Yellowknife (June 18/03) - Celebrating Dene history brought together 400 students from Yellowknife's two school districts at Somba K'e park on Monday.

Teacher Roberta Kennedy captivates students with her storytelling. - Lisa Scott/NNSL photo

Sheila Stewart, language and culture teacher at Mildred Hall Elementary, joined her Weledeh Catholic school counterpart Cecilia Boyd in planning the event.

They provided 10 stations for the kids to choose from, including bannock making, jigging, and learning hide scraping from a Dene elder.

It was the first time the two school districts have collaborated on a project like this, where schooling differences are put aside in honour of cultural learning.

The students were hyper with the sun and end-of-year fever, whipping their friends around during the Inuit head pulling game, or jostling for a spot in a voyageur canoe.

Colin Doig from Mildred Hall took time out from dripping caramel sauce off his bannock to say what he's learned. "Its their (Dene) way to live, if they hadn't learned this, they probably wouldn't be here."

For Stewart, taking advantage of the sunshine in the park was the perfect way to infuse traditional culture in the kids.

It's important for them to learn about who came before them "because we live in traditional Dene land, they need to have respect for the how people lived here," Stewart said.

Stewart and Boyd hope the event expands to include all schools from both districts next year.