Combat poverty with country food
'I think this should be an ongoing course for the whole region ... More of these classes would benefit all of us,' says student
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Thursday, December 8, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A country food processing course at Aurora College last month brought in students from across the Beaufort Delta and taught them valuable, tasty skills to bring back to their homes and communities.
Sandra Thrasher, left, Georgina Jacobson-Masuzumi, Lyle Renecker, Bernice Raddi, Fiona Joe and daughter Morgan McLeod gather with some of their jams and other goods made during the country food processing course at Aurora College. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
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"We're from a society of hunters," said Georgina Jacobson-Masuzumi, a student who came in from Tuktoyaktuk to attend the course.
"We're not farmers, so just learning some of these tricks of the trade and how to make the best out of what we pick or cut up, it's exciting."
She enjoyed working with her traditional food and finding out how to use every bit of the moose, caribou, fish or whatever else.
"We're talking already about other kinds of mixes we can do for our jams and for our berries and for our own canning, just to mix and match," said Jacobson-Masuzumi. "It's a skill I'll always use the rest of my life and I'll pass it down to my son."
She also thinks a course like this goes a long way toward combating poverty.
"When we go home and when we teach (our families and communities) these skills, we'll always have that way we can fight poverty," she said.
The classes were held in four 10-day courses during November and built on a pilot program run last February.
The Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization offered the course through Aurora College's Department of Continuing Education, with support from the Gwich'in Tribal Council and GNWT Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Industry, Tourism and Investment.
The program focused on value-added processing of char, muskox and moose, using flavour and preservation techniques to make the best use of portions of meat that are often discarded.
Instructor Lyle Renecker said the class helps community members learn to make the best use of bountiful but temporary resources to last the whole year.
Students were canning, making jams and jerkeys, preparing burgers, pickling and more.
"When they go home, they'll have options to prepare food there," said Renecker.
"It's been really good. Everybody's anxious to learn and having fun. Today we made char pate and it probably won't make it past the couch this evening when they get home."
He said it was nice to get people from so many different communities, naming students from Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson and more.
"The whole country should take note of what's happening here," said Renecker. "It's very positive."
And it's been beneficial for him, too.
"As far as my career goes, this is probably the most rewarding thing that I've ever done, to see the smiles on people's faces," said Renecker.
"I have friends forever."
Jacobson-Masuzumi hopes the classes become a regular thing.
"I think this should be an ongoing course for the whole region," she said.
"I think more of these classes would benefit all of us, every one of us, from all age groups."
