Community Hide Camp passes down traditional wisdom to Mildred Hall

To help further pass down traditional knowledge, the YK1 school district has just concluded a three-day event at the Mildred Hall School all about animal hides.

Andrea Harding, one of the organizers for the event, explained that this was only the third year that this event has been put together. She helped create this program alongside her friend, Sheila Stewart, as a passion project. She added that this was a kind of event that the school district had never quite done before.

Harding discussed some of the activities that were put together for the event.

“So we have Bannock on a stick, we have the atlatl, which is a traditional Dene way of hunting, so you can try spearing caribou. We’ve got two stretched moose hides as well as one that we’re currently taking the hair off of. We’ve got several caribou hides here that we’ve actually been able to get two drums made in the last couple days, which is awesome!”

 

Later in the evening, they also set up a story walk with Kathy Medesh Short, art pieces made from fish scales, and a drum dance with a free community barbecue.

Harding expressed her thanks to the numerous organization who came together to sponsor the event.

“The United Way was a very integral part in their financial donation to us. The Foster Family Coalition of the NWT and the Tree of Peace have been running stations in the evening. Kalama Dene School, their staff and students have been here teaching our students how to jig.

 

“Inder’s Independent gave us a very large discount on the food. College Nordique funded our t-shirts, and have even been teaching language here. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre came out and sent some stuff to run the atlatl station as well and lent us other materials.

“The NWT Literacy Council lent us the book walk and they’ve been running it with us. Yellowknife beverages supplied all of the coolers, ice, and all of the drinks for us this week and a big thank you to all of our elders and knowledge keepers for sharing their language and their knowledge skills with us.”

This event ran for three days from Tuesday, June 10^th, to Thursday, June 12^th. All of the activities took place just out front at the Mildred Hall School from 4pm to 7pm.