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- calendar_today October 12, 2026
Indigenous Hunting Programs Grow Across Saskatchewan
With hunting season underway in Saskatchewan, a number of initiatives are encouraging more Indigenous youth to get involved in land-based activities. These hunting programs aim to teach young people traditional skills while helping them develop a deeper connection with their culture and the land.
Whitecap Dakota First Nation Hosts Youth Camp
Venn Morin, a member of Whitecap Dakota First Nation, remembers the lessons from his own first hunting trips at age 12. Now, he is working to ensure today’s youth have similar experiences. This past weekend, Morin organized Whitecap Dakota First Nation's first youth camp community hunt for participants aged 12 to 17.
Morin sees age 12 as a coming of age for Indigenous youth, marking the time when traditional skills like hunting become part of growing up. "The event I'm planning, 12 years old, it's kind of like a coming of age with Indigenous people; you start to hunt more and get those skills," Morin explained.
Morin’s focus is on making the experience approachable for today's youth. He prioritizes comfort on these trips, including sleeping bags, a campfire, and even s'mores. "I don't want to push kids to do the roughing it I did. I'm comfortable with it, but we're trying to get kids back into living off the land and wanting to do it," he said.
Land-Based Education at Birch Narrows Dene Community School
At Birch Narrows Dene Community School in Turnor Lake, land-based educator Keetah Montgrand is taking Grade 6 students to the school's hunting cabin on Frobisher Lake. Here, students learn about moose hunting and other traditional activities under the guidance of community elders.
Montgrand explains that growing up, time on the land with family and school was always significant. The program gives students opportunities throughout fall and winter: moose hunting, fishing, and harvesting berries in the fall, and trapping and ice fishing in winter. This hands-on approach helps tie the school curriculum to land-based education, with teachers preparing related pre- and post-assignments.
"Putting the curriculum into the land base has actually been something that we're really trying to focus on and trying to connect it to," Montgrand said.
Passing Down Traditional Skills
Morin and Montgrand both emphasize the importance of passing down traditional skills. For Morin, a return to hunting also brought personal benefits. "Since returning to hunting, his mental health has improved immensely," the article notes, highlighting one of several mental health benefits connected to spending time outdoors and practicing traditional activities.
Teaching youth to hunt is seen as a way to maintain a deep connection to their heritage. "I'm just taking them back to ancestral ways. It's a very deep connection with us and Indigenous people to like to hunt on our lands, like where we're from. The process... the respect with nature, the animal and yourself," Morin said.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The hunting programs do not only teach participants about hunting. Students at Birch Narrows Dene Community School learn additional skills such as stretching moose hide and preparing harvested animals, giving them a broader knowledge of traditional practices. Under guidance from teachers Clayton Sylvester and Steven Daigneault, these lessons connect students to the life skills that have been passed down in their communities for generations.
Axel, one of the Grade 6 students, simply stated his favourite part of the hunting cabin visit: "Hunting." This reflects the enthusiasm and curiosity with which many youth are participating in these programs.
Future of Indigenous Youth Hunting Initiatives
As interest in land-based education and hunting programs continues to grow, community leaders like Morin and Montgrand are optimistic about the future. By fostering both practical skills and a sense of cultural identity, these programs aim to ensure a new generation of Indigenous youth feel connected to their heritage, environment, and each other.
Source: cbc.ca.
