On July 1, Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS) teacher Jack Frimeth will put his paddle in the waters of the Kattawagami River for a good cause.
Frimeth and his 15-year-old son Dan, a grade 10 student at John F. Ross Collegiate in Guelph, are planning to turn an annual father and son journey into a fundraiser for Aboriginal diabetes.
“We do these trips every year, either my son and I or myself, going solo,” said Frimeth, adding he decided to turn the journey into a fundraiser after working with the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI).
“Diabetes is a very serious issue in Aboriginal communities,” Frimeth said, adding he learned about it through his work as academic advisor for the CW Aboriginal club, at CWDHS.
The group’s second annual Aboriginal Heritage Day event was held April 20 and 21 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives. Celebrating First Nations, Metis and Inuit cultures, the event welcomed students and the public to gain awareness of the diversity of Canada’s indigenous peoples.
“The whole idea came about when we were planning the first National Heritage Day and we were wondering about charging admission,” Frimeth said. “We didn’t want to make money from the event, so we decided to donate it to Aboriginal diabetes.”
The event earned $1,080 for SOADI.
When Frimeth mapped his northern Ontario paddling trip, he realized he could use the opportunity to help remote Native communities along the route into James Bay.
“I wondered if we could get sponsors or donations and donate the money to the local diabetes associations,” Frimeth said.
Fundraising is not his only goal. “It is really about the awareness of aboriginal diabetes,” Frimeth said. “The money is important, but awareness is what really matters. Whatever we get today is more than we had yesterday.”
Frimeth contacted SOADI with his idea, and it helped him get the project moving forward.
“SOADI liked the paddling aspect because there was an obvious connection to the aboriginal community,” he said.
Frimeth has been in contact with Weeneebayko Diabetes Clinic in Moose Factory and Chief Norman Hardisty, of the Moose Cree.
“I always communicate with the chief of the band, whose land I may be crossing on any canoe trip,” Frimeth noted. “I feel it is disrespectful to come onto reserve land without permission or previous communication. The chief was very humbled by my request and has said a blessing for me and my son, and for us to have a safe journey.”
Frimeth, who has planned several student exchanges with native communities across Canada, feels a strong connection to aboriginal peoples. His previous paddle trips to northern regions have helped him appreciate their culture.
Together with his son, Frimeth has explored the waters of the Montreal River, Hudson Bay, Upper Missinaibi River, and paddled from Nunavit to Bathurst Inlet, to name a few.
“I am just drawn to their culture. I always have been. I’ve always had a very good relationship with them and never given it a second thought. I believe people can tell the difference between when you are genuine and non-genuine.”
The two week trek along Kattawagami River is the first of what Frimeth hopes will be an annual event, not just for his family but for other communities too.
“I want to create community kits to encourage others to do similar fundraising paddle trips,” Frimeth said. The goal is to create something that goes beyond Dan and I.”
With the support of SOADI, his fundraising initiatives are underway through a social media network. Proceeds of the trip will go to the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, for diabetes health education programs to benefit communities within the Mushkegowuk Region.
“The money will go to education and prevention,” Frimeth said.
For information or to make a donation, contact Jack Frimeth via email at j_frimeth@hotmail.com or call 519-823-5709 or 519-212 -3817.
