L Lily James had never considered the fact that -40 degrees Celsius aligns perfectly with -40 degrees Fahrenheit until she found herself standing on a frozen lake under the Northern Lights. Despite being wrapped in five layers, any exposed skin risked frostbite within minutes. This venture to Canada’s North wasn’t just a journey into winter’s grasp but a quest to witness the profound impact of natural diamond recovery on this land and its people. This wasn’t Lily James’ first venture into natural diamond country. As the global ambassador for the Natural Diamond Council, the Emmy- and Golden Globe- nominated actress previously traveled to Botswana in 2022, immersing herself in the world’s top diamond-producing country by value. Witnessing the transformative effect of natural diamonds on communities and environments opened her eyes to the industry’s reality. Eager to learn more, James was in the icy expanse of Canada’s Northwest Territories — the world’s third-largest natural diamond source. James touched down in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is home to half of the territory’s forty-thousand inhabitants and sits beside the world’s tenth-largest lake. Excited to meet locals, James headed to B. Dene, an indigenous-owned camp in Dettah. The lake, as big as Belgium, transforms into a solid expanse of ice in winter, allowing James to drive across two meters of ice on top of the deepest lake in North America to get there. This surreal passage is part of daily life for the locals. Once across, James met Kateri Lynn and Cody Drygeese. Lynn, Dettah’s youngest elected councilor, works at the local diamond-cutting facility, while Drygeese helps operate the B. Dene camp, a family endeavor led by his father. They ushered James into a sled linked to a snowmobile, traveling the last few hundred yards through thick snow to B. Dene. The camp at Drygeese’s great-grandmother’s birthplace features log cabins and teepees among snow-covered evergreens. It acts as an educational hub, immersing visitors in the Yellowknives Dene First Nation’s heritage and traditional way of life. Upon arrival, James, welcomed by the warmth of a community gathered around a fire, witnessed the “feeding the fire” ceremony led by respected elder Jonas Sangris. This ritual honors nature’s elements and ancestors. The ceremony, highlighted by handcrafted drums and singing, deeply moved James, underlining the bond between tradition, community, and the natural environment.
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