'He would share with all of us': Family mourns father of 8 who died while hunting

The family of Antoine Betsidea are remembering him as a kind and deeply traditional man, husband and father.

Betsidea went missing Sunday night after getting lost in a blizzard during a caribou hunting trip. After three days of scouring the barren lands near MacKay Lake, N.W.T., searchers found Betsidea's body Wednesday morning.

He leaves behind eight children, the youngest of whom is just seven years old. 

"He had a big heart. He was a very kind person. He was always thinking about others," Betsidea's sister-in-law Nora Wedzin told CBC.

"When he goes hunting he makes sure his family has food. He was always thinking about us. He goes to each one of us and give us some of his share of what he went hunting for. Even when he went fishing, he would share with all of us."

Betsidea was originally from Deline but had lived in Behchoko for more than 20 years. The community of Deline raised more than $2,000 to help pay for the search.

"He's been a part of our family for many, many years and he's just like a brother to us," Wedzin said. "We loved him very much."

Wedzin said the family would like to thank everyone that helped with the search and offered support, including those in the Tlicho region, Yellowknife and Deline. She also asked for prayers for the family