Tuesday July 25, 2006
Location: Small River Outside Fort Simpson on the Way towards Wrigley
N 61 53' 39.9"
W 121 36' 45.9"

Michael Cazon told me about this great location. Michael is the husband of Tonya whom I mentioned in my initial blog about Simpson. Michael works with youth getting them back out on the land and teaching them traditional skills and helping them get in touch with themselves and thereby find direction. I spent a brief period of time with him this week talking about his work and my project. We also had a short visit with his neighbor Jimmy, where I learned a little about smoking moose meat while we sat back and enjoyed the fruits of his labor. Michael has also been asked to prepare a presentation about traditional lands and the impact of the previous Norman Wells Pipeline on behalf of the local harvesters. I have offered to help him in any way I can, with photographs, or video footage. I would be honored to work on this type of project, and we will see if anything develops.

After a few days of running around I’ve also been given the go ahead by Simpson Air in regards to a flight out to Virginia Falls situated on the Nahanni River. Ted the owner of Simpson Air has been really busy, but has also been very helpful in trying to fit me in on a food run or similar flight where he has an opening. I as scheduled to go out on Monday evening, but the weather was awful, a forest fire was affecting visibility of the falls, and I was feeling under the weather. I can only hope to get on at a later time next week.

Another development is the fact that this coming weekend I will be going out on the North Nahanni with Loyal Letcher to his family lodge. Loyal has taken National Geographer Photographers out in the past and it is sure to be an amazing filming opportunity. I’m pretty stoked. We will probably stay out there for three to five days, which will provide ample time for day hikes and filming.

I still haven’t had a chance to sit down and interview Nahanni Park Superintendent Chuck Blyth, but I hope to do so before I leave. I’ve had some conversations with him and he is extremely knowledgeable and passionate regarding the park, the pipeline, and northern culture.

When I first got here I met a man named Larry who gave me keys to his apartment for a shower or a place to lay my head if needed. I’ve spent some time over the past few days talking to Larry and I must say the conversations have been excellent and right up the alley of my project. We’ve been talking about Buckminster Fuller, spirituality, quantum physics, the upcoming transition away from fossil fuels, and the general interconnectedness of all things. I hope to record some audio from these conversations since they may find their way into the work down the road.

What else?

I’ve been feeling the need to start heading south and add momentum to the project since I still have a long way before I get to Panama. This pressure comes from a fear of what people back home may be thinking about the project’s process. My conclusion is that this is a project about slowing down and moving at the speed of nature and therefore rushing is contrary to the road. It takes time for opportunities to present themselves, and having little money, time is the main thing I have to work with. In the end, the work will speak to the process and in the end I have faith that the work will be one to remember.

The above paragraph reminded me that I’ve been meaning to write a blog regarding my actual expenses out on the road. Living in a van, bathing in streams and people’s houses, and eating healthy but simple meals causes my expenses to be pretty minimal. My only real costs are food and fuel, the latter being a non-issue when I find a location such as Fort Simpson from which to work from. I would guess that right now, I’m living off about fifty- seventy-five dollars a week. I’ll try to get some actual numbers up here soon, as I think this may be interesting to people who are actually thinking about living in a van down by a river ;-)

Peace,
D

PS. Still on my Fort Simpson to do list,
- Meet & maybe interview Chief Herb Norwegian
- Talk to reporters at the Deh Cho Drum (newspaper)
- Drive up to Wrigley for some photos
- Talk to remaining contacts provided by Tonya