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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
At age 13, Ernest Tsetso Sr.'s father pulled him out of school and took him out into the bush to learn the skills he would use to feed his family for the next 50 years.

Kalemi Dene School student Stanley Mackenzie pre-smokes a caribou hide during a Take a Kid Trapping workshop held at Det'on Cho Training and Conference Centre the week of May 13. - photo courtesy of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment

The pair spent a year hunting and trapping in the wilderness near Fort Simpson. It was hard work but Tsetso said he quickly got used to it.

He remembers his father showing him how to construct a deadfall and the first catch he made with his new-found skills.

"One day (my father) was gone and I started making one and then every morning I checked it. One morning I caught one marten on there and I was surprised," Tsetso recalled with a chuckle.

After the year was up, Tsetso had planned to go back and finish his schooling, but in 1964 his father unexpectedly died.

"Sometimes I think I should have kept my education going but since my dad was gone and ... I was kind of taking care of mom, most of my time was spent in the bush," he said, adding although he has had other jobs in his lifetime, he's always relied on trapping and hunting. "I just love to be out there."

The life of a trapper has changed somewhat since Tsetso started. Laws have been put in place that require trappers to use quick kill traps as opposed to leg-hold traps. The newer method, Tsetso said, is much more risky and users have to be very careful or they could really hurt themselves.

"I've heard some stories from trappers who broke some fingernails," he said. "(The traps) are very strong."

More recently, Tsetso has noticed a change in the money he's been getting for his pelts. In January, he was surprised to get $2,200 for 17 furs, he said, adding he would normally get a little less than that.

According to Francois Rossouw, who oversees fur marketing for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), the sales numbers this year are likely to be the best the territory has seen in a long time.

"Personally I'm predicting about $2.2 million and that number hasn't been reached for over 22 years," Rossouw said while sitting in his office surrounded by pelts from all types of animals.

Fur is becoming more popular again, especially among Asian buyers, he said. There is a greater appreciation for wild furs.

In the NWT there are currently between 700 and 750 active trappers. When the prices increase, Rossouw said, they usually see a bump in the number of trappers going out on the land.

"I'd like to sustain that bump," he said, adding the industry could probably support another 200 trappers. "We've drifted away from the traditional economy not realizing the importance of it."

Tsetso echoed Rossouw's comments, saying most of today's youth lack the attention span and motivation needed to be a trapper. He also said he is unsure if the tradition will carry on.

Still, Tsetso plans to take his now four-year-old grandson out on the land when he is older to teach him how to trap and hunt.

"I hope it just keeps going," Tsetso said of the industry.

ITI supports trappers through a variety of services, including guaranteed advances on furs, help with startup costs, and workshops to educate participants about current regulations and information from auction house specialists.

Meanwhile, the Take a Kid Trapping Program, which began in 2002, focuses on recruitment. Last year, ITI funded 52 projects and 2,300 children participated.

"It just keeps growing every year. There are more projects happening," said Guy Erasmus, who is in charge of the program.

A few years back, Erasmus added, the average trapper in the territory was over the age of 60 but trends show the average age is now lower. It could be because of the program but there is no definitive proof, he said.

Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya said he believes it's very important to support trappers and wants to see a mentorship program that continues what the Take a Kid Trapping Program has started.

"A trapping curriculum needs to be developed," he said, adding it would be similar to apprenticeship programs for plumbers and carpenters. "(The student) would enter into an apprenticeship program with some structure and some level of improvement every year, maybe four years and the trapper then becomes a recognized journeyman trapper."

There's money running around in the bush and younger generations need the skills to out there and get it, Yakeleya said. Also, it allows residents to live a clean, honest and strong life.

"I think everybody needs to at one time ... go back to the university of life and that's to be on the land," he said.

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