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Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, October 13, 2011

DEH GAH GOT'IE/FORT PROVIDENCE
The Dene Zhatie Immersion Program wrapped up on Oct. 1 when 18 teenagers, four children, six elders and 11 adults returned from spending 34 days on the land.

Participants in the Dene Zhatie Immersion Program included Juden Landry in the far back. Back row, from left: Leroy Landry, Spencer Bonnetrouge, Rocky Elleze, Jade Bonnetrouge, Kody Bonnetrouge, Samson Geddes, Nogha Landry, Clyde Minoza, Cindy Landry, Shanna Canadien and Jeff Canadien. Fourth row, from left: Joe Canadien, Blake Minoza and Sheldon Sanderson. Third row, from left: Philip Bonnetrouge, Christina Bonnetrouge, Sheila Landry, Priscilla Canadien, Cynthia Landry, Earl Canadien, Genevieve Canadien and Aaron Constant. Second row, from left: Michael James Landry, Joachim Bonnetrouge, Paul Minoza, Louisa Denetre, Mary Rose Landry, Ted Landry, Albert Bonnetrouge, Caroline Bonnetrouge and Theresa Bonnetrouge. Front row, from left: Karen Thurber, Denis Thurber, Anonda Canadien, Bennie Gargan and Christopher Canadien. Nancy Bonnetrouge and Laura Sabourin also took part. - photo courtesy of Theresa Bonnetrouge

The camp, which aimed to immerse Dene youth in their language and culture, was held on the shores of Shih K'eh Tue, also known as Willow Lake.

"It has never been done before," said Joachim Bonnetrouge, co-ordinator of the program and former chief of Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation.

"We recreated a traditional Dene village. Learning how to work together as a family unit and listening to the elders who were storytelling, that was the highlight for me."

For more than a month, the 39 participants lived and learned at camp, doing chores, going hunting, preparing food and practising Dene Zhatie through short lessons or by conversing with elders.

"The goal is to have the students become fluent in Dene Zhatie," he said.

Theresa Bonnetrouge, a teacher at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, said many students improved, although they're still quite shy to speak up.

"They understand, but speaking is still a struggle for some," she said.

Theresa said another struggle for the students was being out on the land for such a long period of time, as many had little or no previous experience.

Four times throughout the program planes flew into the camp, twice to bring visitors and twice to bring supplies and gas.

Theresa said that at one point, some students asked if they could fly back with it.

"It was overwhelming. A lot of them haven't spent much time out of the land," she said.

"At the end, kids didn't want to go home. It was really surprising because for some of them, town is their life, yet they didn't want to go back."

Big impact on the boys

She said the time out on the land had a significant impact on the boys who took part in the program.

"I found that the boys were really angry and stuff like that, but over the five weeks they just kind of mellowed down and really changed from being an angry young man to just being themselves," she said.

"It was just something you had to see to believe."

The boys went hunting with the men often during the program, and brought back caribou, moose and two bears to the camp.

"I had a feed of bear meat for the first time in a long time. It was very delicious," said Joachim of their success.

During the first two weeks, students were encouraged to observe elders as they prepared fish and meat, but after that they became hands-on with all the food preparation.

Joachim said the immersion program will likely run again next year, although it might be moved to a month during the summer, or to a different site, away from the wind of Willow Lake.

The program was a joint initiative between Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation and Deh Gah School in Fort Providence.

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