Team Canada 2019 🇨🇦

Team Canada 2019 (Gearhead 12265) may be the most diverse team in Canada this year. Canada’s people are from all corners of the globe, but this team goes a lot further including many youth from some of Canada’s First Nations people. Representing this team are Gregor (heritage), Luke (heritage) and Elly (heritage) as the older and more experienced kids with FTC and FRC experience. Tristan and Quentin, Metis; and Ben, Chinese, have competed 1 season with FTC. The rest of the youth have some experience with Lego Mindstorms, but are rookies to FTC. Tara-Shay, Trice, Blaine and Rosario are from Siksika First Nation (Blackfoot), Rafe is from Kainai First Nation (Blackfoot) and Koah is from Waterhen Lake First Nation (Cree). The travel team is Gregor, Luke, Tristan, Tara-Shay and Trice.

Team Canada could not make it without the coaches and mentors we have: Deanna Burgart, Fond du Lac First Nation (Cree and Dene), Rob Cardinal, Siksika First Nation and Logan Arcilla, Alexis First Nation (Sioux). They are joined by Mitch, Konrad, Evan (heritage), Etianne (French Canadian) and Claire (Chinese). Logan will be travelling with the team as well as Reem, a teacher mentor with IndigeSTEAM with roots in Dubai. Parents and members of IndigeSTEAM Society are also helping out with all the fundraising.

One thing that makes this team unique is the involvement of Elders from the local First Nations. The Elders are encouraging the youth to create something new, collaborative and shared. When they return, they will be asked to share their stories with other youth to encourage more youth to be involved in STEM projects like FIRST Robotics.

Being Team Canada 2019 from Alberta for a year when the competition is about the oceans has put the team into an interesting place – they have had to look outwards from their home to see what Canada is doing and the relationship we have with our three oceans. There are not many countries of the world who have coastlines on 3 oceans. Canada has the most kilometers of coastline of any country in the world. Add in the miles of coast of the fresh water of the Great Lakes and all the other fresh water lakes and rivers and it is not difficult to see that Canada considers our oceans of great importance. In Alberta, our rivers flow to other rivers that flow to Hudson Bay. Containment of pollution starts at our front doors, not just at our ocean shores.

Having a strong Indigenous group of youth means that the local stories about water, as well as those of the coastal dwellers, are something that we are learning. We are looking for the local stories of the Indigenous people who have dwelt along the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific Oceans and will have stories we can share about the ocean and animal spirts who have lived in the oceans since time began.

Team Media



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