Elder Charlie teaches the group the life-saving art of starting fire with flint, dry cord and kindling. Fire was a basic but essential key to survival in the wild. In the 'Merchants of the Wild' series, six Oji-Cree people reconnect to the land, reliving life on a fur trade expedition across northern Cree and Ojibway territories with no modern technology. As they travel in birch bark canoes, elders and knowledge keepers teach them how to make tools and shelter, find food, and use traditional skills, teachings essential to their survival on their 25-day voyage. They gain cultural knowledge and discover ways in which they can better live harmoniously within their environment.