Learning Story – Why did people play Dene Games?
The Week of October 24th, 2025
What Happened?
Our question for the day was: Why did people play Dene Games? What can we learn about the Dene people and the games that they played in the past and still today, and what can we learn about ourselves and the games we play today?
When asked the Bushkids to share what they knew about Dene Games, many of them were able to share games that they knew and had play before. Some shared Dene Games; others shared Inuit Games. We asked them to consider why the Dene played these games. Why did they play finger pull and snow snake? Why did they play stick pull? Cha shared that the Elders would watch the games to notice who was gifted at what, so that they could then ask that person to lead in that area when working on the Land to survive and care for the community.
We remembered how last week, when the Bushkids had helped with the wood, they had chosen to race each other. When an educator noticed this and asked them why they were racing, they responded that they wanted to have fun while they were working to get a task done.
The Bushkids were asked to prepare a game, new or old, to share with the other Bushkids and educators. Throughout the day, the Bushkids challenged each other to the games.
Why is it Important?
Dene Kede: It was important traditionally for the Dene to be mentally and physically fit to survive on the land. Traditional games were played to test their physical strength, mental capabilities and to build character. It is to expose students to the games from the traditional Dene culture, and to have students value the games for what they provided: fun, entertainment, enjoyment and friendship. The competition is with oneself. p192=
When we work together, we can find ways to do so with a joyful heart. Now when the Bushkids think about hauling wood, hopefully they remember how they enjoyed the last time they did. If they are with a new group of people, perhaps they will bring all that they have learned and share it with others.
When we need to teach another person a new game, it requires a lot of patience and good communication skills. By asking the Bushkids to plan and play games with each other, they had the space to practice those skills. They had been doing this authentically over the last few months with modern games, so we hoped that they could connect some of their play to the play that their ancestors did in the past.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
Some of the students did not have a chance to share the games that they planned with everyone, so we hope to find time to do this together next week.
We will continue to practice speaking Tlı̨chǫ Yatıı. Most of the Bushkids can confidently introduce themselves and with practice they will soon be able to share where they are from. Using the language of this Land to introduce ourselves to the Elders we meet with is
a gift. Some Bushkids were interested in rhyming, so we will play with both English and Tlı̨chǫ Yatıı words. The Bushkids would like to explore some spaces that we have yet to venture, so we will plan a hike for the next session. We also discussed how the site may change in the two weeks that we are away. There was a lot of excitement at the possibility of snowwww!
“This food is so delicious, Auntie Edna!”
Bushkids