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Hamlet joins in for culture camps School's annual event a community affair in Fort Liard
Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, June 13, 2013
ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
Most schools in the Deh Cho have culture camps for their students, but in Fort Liard the camps have become a true community event.
Abby Duntra scrapes a moosehide during Echo Dene School's spring culture camp in Fort Liard. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo
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"Everyone in the community looks forward to it every spring," said Corrine Sassie, Echo Dene School's aboriginal language specialist.
The involvement of the community in the annual camps developed gradually. Sassie, who organizes the camps, remembers the first one she held in 2006 was mainly attended by the students and teachers. Over the years, parents and community members began visiting the camps that are held in the back corner of the school yard.
When the school began offering lunches of traditional food during the camps, even more people began to come, she said. The school's most recent camp was held from June 3 to 7. On June 5, more than a dozen community members were tucking into rabbit soup and bannock during the lunch hour.
Elders are also a common sight at the camps.
They stop by when they want so there always has to be bannock and tea ready for them, said Sassie. The elders often sit and visit with the students and tell them stories, she said.
Community members also make the activities at the camps possible, said Sassie.
People are generous about donating traditional meats to the camps. Even if they only have one rabbit, they will donate it, she said.
"We are so thankful for that," she added.
This year, students collected porcupine quills from two donated porcupines. The quills will be used at the school in the fall for basket making.
Briann Nelson, 9, said taking out the porcupine quills was her favourite part of the camp. It was the first time she'd harvested quills.
"I love culture camps because you learn new things," she said.
The students also made dry fish from donated fish and made dry meat from a moose that Danny Bertrand harvested for the school. On the last day of camp, a piece of either dry fish or meat was given to each of the students to take home to their family.
Donated ducks, rabbits, a beaver and a goose were also cleaned or skinned by the older students. Younger students were able to watch the processes.
Students also fleshed and scraped the hide from a moose, each taking a turn with the tools. Sassie plans to finish the hide at her home during the summer with the help of some students so it can be used for crafts at the school next year.
Community member Jane Vital oversaw the hide-scraping at the camp while Matthew Klondike and Phillip Klondike helped with the other activities and Lucy Bertrand and Lucy Lomen cooked.
Although the camps are a lot of work, Sassie said she enjoys running the events with the help of her co-workers at the school. Many of the students don't get the opportunity to go on the land with their parents so Sassie sees the camps as a way to show them how she grew up.
"To share that little bit of tradition with them means a lot to me," she said.
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