HAY RIVER
Mackenzie Mandeville is only 15 years old, but she's already spent much of her life trapping.

Hay River's Mackenzie Mandeville, 15, is won the NWT Trappers Award this year. - photo courtesy of Mike Mandeville

"I was young, around nine or 10," she said. "I started going out trapping with my dad."

The Hay River teen won a youth trapper award as part of the NWT Trappers Awards this year. The territorial Department of Environment and Natural Resources presents the awards annually.

Mandeville learned her skills from her father, Mike Mandeville.

Mike, now 52 years old, said he also began trapping as a teenager.

"When I was younger, I always had a lot of fun when I was doing that kind of thing," he said. "When I had children of my own, I thought it would be nice for them to learn."

Mike said he learned his trapping skills from his father and grandfather.

"It's been in our family for as long as I can remember," he said. "I thought it was good for them to learn and benefit from the knowledge I learned from my dad."

Mackenzie now knows how to set snares for rabbits, martens, lynx and wolverines.

She said her favourite part of trapping is travelling to the trapline and checking her lines.

"I like driving the Ski-Doo and setting the snares and seeing what I caught in it," she said.

Though it's exciting to see what the traps have caught, Mackenzie said it's also important to show respect for the animals.

"It's how you treat the animals after you catch them," she said. "How you take them off the snare and how you skin them and stuff. You need to be thankful for them."

Mike said respect is just one of the lessons he hopes his children learn through trapping.

"People should cherish that and be respectful of the land. People need to keep taking their families out and teaching them," he said.

"Who knows what it's going to be like in 30 or 40 years?"

Mandeville said she believes the knowledge her father has passed on to her is a gift.

"It's good being with someone who knows what they're doing," she said. "My dad showed me everything that I know so far."

In addition to trapping, being out on the land as a family has also taught Mackenzie basic survival skills.

"Myself, I feel to pass down this knowledge and tradition to your family, not only does it build close bonds and ties with family, but you're spending time out in the wild," Mike said. "It's good to know that you can make it out there and enjoy yourself."

While he no longer uses trapping as a primary source of income, Mike said he believes the activity is more valuable than money.

"The fur industry isn't very viable these days," he said. "If I take my children and myself and we go out there, it's to carry on the tradition and the culture of what we've learned. For that part, it's something I'll keep doing all my life."

Mandeville said she agreed.

"It's our heritage," she said. "It's our culture."

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