Nibinamik Elder’s dream for youth camp a reality

Nibinamik Elder Mike Wabasse built a cabin on the Breathing Grounds, a remote location about five kilometers outside of the community accessible only by boat, in the late 1990s.
Wabasse’s idea was to have a place to take the youth out of the community and learn about survival skills in the bush.
What began as one cabin has spawned into three with an addition of other structures like a cafeteria and a performing stage. The Breathing Grounds is now the place where Nibinamik has been hosting its annual Youth Wilderness Retreat since 1999.
“He wanted to build the cabin because he had the idea of taking youth from the community out in the wilderness, but wanted to have a cabin built first,” said Randy Wabasse, Mike’s son.
“He got help from another Elder to build the cabin and wanted to have a camp like what you see today for the youth, so they could learn survival skills like how to hunt, trap, fish and net. My father believed the fastest way to learn is to do hands-on training, not just watching and looking but actually doing it,” Randy said.
The first cabin took Mike Wabasse about two or three weeks to build with some help.
“It was a slow process to get the camp going but it eventually came along and turned into what it is today,” Randy said.
Randy has been living in Wunnumin Lake for the past six years. This was the first time in four years he was able to attend the Wilderness Retreat July 12-17.
“The camp is a lot bigger from when my dad first started it. There are more buildings and cabins and more people coming now,” he said.
Randy brought seven youth from Wunnumin in two boats. He wanted them to enjoy the experiences the camp has to offer.
One of the most significant differences he’s noticed over the past 12 years, as the annual retreat has grown, is the first kids who attended the camp are now the ones running and organizing it.
“They got taught in the early years and now they are co-ordinating the whole weeklong camp,” Randy said.
Mike Wabasse passed away in the 2003 plane crash just outside of Summer Beaver.
“I imagine if he could see it (the camp) now it would make him proud,” Randy said.
“He would be proud of the youths being able to run it and continue his dream. He would be proud to see the youths that were taught in the first couple years now running it,” he said.
“I like what I see,” Randy said. “People still have the interest in continuing this the camp year after year.”