KFN helping to keep kids active
Summer Culture Day Camp Program
to run until late August
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, July 25, 2016
HAY RIVER
A Summer Culture Day Camp Program is underway for another year at K'atlodeeche First Nation on the Hay River Reserve.
This year, 24 children - from seven to 12 years of age - have registered for the free program which began July 4 and will run to Aug. 23.
"This has been running every year since I was young," said Rose Buggins, the program's current organizer who says she enjoyed the program as a child.
And one of the goals is still to let children have fun with sports and field trips, such as one last week to the falls south of Enterprise and a planned one to the Salt Plains near Fort Smith.
Kairyssa Sabourin is having fun in the program, which is centred on the gym at the Chief Sunrise Education Centre.
"I'm enjoying it. The games are fun over here," said the seven-year-old, adding her favourite activities are playing dodge ball and swimming.
As its name indicates, there is also a cultural aspect to the program.
"We try to get involved with the elders, try to bring an elder in once a week to do something cultural with the kids to learn," said Buggins.
She can also demonstrate some traditional skills.
"I can teach the kids how to do beading and dry fish making, or how to gut a fish, and dream catcher making," she said. "Bannock on a stick, I know that."
Plus, the camp teaches boat safety, canoeing and swimming, both on a beach on the reserve and at the swimming pool in Hay River.
Buggins is a waterfront co-ordinator, which means she's certified to supervise children in the water, and has lifeguard training and knows First Aid.
She supervises four camp counsellors hired for the program.
One of the main goals of the Summer Culture Day Camp Program is to help out parents who are working.
A separate Recreation, Sports and Culture Youth Summer Program - for females aged from 12 to 17 and males aged from 13 to 17 - began July 18 and is to run to Aug. 19.
