LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - From feeding the water to saying mahsi cho for the fish catch, the concept of respect was part of many aspects of Bompas Elementary School's recent spring culture camp.

James Tsetso lifts an inconnu that was caught during Bompas Elementary School's spring culture camp. - photo courtesy of Teresa Chilkowich

From May 30 to June 8 every class at the Fort Simpson school spent a day across the Mackenzie River at the school's campsite. The camp was themed around the word 'respect,' said Bernice Gargan, the school's language specialist who organized the event.

Respect was shown through the fire feeding ceremonies that took place at the beginning and end of each day of the camp and the tobacco that was given to the land when anything was taken from it. Students were taught that the land provides a lot for us and that we should respect everything and only take the things we need, Gargan said.

During the camp, students learned how to make full use of what they harvest from the land. The lessons included learning how to make dry meat and fish and how to smoke fish. A bounty of fish was caught in nets at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard rivers including jackfish, inconnu, pickerel, whitefish, sucker and loche.

An aspect of respect also came into play when students were encouraged to try new things like fish guts and moose bone marrow without saying "ewwww," said Gargan

"I'm just so impressed with them," she said.

While at the camp, Gargan said she sees a side of the students that she'd like to see more of at the school. Even students who struggle with behavioural problems in the classroom are better behaved at the camp, she said.

"They're really good kids," she said.

Gargan said she enjoys the camp because it gives her the opportunity to teach the students the traditional skills that her parents taught her.

"For me it's healthy lifestyle, getting them away from television and games," she said.

For Brodie Snider, 8, the best part of the camp was swimming in the Mackenzie River at the mouth of the stream that students hike to every year. Snider also enjoyed learning how to light a fire using flint after a lesson from instructor Teresa Chilkowich.

"It's easy," he said.

The trick is to use lots of dry grass and lint from a dryer, he said.

Fishing was the highlight of the camp for Snider's classmate Hunter Cli-Norwegian.

Cli-Norwegian, 9, caught a jackfish with a fishing pole after waiting patiently through a few casts. Other popular activities at the camp included bannock-making, setting rabbit snares, tasting poplar sap and identifying plants.

"There's lots of hands-on. They just love it," Gargan said.

Hart James Apples, Edward Cholo, elder Jane Grossetete, Ashley Menicoche and Troy Arden assisted Gargan at the camp.

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