On Thursday, Caron was one of several organizers. He saw about a dozen young people from the indigenous people enjoying the rare opportunity to learn traditional land-based skills-everything from making medicine bags to cooperating with their families to set up tents. Bag.

Soon after the 13-year-old Hayden Blackbird shook hands with hunter Conway Ketchi, Karen’s voice was full of emotion.

When Hayden’s turn was Hayden’s turn to cut off a section of the moose leg, Kachic was guiding Hayden. That morning, Kachic shot and killed an approximately 700-pound animal at a precious spot on the North Saskatchewan River near Fort Carlton.

“Never get close to yourself, always stay away,” Katcheech instructed, continuing to talk about the signs of bad meat: an unpleasant smell and lack of fat. There was no sign on Thursday.

This is the first time Hayden has slaughtered a moose. Later, he said that this experience strengthened his confidence.

“I’m really proud that I can do something like that,” he said.

Jordan Principles in Action

Caron works as a parent assistant at Willow Cree Health Services for Aboriginal people, helping to provide learning opportunities rooted in the so-called “Jordan Principles.”

Jordan River Anderson is a young boy from the Norwegian Okree tribe in Manitoba. He was born with a variety of disabilities. In 2005, he died in a hospital under the leadership of governments at all levels at the age of five. Disagree for many years Who should pay for his professional care.

The death of Jordan inspired a campaign to ensure that indigenous children receive the same level of care and education as non-indigenous children. In 2007, the House of Commons passed the Jordan Principles, which is a legal obligation to ensure that the needs of indigenous children who need government services take precedence over the jurisdictional issue of which level of government pays the fees.

In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the federal government was discriminating in the way the principle was implemented, so the court has been required to issue non-compliance and other orders.

Today the federal government helps fund Various Jordan’s Principle activities and projects Every year, including this week’s cultural camps at Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation. The courses there are designed to develop team building skills and affection within the family, and they can choose to spend the night in a tent.

This is also a way to pass on knowledge from generation to generation.

Karen said that after living in this city for many years, he doesn’t know much about his culture. It was his children’s growing interest in dance and other things that made him think about the need to protect traditions.

“It must be learned for them,” he said of his self-education in recent years.

The summer camp was held on a large stretch of grass owned by the Hal Cameron family. Hal Cameron was the cultural resource support staff of Willow Cree Health Services and helped co-organize the event.

“We really want to emphasize the beauty here and recognize our land,” Cameron said. “Some people live five minutes away from here, and they are in awe of the scenery behind us.”

He said this is the first time in three years that such a camp has been held locally, partly because of COVID-19.

Cameron’s organizer and coordinator of the Federal Children’s Community Action Program, Janelle Sutherland, is also key to the operation of the camp.

“Every gender has a responsibility to ensure that the camp goes smoothly,” she said of the collaborative nature of traditional camp life.

Sutherland picks berries and distributes ice cubes so that participants can cool off under the scorching sun. She said she can practice her culture freely. She feels very humble, considering Old Federal Mandatory Pass System The band members have been restricted from leaving the reserve team.

“This is my home country, and it’s really great to share it with all young people because they will inherit all these traditions,” she said.

Food safety lecturer Jennifer Cameron was present and taught the children how to cut and prepare dried meat strips from moose photographed and skinned by Katcheech.

Obviously, she enjoys this opportunity to pass on to her what she has learned from another aboriginal elder.

“I have some 11-year-old students who participate regularly now,” Cameron said.

‘Get rid of the reality of the past’

One of the tents on the site was reserved for the elderly tutors who helped teach in the camp.

54-year-old Leo Gamble sat in a tent, waiting for the arrival of the latest group of young people on Thursday afternoon. There he uses simple materials (such as willow branches) to teach traditional games.

In a game, the partners are entangled by two ropes. They must figure out how to untie the entangled relationship by talking and negotiating with each other, rather than simply pulling their hands out of the circle.

Gamble said that games provide “a form of entertainment when we need to escape the reality of the past.”

His parents were students at St. Michael’s Indian Boarding School near Duck Lake, which deprived indigenous youth of their culture and exposed them to various forms of neglect and abuse.

“When they became parents, they had little to do [no] Learn about our culture and traditions,” Gamble said.

As a young man, he was later able to learn “healthier methods” from his elders.

“I was introduced to people who lead a spiritual life, either recovering from drug addiction or someone who has embraced our tribal culture,” Gamble said.

And he is passing this on now.

“We did a little bit today [at] This camp proves the resilience of our culture. “