KAHBAMIUE/COLVILLE LAKE
Community members celebrated spring during the annual Colville Lake Carnival the week of April 23.

Brandon Orlias participates in a snowmobile competition during the annual Colville Lake Carnival the week of April 23. - photo courtesy of Fraser Downie

"We have two days for the children and then another three days for adults," said band manager Joseph Kochon. "It's pretty well a five-day event."

Colville Lake School students all participated in the carnival.

Eleven-year-old Veronique Kochon said the snowshoe race was her favourite activity.

"I liked snowshoeing because we get to run," Veronique said.

Kochon said this year's carnival featured a few modern events, such as javelin throwing, as well as many old favourites.

Outdoor games included snow snake, foot races, target shooting, tea boiling and snowmobile racing.

Kochon said while there were adult and youth categories for most events, some were specifically designed for youth. One of the activities was shelter-making, which allowed young people to demonstrate their survival skills.

"It's just like if they were broken down on the land, they have to know how to survive," he said.

Adult games included bannock making and tea boiling, as well as wood-cutting. Kochon said competitors had to cut and bring back a cord of wood each, and every piece had to be a specific length, height and width.

The wood was then used to feed the outdoor fire for all five days of the carnival.

"By the time all the competitors are there, we get more than a cord of wood. It lasts for the whole five days," Kochon said. "We always have the fire going outside and people cook traditional food."

Other events included a mini handgames tournament and a youth log-carrying contest, as well as indoor games such as balloon bust, needle threading competitions and a laughing contest.

Kochon said the games are designed to highlight the skills community members use every day.

"Most of the games are based on how we live," he said. "So once a year they get to compete."

At the end of each day, participants were treated to a traditional feast including caribou blood soup, caribou head, rabbit stew, trout chowder and stuffed caribou heart.

Kochon said for the first time this year, each dish was judged and awarded a prize.

"That turned out really good. Everybody was hungry from the full day of being outside," he said. "It was a good supper for everybody."

Veronique said there was one food item she especially enjoyed.

"I liked the bannock because it tastes good," she said.

Kochon said the food was an extra-special treat for the community's out of town visitors. He said about 40 band members now living in other communities and the south travelled to Colville Lake for the event, which coincided with the annual band meeting.

"A lot of them, they haven't had any traditional foods for a while so they really enjoyed it," he said. "Some of our band members, they stay down south so it was really enjoyable for them to eat their traditional food. You couldn't ask for anything better."

In addition to traditional food, the carnival also provides members living outside of Colville Lake with a chance to re-connect with their roots.

"It's good when we get competitors from out of town, sometimes people get out of touch with their traditional way of life. This is a way to keep it alive," he said.

"That's what makes it unique."

Kochon said next year, the band plans to host the annual meeting and carnival during the same time period, but will make sure they don't overlap. That way, visitors will be able to participate in all games and events.

"We got good messages from some of our members that live down south that we should have an annual event for this," he said. "We'll have the meeting beforehand and have our traditional games after that."

Veronique said no matter what schedule is followed, there are two events she hopes will continue.

"I like snowshoe and target shooting," she said.

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