Shivangi Sinha
History Channel’s ‘Alone’ is a gripping reality TV show where contestants are isolated in the wilderness with minimal supplies, competing to see who can survive the longest. In the 11th season, many promising contestants graced the series, but Michela Carriere stood out. Her resilience, resourcefulness, and calm demeanor made her a standout competitor and well-liked by the audience. In the face of all adversities, how she stood strong and with grace has made her an inspiration for many.
Michela Carriere Believed She Would Succeed in the Season
34-year-old Michela Carriere from Saskatchewan, Canada, shared that her family is part of the Cree-Metis from her father’s side. The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations in North America, known for their rich cultural heritage and deep connection to the land. The Metis are a distinct cultural group of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, primarily French and Scottish, historically recognized for their work as fur traders. Michela grew up immersed in this heritage, strongly emphasizing being outdoors and connecting with nature.
Michela grew up in the wilderness of the Saskatchewan River Delta, in a secluded home far from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. She was homeschooled with her brothers and sisters before joining Vancouver Island University to study horticulture. In 2008, she enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan to study kinesiology and completed her studies in 2017. Michela learned hunting and trapping from her father and shared that her participation in the series was to honor her heritage and all that her ancestors had taught her.
Michela shared that she was excited to join the series from the first time she watched it in 2020, and after the rigorous selection process, being asked to join was the greatest news she had ever heard. She believed her work as an Adventure Tour Guide for Big Eddy Lodge, a role she has been fulfilling since 2001, had given her sufficient experience to excel in the game. As part of her job, she led canoe adventures, and those exceptional boating skills, combined with the hunting experience she had picked up from her family and environment, would come in handy in the season.
Michela Carriere is an Adventure Guide Till Today
Michela Carriere always knew she wanted to pay homage to and strengthen her heritage in any way she could. She got her first inspiration for entrepreneurship in 2010 when she founded Deltabeadworks, a company through which Michela manufactures and sells clothing and jewelry inspired by Métis and Cree beadwork. Her products are not only available on the company’s website but are also sold on Etsy. With the success of her business and the thrill her work at Big Eddy Lodge brought her, she decided to start a new venture.
In 2018, Michela founded Aski Holistic Adventures based in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company offers nature-based retreats organized out of the Big Eddy Lodge, combining naturalistic processes with therapy sessions and workshops that promise to rejuvenate clients. After she got back from participating on ‘Alome’, she spent most of her time in and around her lodge fishing and gardening and it helped her get back to her roots. After spending the New Year with her family, in February 2024, she participated in the Escape the Hooved Mine Bike Festival and enjoyed the snow that covered her house. In May, along with her family she arranged the annual spring marathon canoe training camp at her lodge.
At Aski Holistic Adventures, she has been consistently been organizing enthralling trips, and her Aski Log Cabin Course, which concluded in May 2024, was an immense success. Philosophy and various forms of naturopathy are central to the haven she has created. It was the same month that she got the news of another professional success. She had illustrated Muskrats fire book and which translated by Laura Chaboyer, and she received the finished copy. It was fulfilling to see her work come to fruition.
Michela has worked with high-profile clients, including the University of Saskatchewan, APTN, Discovery Channel, and travelers from Germany and Australia. The media have recognized her work and her life. She appeared on the cover of Going Places Magazine alongside her father and has also done interviews on APTN. Michela inspires many and has participated in numerous conferences and meetings, such as the International Tourism Conference of 2024 held in Ottawa, Canada, and at Outer Limits.
Michela Carriere Fiercely Protects the Indigenous Culture
In February 2024, Michela got a chance to participate in the ITAC Ottawa International Indigenous Tourism Conference which gave her a chance to meet with successful entrepreneurs like her from her community. It gave her a chance to discuss and network and she hopes that these connections would help her reap rewards in the long term. She has always been very vocal in her activism for the protection and conservation of indigenous cultures and practices. It is the same fierceness which she brought to the season and which gave her an edge over other contestants. As a gesture to keep the traditions alive, she organized a cultural burning at the Delta in March 2024.
Michela is also working on becoming a Cree herbalist. With her education, she has realized the importance of incorporating natural medicine traditions with modern techniques and believes in a harmonious and educated use of such practices in today’s life. This is the lifestyle and healing she provides at her retreat, too, and it has been a tremendous hit. She is very vocal about many social issues close to her heart, like the success and promotion of indigenous-owned businesses and climate impact, and forest fires which she herself faced in May 2024. She knows that these profoundly impact her and her community and will bear upon her future generations too.
Michela Carriere is Supported by Her Family and Friends
Michela’s father, Solomon Carriere, is a World Champion canoe paddler, and her mother, Renee Carriere, is a land-based educator. Michela attributes much of her success to the lessons learned from both of them. She also has her partner, Leo Claret, by her side. Leo, an accomplished cabin builder and handyman, takes great pride in supporting his wife. The two were married in a beautiful church ceremony on December 22, 2022, and are eagerly excited to welcome a child and build a family together. With her niece and nephew by her side, she wants to pass on the knowledge and respect for her heritage to the next generation and believes they would be the flag-bearers of all she has accomplished.
