Old Crow day 4 - DRONE

Today, Saturday, we started at 9am! Excited to work the DRONE!

Mary Jane picked up Sebnem and Lisa g and we met Mariel and Jeff at the John Tyzia Centre. Mariel set up an amazing animation station she brought from KIAC with lights built in and Jeff prepped the drones. Jeff brought his own drone but also will teach everyone the Vuntut Gwitchin drone. They both use the same batteries and are very similar.

Florence arrived first thing and started back on writing and Mariel jumped in as a pro typer to help type the English. Florence already has the Gwich’in written.

Mary Jane continues to collect her photos and videos and brought her laptop which already has DaVinci Resolve editing program on it.

Ruth arrives to and reviews her footage.

Ben arrives and we decide to get the DRONE DAY officially started (the students may need a day off) and so Jeff introduces himself and the drone and shows some footage from Tsleil-Waututh Nation 2023 canoe race, .the solar array project (with the council chambers building) and the 2022 canoe race. We tell everyone that Jeff and Lisa g met when Mary Jane and Sophia visited the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in 2025 to share their films. We learn that the size of the drone - 249 grams - means it doesn’t need a license! If it was 250 grams it would need a license. That said - some folks in the community DO have their drone license! (Briana for instance….)

Then we get hands on as Mary Jane, Florence , Ben and Ruth all try the drone! Right inside the JTC!

Then it is outside to practice and Ruth already has a scene in mind where she does a snow angel with Mary Jane practicing the drone and Jeff capturing the final shot.

Mariel and Florence continue to work together on locations and getting archival imagery of the canvas boat.

Lunch today is tuna fish sandwiches and salad while we watch the drone footage!

After lunch, Mary Jane captures two scenes just by standing right outside the JTC! She and Jeff fly it all th way up to the school and along the road and end up almost out to the airport. It is crazy! It can fly up to 5 km away from the controller! Then MJ flys it to her house! We learn to put the SD card in and start it and take off (from the hand and the ground) and then land.

Ruth films her eulogy outside beside the river. She gets a lovely wide shot and a orgeous close up! Amazing!

Then off we go: Ben, Jeff, Mariel, MJ, Ruth, Florene, Sebnem, and lisa g pile into the school truck and Chelsea so kindly drives us up Crow Mountain. We park at the quarry and walk up. We take pictures and enjoy the view and Florence’s stories of being out on the land and running free, and helping hunt caribou and picking berries!

Unfortunately, it is SOOOOO windy - so no drone filming is possible up there. Darn it! So back we go - laughing all the way!

Back at the JTC we move more photos for MJ and record Florences Gwich’in and back everything up.

Late night walk shows the gorgeous snow crystals.

PHEW busy but such a fun day!