A local teen became one of the army's Bold Eagles this month thanks to a unique course for aboriginal youth.
St. Albert's Curtis Belcourt joined 85 other students on the parade square in CFB Wainwright Aug. 19 as they graduated from this year's Bold Eagle program. The course, run by the Canadian Forces, offers aboriginals aged 16 to 29 a chance to train for the armed forces and learn about their heritage.
Each grad goes through a rigorous six-week course similar to basic training given to soldiers, said program co-ordinator Maj. Nolan Kemp. "It's everything you'd think basic training is like," he said, including first aid, marksmanship, nuclear/biological/chemical weapons defence and a salary. Students also experience sweats, round dances and other traditional aboriginal ceremonies.
Besides a new haircut, Kemp jokes, the course gives students a chance to learn teamwork, build self-confidence, and, if they like, join the military. "There's a proud service by aboriginal people in the military," he noted, one that dates back to the First World War. "We're very proud we're able to bring in aboriginal youth looking to serve their country."
Gas, gas, gas!
Belcourt, 18, is a student at Edmonton's Fresh Start West High School and an amateur hockey player. Born in High Prairie, he said he heard about Bold Eagle from his friends and wanted to give the military a shot.
The first few days were very long, he said — he was up at 5 a.m. and in bed by 11 p.m. "You don't get that much sleep." It was his first time away from home alone but his family and fellow students helped get him through the loneliness.
Students learned about pipe ceremonies and round dances in the first few days, he said, and held regular talking circles with elders. "I'd never attended a powwow or anything, so I didn't know any of that stuff."
He learned to handle a C7 assault rifle pretty well, he said, getting 61 out of 70 shots on target at one point, and how to rappel 18 metres down a vertical wall. "I'd never really done anything like that before." Compass navigation proved more challenging for the urbanite as, after a while, every tree starts to look the same. "It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do out there," he said.
Well, that and the gas attack, he added. He and the others had to walk into a hut filled with smoke-like tear gas and secure their masks within nine seconds. "It burns a lot," he said, especially if you breathe it in. "Your eyes just water up even when you're standing outside the door." Fortunately, they all got it right on the first try.
Builds character and soldiers
Poundmaker's Lodge board member and long-time Bold Eagle supporter Don Langford praised the program for helping youth become great leaders. "So many of our youth that live in the urban centres and farms don't really have the opportunity to experience their culture," he said, and you need that exposure to have faith in yourself. "Everyone has to be comfortable in their own skin."
The military has grown more tolerant of aboriginal culture since the program started, he continued. Métis members can now wear a traditional sash on their uniform, while First Nations can wear their hair in a braid. "You wouldn't have seen that when I joined the army 50 years ago."
Belcourt said his stint in the forces taught him greater self-discipline and motivation, skills he plans to use to finish high school. "It felt really good being out on the parade square, knowing you stuck with it and finished the whole course."
Bold Eagle runs each summer at CFB Wainwright. For details, call the recruiting centre at 780-495-2274.
