NWTRPA is an authorized provider of wilderness and remote first aid courses, and Paddle Canada courses.

 

We also help organizations and governments create culturally competent safety and risk management plans for their on the land programs. In addition, the NWTRPA provides mentorship and support at land-based programs to enhance the efficacy of on the land programming. We also help organizations and governments create culturally appropriate safety and risk management plans for their on the land programs.

 

Since 2016, the NWTRPA’s Annual Conference has featured an On the Land Stream for people delivering land-based programs in their communities to gain new skills and knowledge through facilitated discussions and networking opportunities.

​

 

On the Land Collaborative

​

The NWTRPA is a key member of the NWT On The Land Collaborative, a collective of diverse partners pooling their expertise and resources to support on the land programming in the NWT. In addition to offering program and training support to grant recipients, or On the Land Programs Consultant is a member of the Administrative Team and is the Communications Lead. We also partner with other organizations and lend our support to initiatives that get NWT residents out on the land.

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting Wellbeing

 

In 2018, NWT Recreation and Parks Association (NWTRPA) and Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı/Sahtú Renewable Resources Board brought together on the land leaders and mental health professionals to discuss challenges in delivering land-based programming. While the Land is vital to wellbeing, on the land programs in the NWT are led and attended by people who have experienced complex trauma and it is not uncommon for people leading these programs to have to deal with their own distressing emotions.

 

The group agreed that creating a made-in-NWT training program to enhance the capacity of land-based programmers to respond to these situations was critical.  

 

In March 2022, Supporting Wellbeing was awarded the $500,000 category of the Arctic Inspiration Prize. Supporting Wellbeing grew to be much bigger than originally envisioned, and thus became a project of MakeWay’s Shared Platform to provide more autonomy over the program.  

 

The NWT Recreation and Parks Association hopes to be able to offer Supporting Wellbeing training in the future.

​

​

​

​

​

​

For more information about the NWTRPA’s on the land training,

advocacy, and networking opportunities, please contact

the Director-On the Land Programs, David Brinston.

​

Email: dbrinston@nwtrpa.org

Phone: (780) 996-7264