Has it really only been two weeks?
It feels like I have lived half my life on this river.
We paddle day after day
and there is no end in sight.
After every curve I think
here comes the first town
a settlement, or at least a house...
but there is nothing...
Only the river
the trees and the mountains
Raw Copper cost €4 per kilo
that is €4000 per ton.
and when 30% of the stone is Copper...
then the value is... um...
How heavy is a mountain?
Right now it is Sunday afternoon in Germany
or is it Monday?
Damn, I missed the Top Model final
I totally forgot
What is there here to look at?
Hey! did the Moose just look at me?
Maybe I'm the first human it has ever seen...
It has no fear of us
even though with the Gwich'in we are a really large group.
Let's see if I can remember everyone's name
That is Ashton...
that's Gladice,
Jeffrey,
Murrell,
that's Daniel,
and she...
actually I forgot...
Actually I should know them all
since they are the only people for 2 000 km
and then there are the Miners...
but there aren't many of them.
They are not many
but their plans have a huge impact on this region.
This is the reason we are here
we do what we can and follow our goals.
Man, this stupid dance won't end...
I'm just happy that no one's watching.
Such a stupid trip.
I'm so happy that I'm here
I was never before in real wilderness.
We are paddling the Snake river in the Yukon territory
one of the tributaries of the Peel river.
Together they create the Peel river Watershed
a region the size of Austria.
There are no towns here, no people,
not even one street crosses this region.
It is one of the last pieces of untouched wilderness on Earth.
On this land lived the Ancestors of the Gwich'in people.
Today there are only Grizzlies.
In this region there are 10 000 proposed mines
the Mountains are rich in Uranium, Coal, Copper, Zinc and other minerals.
These minerals have a huge value to the rest of the world.
They are used for a great many things in our daily life.
Mining always causes a lot of problems
Particularly the mining of Uranium causes a lot of water pollution
it causes large disturbances in the whole ecosystem.
And mines require streets to be built,
settlements, factories, airports and so on...
I didn't know where our consumer goods came from
and what their production costs.
These wilderness areas pay the real price
and nobody notices that
one region after another disappears off the Earth.
The Gwich'in don't want to see their homeland disappear.
That's why they invited us,
the people who profit the most from this region.
So, we packed seven large bags
and made sure that we take everything on our list.
We have no idea what to expect
so we have prepared for everything.
Should I take this one or the smaller one?
but this one has "Row, row, row your boat"
We don't need all of this junk,
it isn't even going to fit.
Oh man.
In the middle of the night, once we had everything prepared we could finally leave.
and how does it go...
"Every great journey begins with a first step."
In Canada we met the Gwich'in students,
and it turns out that they aren't so different from us.
I didn't expect that.
But hey,
here we are
together
ready for the wilderness.
But real wilderness is hard to find...
there is no sign that says:
"untouched wilderness turn right."
And when the street ends, there is only one way to go further...
With the airplane!
Oh, I love flying!
Oh, I hate flying!
Wild Reindeer!
oh, I mean Caribou.
whatever.
That must be the Snake river!
we're almost there.
I can't believe we are finally here...
There it flies,
our last connection to civilisation.
And we stay here,
in the land of the Snake river.
Now that the sound of the airplane is gone...
...it is so...
...still...
It is getting dark
we must find a campsite.
Oh man, where did I pack my raincoat?
oh, this is a tent...
Where does this go?
How did they build theirs so quickly?
...and this goes here?
That doesn't look right...
I mean, that should go here...
Whatever.
Great, is this why we are here?
It is raining for hours...
...I'm still jetlagged...
...I'm cold, my tent has a hole...
...and that guy is drinking the last of the coffee.
It couldn't get any worse.
Tom...
...there's a Grizzly.
Shit, shit
Where is it?
...And now I lost my shoe.
How am I going to save the world with only one shoe?
Why is everyone so worried?
It is obvious that we'll see Bears,
we are in Canada.
Honestly, the possibility that a Bear will attack
a group of more than three people
is under 7%.
Crazy, everything in fine when the wilderness stays where it is
but when it comes close it is a completely different story.
So, this is the reason that the Bear came into camp,
it has to do with a Wolf and a Caribou?
What the Wolf started,
the Bear will finish.
And we are right in the middle...
...we need to get out of here...
...but we must put everything back as it was.
Has anyone seen my shoe?
We are leaving the camp earlier than planned
so we must learn to paddle
and fast.
Something's wrong...
...it's a strange feeling...
The trees remind me of the Mullen creek forest...
1983
A group of young people went into the forest at Mullen creek...
...some said there was something in the forest...
...following them...
...that grabbed them one by one...
Some people thought it was human...
...others say that it was a huge Wolf.
It also started as a fun excursion...
...but in the end only two came back...
...floating down the river...
...with their heads underwater.
Oh no,
it begins.
It looks like we aren't alone here...
but still, we must stay the night here.
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream"
I have this stupid song stuck in my head.
How do I charge my iPod here?
Why am I even here and not home in Dresden?
I would be warm and cozy there...
I could hang out with my friends...
We could go for a stroll...
I miss the people,
the good food,
the music.
Am I the only one that misses the city?
Everyone else seems to enjoy it.
It will get better
I think Gladice has a better use for the stones,
she makes everything much nicer.
Finally the expedition has begun,
and we leave the camp behind.
I make my own way, there isn't really a path.
I'm like a pioneer.
We walk through lands that no one has ever seen before.
But if they are singing the whole time it ruins everything.
They are scaring all the animals away.
No one will notice if I stay back a while...
Hey, there's movement.
There are animals here!
and over there...
...it's...
...it's a Bear...
...no, two.
It must be the whole Bear family.
...with three cubs.
A lot of mouths to feed.
I'm sure everyone else has missed this.
...and there...
He is nearby.
And Caribou...
...majestic antlers.
It is only a couple of weeks until their great march.
I would love to follow them.
Wander when they wander...
...sleep when they sleep...
After a while they will accept me.
And the people will call me Djago...
...he who dances with Caribou.
Jacob...
Come here and look at these plants.
These plants are so individual
the Gwich'in have a purpose for every one.
This moss was used to make their bedding,
and to colour their clothes.
It is so dry,
unbelievable that the Caribou can live off this for half a year.
In winter they eat a lot of this moss.
So many different varieties grow in this area.
Strange forms...
...and these colours...
It grows so slowly and is so fragile that when you walk over it
your footsteps remain for many years.
Because it is so cold, all of the plants grow extremely slowly.
We shouldn't pick many.
The Gwich'in take only as many as they need
so that they live in harmony with nature.
I didn't know that Orchids grow in the Polar circle.
Every time we pick something, we give the Earth something back.
That's the rule.
But, in this case it is only a bit of Tabacco...
It's the thought that counts.
Together with the Gwich'in we want to find out
the medicinal properties of the local plants.
So we make a concentrate from every plant we pick.
These samples go to a laboratory
where Pharmacists test their chemical properties.
...five...
...four...
...three...
...two...
...one...
Roughly 3 000 people die every year
from jumping into murky water...
Who cares.
Today is my 18th birthday,
it is going to be a great day, I can tell.
Now that the sun is finally shining,
we don't have to be so serious.
It would be a good moment to tweet:
"first sun, life is great...
Canyon ahead,
life is short..."
Ok, we all survived,
no, there's two more.
Every afternoon when we bring the boats in,
and gather around the fire...
...these are the moments I never want to forget.
I know all of these people for only a week,
but we have become a big family.
This adventure with nine friends is good because...
These small things become so important...
The taste of hot chocolate after a big day on the water.
...then sleeping on a mattress of silver flowers.
The freedom of wandering without any concept of time.
Your mood can change after just one day...
Anything they can do, I can do too.
but, it might take a bit longer...
...and I should be in bed...
But the nights here are the only time
that I can think clearly.
It is wonderful...
when no lights block out the stars...
you can see the whole Milky Way.
I am so small and insignificant...
...a grain of sand...
...in this enormous universe.
My life is so short...
...compared to the stars...
...what can I change?
...what is even important?
The Earth will always turn...
...the planets will always sail...
...and the stars will always sparkle...
I ask myself,
what does it mean?
When I am so insignificant
what does it matter if I do anything, or leave it as it is?
This trip for example,
who cares if this landscape is still here in 2 000 years?
or if it is erased by mining...
for the stars it does not matter...
but it matters to me.
There aren't many places left
where you can see so clearly...
and I won't be the only one that would miss this.
Near our camp two rivers flow into one another.
One is the crystal clear Snake river,
which we drink from daily.
The other looks like industrial pollution.
Is this the first sign of a mine's runoff?
Why is this river so milky?
and the other so clear?
There is only one way to find out,
I must compare their chemical properties.
To compare, I need a sample from the Snake river.
Unfortunately, out here I don't have all the equipment...
...but...
It looks like the milkier river is baser than the Snake...
The solution must come from the source.
Over a long time, the wind deposits minerals on the snow capped mountains.
Due to the rain last week the ice has begun to melt,
so the rivers are very rich in minerals, especially Calcium.
That explains the colour...
The river has a fast flow rate so a lot of the minerals remain in the water.
The Snake however has a long journey from it's source,
so most of the minerals sink to the bottom.
The rest are filtered by the stones.
After enough time the water is so clear that nothing remains inside.
Well, except for the cute element...
Another way to tell if the water is clear...
the girls would never do this in the city.
Perhaps not the most scientific method, but I like it.
This stream is made from melted Glacier ice,
and creates some of the purest water on earth.
You could call the Snake river the heart of the local ecosystem.
I don't really like these romantic phrases
but I can't think of a better way to describe it...
The river has given the animals, the plants,
and the Gwich'in life producing water.
The Gwich'in call this place 'The Land of the Painted Mountains.'
Now that we are here, I understand why it is called this way.
The stark colours are created by high concentrations of
Copper, Zinc and Uranium in the stones.
It is obvious why the land is so attractive for mining...
All of the minerals lie close to the surface and glisten in the sun.
One could reach out and grab a handful of Coal or Iron stone.
However...
I have come to realise that the value of this landscape
is not in it's natural resources...
I have grown accustomed to life in the wilderness
but our time here is coming to an end.
The Gwich'in have invited us to a Sweat lodge ceremony.
It is an ancient ritual to clear your mind and help you find your direction.
It is a great honour for us to take part in this ceremony.
28 stones are heated in a fire at the entrance to the tent.
These stones are called, 'the oldest of our Ancestors'
'the Grandfathers and Grandmothers.'
Over time as the landscape changes,
...trees grow and die...
...the stones remain for all time.
Only a faint light comes from the glowing stones in the middle of the tent.
The air is hot, heavy,
and smells of exotic herbs.
We are sitting shoulder to shoulder but,
in the darkness I can't tell who is sitting next to me.
I hear their breath.
And nearby
the river flows happily over the stones.
I can hear the wind above us,
chasing the clouds.
And the trees on the other side of the river,
how they groan and whisper.
This land has it's own rhythm...
...and for the first time, I can hear it.
I have never heard this sound at home...
...loud sounds block it out,
and have drowned out the singing.
It is time to take down the tents,
the motorboats are here to take us back to civilisation.
We have come a long way,
But here where the river gets wider, and the wind is stronger
we can no longer paddle.
Let's go to Fort MacPherson!
Looks like the whole town is here.
Murrel showed me the town,
for him this is just a return home,
but for me this was a journey through time.
We were just in the middle of prehistoric wilderness,
drinking water from the river and making fire from stones...
And now we are in the land of electricity,
...houses...
and cars.
Every minute I am here I think,
that I only dreamed of the wilderness.
To be honest, the reality shocked me,
I had a stereotypical image of the lives of the Gwich'in...
but, they are just like us.
I think there is a different kind of balance with the environment
...sure...
Their culture was suppressed for a long time and their values have changed,
But they still remember a strong part of their traditions.
Hopefully they can pass this on...
I didn't think this trip would affect me so deeply...
I think that we have all learnt something important...
Oh well...
...perhaps not everyone...
I got it, I can do it...
...try and follow me...
'Jigging Jacob'
In all this excitement I have almost forgotten what brought us here...
I forget so easily that this landscape is threatened
because the effects of the destruction and danger are so far out of sight.
I don't know what the future will bring...
...but I am happy that I have seen this landscape in this way.
It is good to know that there are still places on this Earth
where nature remains the way it always was.
I hope it remains that way.
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