
Author Rachel Vander Veen is originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, a grandchild of Dutch settlers. She moved to the Fort Providence in 2007 to volunteer at Deh Gáh School. She went on to earn her teaching degree in 2010, and since then has spent many years advocating the benefits and joys of reading and more recently, giving children the opportunity to connect to the Land.
Rachel's first book, A Journey Down the River, won the 2019 Northwords' Youth Book Award. In 2023, she released The Land Outside My Window which was inspired by the work of many people across the Northwest Territories who envisioned on-the-Land programming as a possibility for all. These days, you will find her out exploring and learning with the Bushkids!