Skip to content
Skip to search
Skip to footer site map

About Aboriginal JFR Crews

The Aboriginal Junior Forest Rangers (Aboriginal JFR) program was created in 2003. Aboriginal JFR crews are community based and include eight crew members and two crew leaders, all from the host community.

Sustainable Resource Development, Aboriginal Affairs, and Alberta Energy created the Aboriginal JFRs as an initiative to provide insight to aboriginal students about the career opportunities in forestry and other natural resource areas.

Work Projects

The Aboriginal JFRs complete forestry related work projects as well as industry tours and career presentations. Work projects in typical summer can include any of the following and more:

Invasive plant species control
Mop up on a contained wildfire
Thinning trees to reduce threat of wildfire

Trail construction
Tree planting
Work in the community

Community Events and Cultural Camps

During the summer, the Aboriginal JFR crews also take part in different community events and a Cultural Camp. Cultural Camps usually include some, or all, of the following:

Elder storytelling
Hunting, fishing and trapping practices
Medicine harvesting
Pipe ceremonies

Sweat lodge ceremonies
Sundances or Pow Wows
Tipi setup

Host Communities for 2012

Applications for potential Aboriginal JFR host communities will begin in fall of 2011. Selection of host communities will take place in January, 2012.

2011 Crews

	Blood Tribe Blood Tribe is located 497 kilometres south of Edmonton and is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. One of the crew’s highlights was their involvement with the community when Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, visited.
	Driftpile First Nation Along the sandy shoreline on the south side of Lesser Slave Lake, the Driftpile First Nation is approximately 350 kilometres Northwest of Edmonton. Based out of the High Prairie office, the crew participated in work projects in the area including a project with the Grande Prairie JFR camp crew and a culture camp with Whitefish First Nation.
	Sucker Creek First Nation Only 30 kilometres further west from Driftpile First Nation is a neighbouring crew from Sucker Creek First Nation. The two crews planned projects together and shared educational and training opportunities, including a culture camp with Whitefish First Nation.
	Whitefish First Nation Whitefish First Nation is located 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. The Whitefish crew had an exceptionally busy summer schedule. Some of the highlights were Cold Lake fish Hatchery tour, tree planting, Heart Lake tower tour, and Fish counting.