Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in provided Dawson City youth and families with an opportunity to experience their first hunt by hosting a five-day camp out, teaching hunting skills and the cultural significance of living a subsistence lifestyle.
On Oct. 17, the group set up camp at Cache Creek along the Dempster Highway after lunch time. Over the next few days, until Oct. 21, youth engaged in hands-on hunting activities and practiced traditional survival techniques on the land.
One group travelled up the Hart River and spotted seven moose: six cows and one bull. They cupped their hands around their mouths and mimicked the moose’s call with deep voices to lure the bull closer for a clean shot, but they were unsuccessful.
“The bull was not interested in any of the moose calls that were done because he had quite a few females around him, and it was too far away to shoot at,” said Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s deputy chief, Erin McQuaig.
The group set up snares for small game and noticed lots of rabbit tracks with one getting caught up in a snare trap by the last day. The participants did however enjoy traditionally harvested moose brought along from a previous hunt in the fall.
An 18-year-old who successfully harvested his first moose with his father earlier in the fall joined the camp as a youth hunter in training, sharing his experiences and teaching hunting skills to other participants.
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in are planning a hunt celebration open to the community to attend on Nov. 13, McQuaig said. A feast and recognition of everyone who took part in the hunts are set to take place with traditional knowledge being shared.
During the Cache Creek excursion, the youth learned meat preparation techniques, including curing and hanging dry meats, and brushed up on butchery skills. They also learned to respect the land, practicing subsistence living and minimizing their environmental impact.
“We teach the importance of taking care of the land and ensuring that we don't leave any footprints behind. That means that everything we take with us, we also take back with us. We're respectful of the land to ensure that we disturb it as little as possible,” McQuaig said.
Building on these skills, the youth also learned about traditional plant medicines and essential outdoor survival techniques, ensuring they are well-equipped to sustainably harvest and utilize the land’s resources throughout the changing seasons.
McQuaig emphasizes that the camp draws heavily on the semi-nomadic practices of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people. From July 11-15, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in hosted the first fish camp-out, providing youth with the opportunity to learn traditional food sourcing skills for the summer months.
“Each season offers us something else. The land offers us a different resource, and we travel to those areas to harvest the resources,” McQuaig said.
The land offers sanctuary but can be formidable during the winter months. To survive in the untamed wilderness, youth were given essential survival lessons by elders, which included: safely collecting water, techniques for building adequate shelters, constructing campfires and foraging for traditional medicines.
Participants zipped around on all-terrain vehicles to source fresh water and firewood, ensuring a comfortable camp. When not out on the hunt or learning about gun safety, groups engaged in hands-on crafting activities, making the experience both educational and fun, said McQuaiq.
The hunt brings together all ages to share knowledge, stories and traditional food, which McQuaig states as an example of strengthening bonds and preserving cultural heritage. She brought her eight-year-old nephew along with the hunt, saying:
“He was hands on with everything that we were doing, from snaring rabbits to making dry meat. One of our staff members singed a moose nose on the fire, and he was really curious about that as well. It just really made me appreciate our traditions. Just renewed my pride in what we have as Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people,” McQuaiq said.
The camp was taught by elders, camp programmers from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s Heritage Department and representatives from the Education Department. Although not officially present, three members of the Rangers also participated in leading the hunts.
Hän language learning was also part of the experience, with a language cohort of four members leading immersive activities. They created games, including a hunting-themed card game, to teach and practice the language.
Youth participants, aged seven to 10, engaged in these language games. One game required them to form sentences using cards depicting animals, plants and hunters. The children showed remarkable language skills, staying engrossed for an hour, McQuaig said.
“They all were just so engrossed the whole time, it was amazing to watch and see them, see the knowledge that these kids already have in our language,” McQuaig said.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
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