Learning Story – “Who is as tall as a moose’s hind leg?”
The Week of November 26th, 2024
What Happened?
Lila Fraser Erasmus joined us again today, and we practiced the morning prayer in the Tłı̨chǫ language together.
And Elder’s family gifted Bushkids with the hind leg of a dendhi (moose). All of the Bushkids were invited to harvest the meat from the bone and to wrap and label the meat. We discussed why the moose is important to people and to the Land. We discussed what we know and don’t know about moose and how we can learn more about moose. Several people shared stories about instances that they saw a moose and what they learned from those experiences, which we acknowledged was a way to understand more about moose. We took out the hide that we had worked on last year and hung it up to see how big a bull moose is. Then we measured the hind leg, so that we could imagine how tall it would have stood. “Who is as tall as a moose’s hind leg?” Several Bushkids were measured to see if they indeed were as tall as a hind leg.
Why is it Important?
The moose offered the Bushkids a lot on Tuesday. Not only did it create the opportunity for the Bushkids to learn about the habitat of the moose, when people hunt moose, who is allowed to hunt moose, the biology of the moose, how to respectfully carve, package, share and prepare the meat, but we noticed how much we learned about the moose and each other through shared stories of people’s connections with moose. Sharing stories is an important way to absorb information, learn language and build relationships. tThe conversation centered around how we can respect the moose at all times and we asked “how are we like the moose?”.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We will plan to make a different meal with the moose for next time and the Bushkids will help us to prepare and cook it. The Bushkids wondered “what are moose doing in the winter?” Next week can be curious about all of the animals we notice that live here with us winter long and don’t leave. How do they survive? In two weeks time, a knowledge holder will join us to demonstrate how to clean and stretch squirrels on a stretcher. We will use the Tłı̨chǫ language to try to identify and describe the process. We will also continue to discuss how to build reciprocal relationships with the animals we work with and the Land.
You and your family are invited to join us on Dec 17th for a potluck lunch at the last session of Bushkids before the winter break. Grandparents and all caregivers are welcome. We hope to see you then.