Learning Story – Connections to Water
The Week of October 3, 2025
What Happened?
To open the day in a good way, we start our routine by feeding the fire with homegrown tobacco and fireweed that is harvested from this Land. We have a general safety talk about Bushkids and how to be safe when we are near water, then we talked about why do we wear orange shirts and how it connects to water.
We were very excited to have Bethany and Ben as guests from GNWT – Environment and Climate Change. They joined us at Bushkids to identify and do a survey on the insects in the water with Bushkids, as a group we walked down with our gear and briefly talked about oxygen in the water. The kids were excited to start collecting and identifying what they found. Then we had jam and bannock with Auntie Edna while some of the kids were beading orange pumpkins and others were feeling brave climbing the trees, splitting wood, creating stores in the trails.
To end the beautiful day we sang happy birthday to Náʔël, Archer, Poppy, Juneau and Eli and
enjoyed a delicious slice of chocolate cake!
Why is it Important?
Why is it important that we educate children about why we wear orange shirts and how can we connect that to being respectful of water? Indigenous peoples have a history that stripped away their culture identity. Today we pass on the teaching that every child is unique and has gifts. Water is very powerful to Indigenous ways of living. As protectors of the Land, they live to protect, respect and care for the Land. Indigenous peoples of this Land have always used water to survive and live in ceremony. We are educating Bushkids about Canada’s “dark” history and sharing how we use water for healing and peace.
Dene Kede: Water and Rivers. Page 32
Students will:
- Know that blessed water can be used to heal. Water for cleansing.
- Show respect for water as part of the land
- Know the basic water safety
- Show humility by being respectful to water
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
The Bushkids were very interested in building stores in the trails and planning to make shelves. We can expand by building together and purchasing a wood burning tool to design signs. The next step could be exploring how to talk about water in Tlı̨chǫ Yatıı. Next weekend is Thanksgiving, so we will spend time talking about what we are thankful for.
“It’s really easy” (as a Bushkid was making kindling)
“I wish their could be a little big shelf”
“I like making a store” (in the trail)
Bushkids