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DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
Fort Providence student Rudy Landry wasn't sitting in class Feb. 23 like he would normally be on a Thursday; instead, he was using a knife to skin a side of a bison.

Dalton Mandeville, left, of Fort Smith, and Rudy Landry, of Fort Providence, help skin a bison as part of the Keepers Program in Fort Providence. - photo courtesy of Jim Snider

Landry, 14, was one of eight students who participated in a bison hunt as part of the first year of the Keepers Program. The three-year program, run by Deh Gah School, is designed to promote cultural and environmental stewardship among students.

In their first year, students focus on the North. A bison hunt was chosen to be part of the first year because it is a traditional activity that some students haven't taken part in and it's important for them to learn from the hunters, said Jim Snider, Deh Gah School's vice-principal and a participant in the hunt.

"It's just part of being Dene," said Snider. "The buffalo is very important."

The students – from Fort Providence, Fort Smith and the Hay River Reserve – started the hunt by spending five days, beginning on Feb. 17, taking a firearms safety course and first aid at the school. The students then moved to a camp on the Horn River where they learned about a variety of traditional activities from instructors Henry Sabourin, Jonas Landry and Lawrence Denetre.

The students learned about trapping beaver and caught two and also checked a trap and snare line where they caught a martin. The students checked fish nets and learned how to untangle the fish that were caught.

On Feb. 23, the students watched as Jonas and Sabourin harvested a bison. After it was dead, the students went to work putting the animal onto its back and shoveling snow so it would stay in place. After letting it sit for about two hours the real work began.

"Some of the kids got right in there," said Snider.

Snider said the students helped pull the legs for the hunters so they could dress the animal. Some of the male students also used their knives to help skin the bison and remove its head.

"They did not hold back," Snider said.

Rudy was one of the students who got involved in the process. Rudy had some previous experience, having harvested a bison once before with this dad.

"It was fun," he said about the hunt.

Rudy helped to skin one side of the bison, taking tips from the hunters.

One has to be careful they don't cut the stomach or cut through the hide, he said.

"It's a bit hard," said Rudy.

Rudy said he thinks the Keepers Program is a good program.

All of the bison meat was brought back to Fort Providence where it was sent on to Northern Fancy Meats in Yellowknife to be turned into things like sausage, ground bison and smoked meat.

The meat will be shared with the communities the students are from and some will also be used for the elders' meals-on-wheels program Deh Gah School is running, said Snider.

The hide was given to Chief Sunrise Education Centre on the Hay River Reserve.

This is the second year a bison hunt has been part of the Keepers Program.

Last year the hunt was unsuccessful because a bison couldn't be found in the area specified by the tag, said Snider.

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