In The Footsteps Of Our Ancestors

What many call the ‘worlds toughest hike’, the Canol Heritage Trail is a 355km rugged alpine path that weaves its way through vast canyons, rivers and thicket deep within the Mackenzie Mountains of the Sahtú region, NWT. In The Footsteps Of Our Ancestors is an epic documentary feature that follows the journey of 11 brave hikers during a 37-mile traverse of the trail as part of the 2017 Canol Youth Leadership Hike. Tracing the abandoned remains of the Canol Pipeline project, one of World War II's failed energy pursuits, the hikers walk in the footsteps of the Shúhtagot’ı̨nę Mountain Dene, the Indigenous stewards of the land since time immemorial. Faced with some of the most beautiful and unforgiving wilderness found in Canada, the hikers quickly understand what the realities of life in the mountains would have been like for their ancestors and the difficulties faced by the American Army in building one of the greatest constructions projects of the 20th century. With an enduring message for future generations, this film showcases the power of youth leadership, the spirit of teamwork, and the tremendous potential we unlock inside ourselves when we are chosen by the land.