Peter Mather
Special to the News
Throughout the Yukon, there are a few secret locations where the water stays open through the winter.
Whitefish use these sites to spawn, during the night, at the coldest time of year. First Nations throughout the North have traditionally used these sites, notably during tough times.
Wildlife such as wolves, owls, and otters also congregate at these sites for an easy feed.
For the last two years, photographer Peter Mather has joined Tu Lidlini Dena First Nation member Robby Dick as he snared whitefish and hunted caribou for the community.
To catch the whitefish, Dick had a rabbit snare on the end of a pole and he waited patiently for whitefish to swim near the snare. Once he maneuvered the whitefish into the snare, he would yank it into the air, constricting the snare to catch the whitefish.