Learning Story – The Friendship Stick
April 10, 2026
What Happened?
The Land and the hide lead the learning. The hide was still frozen this morning so we will wait until next week to work with it. We listened to the Bushkids’ ideas to shape the day in a new way. Early in the day, we heard: “This is our friendship stick!” We had new Bushkids joining the group today, so we let the Bushkids lead the learning and focus on friendship.
Here are few things the Bushkids said about being a good friend:
“If someone has an idea about a game that you are playing, then listen and include their idea.”
“Don’t bully.”
“Take care of each other. Help each other.”
“Be kind to each other.”
Wilbert Menacho joined us in the afternoon, and he shared a drum song. He showed us how the drum was made and told us the story of his drum. He spoke a lot about how we have each other here and now, and that we should talk in a good way by sharing love with each other.
Why is it Important
When we take time to talk about how to treat each other, we lay the foundation for a good day. Strong relationships are built with each other when we all agree on how to walk in a good way together. When we feel loved and cared for, it is easier to love ourselves, the Land and each other. It is important to take time to identify how this is all interconnected and to share examples of what this looks and feels like. This may not be exactly the same for everyone, but discussion can help lay a strong foundation for understanding examples of friendship and love.
What’s Next?
We will continue to invite Elders and Knowledge Holders to share their stories and songs with the Bushkids. We will continue to take out the map to increase our understanding of the Land in the NWT. We were unable to work with the caribou hide today, but we will find time for the Bushkids to work with the hide over the next few months.
BushKids Quotes
“I love it at Bushkids. I’m thankful for being here.”
“We could read in this tree.”
To Wibert Menacho-
“Do a lot of people have a drum?”
“How old is your drum?”
“Thank you for singing your song. I loved it.”