Plans are underway for a locally-filmed documentary with hopes to interview local elders on what the environment was like when they were young.
Coming out of the FutureXChange project, which has connected Jessie Pascal, Lesli Kisoun, Joelle Charlie and Amie Charlie with fellow climate activists across Canada, the team plans to interview elders and knowledge holders in Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson and Tuktoyaktuk.
"It's important to educate everyone, especially if it's being led by youth," said Jessie Pascal. "I think it will make a big impact on communities, current hunters, trappers and fishermen."
With a goal of 40 or more minutes, including old footage, interviews and projections, the documentary will be screened in each of the communities it does research in. The team will cap the evening off with a community event with more educational materials on what concerned residents can do to help mitigate climate change.
Each of the four girls in the project has a specific focus.
Lesli Kisoun learned about the caribou and its vital importance to the Gwich'in way of life.
"It's our main food source. If the Trump administration actually does drill oil and gas in our calving grounds, we could never have caribou again," said Kisoun. "They would go somewhere else and never come back to us.
"It's a sacred land that's never been touched. No man can step foot on it."
Another aspect of the documentary project is one of the participant's journey in learning Gwich'in and how it influences how they look at the landscape.
"I've been learning Gwich'in for about a year and it gives a certain, powerful connection to the land," said Joelle Charlie. "It's this powerful tie between the land, my family and myself. The language contributed to that connection. Without the language, I would just be an individual."
A group of 16 'Community Activators' aged 17-30 spent Nov. 11-15 at the Nihtat Gwich'in Council meeting representatives from local governments, hunting associations, resource companies and brainstorming projects ideas.
"This week in Inuvik, we've spent the last five days talking about climate change and what we've learned so far and the importance of traditional knowledge and its role in climate policy," said Youth Climate Lab co-founder and executive director Dominique Souris. "And we started talking about the ideas of what they want to do back home.
"We've got folks from all across Canada. From P.E.I to Toronto to Ottawa, to Winnipeg, to Vancouver and Haida Gwaii and Calgary."
FutureXChange is a month-long initiative connecting Gwich'in youth with youth around the country to outline both regional differences and common knowledge to establish a better knowledge base for climate activists. It is a joint partnership between Youth Climate Lab, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council.
Not only do the youth brainstorm ideas for a final project when they part ways, but they also establish networking opportunities for later in their lives as they go to school and beyond.
"We all bring so many different perspectives. Just because we live in the north doesn't mean we all think same, so it's cool to hash it out what we're going to do," said Amie Charlie. "Because we've been talking about climate change long before it became a hot topic in the south. So its kind of cool to come here and have that space to talk about that."
The program kicked off at the start of October and projects are expected to be done by January.