Classes a long haul

Page R2

Some people will go any distance to get an education.

For seven years, a group of almost two dozen people from Canim Lake, B.C. have migrated 800 km every summer to a campus in Seattle, Washington. In the process, they obtained bachelor degrees and a first-hand knowledge of nomadic lifestyles.

Because not only did the students undertake the journey, their spouses and families came with them. The unique program was devised by former Canim Lake chief Gabriel Christopher.

After approaching three provincial universities and being turned down, Christopher started negotiating with Gonzaga University in Seattle to establish a program for his reserve.

In 1987, after seven years of planning, the long distance university program began. Four times a semester, professors from Gonzaga U travelled to Canim Lake to teach.

In the summer, their students packed up families and travelled across the border to study and live on the university campus.

For many of the students, the program was their first chance in two or three decades to become involved with formal education. Seven years to complete a degree didn't seem that long.