Concordia Language Villages staff may speak a Village language, creatively teach culture, work and play hard. They also develop skills and qualities that will make them excellent employees in any field.
Les Voyageurs
French Language Village
About Les Voyageurs
Become a voyageur. Speak French. Live outdoors. Build your crew.
Les Voyageurs is the only French and wilderness program in northern Minnesota. Here at Concordia Language Villages basecamp Les Voyageurs, we bring the world of the historic French voyageurs to life through canoe travel, camping, French language, hands-on learning, and the shared adventure of living in nature. A full immersion experience in the outdoors by living exclusively outdoors, experiencing the joys and challenges of outdoor communal living, canoe trips, and magnificent landscapes.
Our wilderness tripping station sits adjacent to the French Village, Lac du Bois, and is designed to feel like a national park campground from another era. Villagers arrive by canoë, pull into the dock, and settle into their camping community. The grand feu de camp becomes the setting for our daily rendezvous where history, stories, songs, French, games, and good-natured competition bring everyone together.
At Les Voyageurs, you don't simply learn about the outdoors or the voyageurs you become one. You’ll be saying “Je suis voyageur!” in no time.
Prefer to stay in a cozy cabin? French Lac du Bois is your choice!
Typical Day
Get ready for the rendezvous (gathering) at French Les Voyageurs! You become a voyageur as you canoe with your tent partners, learn to pitch a tent, split logs, cook over an open fire, paddle, tip and rescue a canoe, sing songs, learn jokes in French, prepare roubabou (traditional split pea stew), identify plants and carve a spoon or make moccasins. You may also build a fire, knead bannock (quick bread), danse la Bastringue (folk dance), meet fur traders, listen to the loons, watch the sunset with your friends by fire and fall asleep on the shore of lakes carved in the Canadian shield.
The daily schedule will also include arts and crafts, recreational swimming, working on projects, singing, campfires under the stars, gathering wood, cleaning the dishes and pumping potable water.
Because an experience with Les Voyageurs is different than staying in a village we have a special packing list. Click the link to find out what to bring and not to bring for your adventure.
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Life at Les Voyageurs
Friendships That Last a Lifetime
Natural Splendor
Following the Voyageurs' Path
Jumping into the Lake!
Our Amazing Staff!
Packing for the Grand Voyage
Canoeing on our Trek
Rest Time
Capturing the Views
Sunset Lake Time
Prepping Our Canoes
Lakeside Dining
Explore the Great Outdoors
After five days at base camp, you and your brigade is ready for the "grand voyage" in Voyageurs National Park. You’ll pack up your sac étanche (waterproof bag), sac de couchage (sleeping bag) and chamallows (marshmallows) and set out along the historical route of the fur trade, traversing the southern lakes of Voyageurs.
As you engage in a one-week adventure, you’ll build and strengthen your skills in the French language while making new friends and paddling with (or against) the wind. One afternoon you’ll find yourself on the edge of two countries looking at a U.S.-Canada border marker, and the next morning you’ll be on the edge of history looking at pictographs left by early native dwellers of the land.
On the layover day you’ll be the sole guests of a parcel of forest. Later around the fire, the brigade will debrief one-another about their experiences. After two weeks as voyageurs, the castor (beaver) and aigle à tête blanche (bald eagle) will have become your friends. Back at basecamp, the last day is filled with stories, voyageurs-style competitions and a closing ceremony around the campfire.
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Les Voyageurs in Action
Practicing Fire Building
Art in the North Woods
Campsite Cooking
Fun & Games
Pumping Potable Water
Paddle Racing!
Campsite Music
Tent Setup
Tip and Rescue Simulation
Chopping Wood for the Campfire
Dishwashing on the Go
Experience Les Voyageurs
Upcoming French Voyageurs Camps & Programs
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Learn About Scholarship Opportunities
Need-based scholarships are available for Les Voyageurs summer youth immersion sessions through the Passport Fund. Scholarships are based on a family’s adjusted gross income, number of dependents and the length of the session.
Additionally, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education offers a $1,000 stipend for Minnesota students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.
Our Location: Les Voyageurs
Turtle River Lake
The Les Voyageurs permanent base campsite is located on Turtle River Lake, just a short distance from the French Language Village, Lac du Bois. Check-in for Les Voyageurs programs is at the Lac du Bois site.
Up to four villagers share a tent and staff share tents nearby. Canoes are used for tripping and transportation of food and supplies, as well as mail. All meals are prepared by villagers and staff over an open campfire. Groups portage their tents and supplies on five- to nine-day camping excursions.
Minnesota is typical of a continental climate. The North Woods of Minnesota experiences the widest variety of weather in the United States. Although summers are generally hot and humid, it is normal to experience rain showers, thunderstorms and cool nights. Summer temperatures average 85 F but can get down to 55 F. This program lives outdoors, regardless of the weather, so come packed and prepared to handle a wide variety of temperatures and dry or wet weather.
Meet Our Team
Read more about our professional staff at Les Voyageurs, our French Voyageurs Language Village.
David Dahveed Benson
Dean
David Dahveed Benson is the French Les Voyageurs dean. Dahveed has been on staff since 1989, serving as dean since 1994, and was a villager at Lac du Bois for seven years. Dahveed is fluent in French and has studied Hausa, Swahili, Fulfulde, Yemba, Malgassy and Pidgin. Dahveed graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in French and history. He earned his master’s degree in African history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dahveed currently lives in Bemidji, Minn., where he teaches World Geography at Bemidji Middle School, and coaches Model United Nations and Knowledge Bowl.