Youth, elders from Fort McPherson, N.W.T., head up the Peel River for moose camp

It was a chance for elders to share some traditional knowledge, and for young people to learn more about the land and about harvesting moose. 

A group of people from Fort McPherson, N.W.T., was out last week at a traditional camp on the Peel River, and they managed to come home with a good supply of meat that was distributed around the community.

Phillip Kay, one of the organizers who spearheaded the initiative, said it all started with a conversation while sitting with some friends.

"We said we should bring youth out on the Peel and show them that area," said Kay.

It wasn't long after that he was getting assistance from the Jordan's Principal team in Fort McPherson, along with the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

"They helped me fill out the forms, I told them how much we would need to make it happen," explained Kay.

Thirty-nine people from Fort McPherson took part in the camp last week, including 15 young people, and four elders who were on hand to teach traditional ways. The rest of the group included members of the community who were part of the support team.

The remote camp was a three-hour journey up the Peel River from Fort McPherson.

Kay said the trip was important because it's one he took many times as a young man and he wanted to share that experience with a new generation of young people in his community.

"We wanted these kids to see the area where we talk about, why we want to protect this whole pristine area. The waters are so clear up there," said Kay.

Protecting the Peel River watershed has been an ongoing cause for many people in the region, and Kay wants young people to know what it's about.

"You know, just the country we want to protect — and we wanted them to see that," said Kay.

The group brought along a guitar and a fiddle for entertainment. Kay said he didn't expect the music to play such a big role in the trip and have such an impact on the participants.

"We had three or four of the young boys who play fiddle or guitar," he said. "It was just amazing at night, when the sun goes down, you're sitting beside the fire and these boys play the fiddle. It's just amazing, everybody is happy," said Kay.

The group managed to harvest four moose during the camp. The meat was distributed in Fort McPherson last Friday afternoon.