Learning Story – A Bushkids Feast
The Week of April 25, 2023
What Happened?
We planned a feast and some of the Bushkids brought some food from home to share! Duck soup, caribou and macaroni and cheese, cupcakes, bannock, yuca – and much more. Noni brought the hind quarter of a caribou to skin and process with the Bushkids. Two ducks were cleaned, plucked and singed with the gentle guidance of Russell Mercredi. Penny, the youth Bushkids volunteer and another older Bushkid helped to cook almost all morning with Auntie Edna. We began our day sharing our stories of this place and thanking the Land. Many Bushkids played in the deep puddles today, got soakers and managed their wet boots all day. We also heard “I am proud to be dry.” Excavation of the puddles and creations of damns and rivers were carefully engineered. Some Bushkids practiced making small fires. And a few games
of chess were had while drying off! A weigh scale was made with a plank, giant pot, rocks and water. A flight to Calgary was organized, tickets were made, luggage was loaded and all were invited.
Why is it Important?
We truly celebrated our time on this Land and acknowledged the gift of being together every Tuesday. Water truly guided the play today. We noticed very good self care today in the Bushkids – we were so proud of them. We saw thoughtful construction play all day long. The water brought so many different Bushkids together today. In the warm weather, we notice that there is more time for the Bushkids to be creative and to settle into one space – for some they were in the same space all day. We noticed the Bushkids feeling a deep connection with the Elders who were with us today – feeling sad when they had to leave and looking to them for support and strategies when building their fires. The Bushkids educators ended the day saying “I think that was one of our best days.”
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We will continue to develop strong relationships with Elders and knowledge holders who can be with us at Bushkids. We will invite them to help us over the next months as we finish tanning our first moose hide and hopefully build walltent frames, a shed and outhouse for the site. We will document the images of these creative ideas in a binder that can live at the Bushkids site and offer inspiration for future Bushkids and their play.