Learning Story – Carnival
March 6, 2026
What Happened?
Carnival is a time when many different communities across the NWT celebrate the beginning of spring. People come together to enjoy each other’s company, to laugh, to play, and to share stories after a long, cold winter. Trappers traditionally would come back from the trapline and show off their skills and strengths at carnival!
The Bushkids have noticed the change in how the sun moves across the sky. We saw a squirrel for the first time, which is a signal that the season has changed. The Bushkids love to celebrate the Land, how it changes and what we can learn from it. Indigenous people have been taking time to celebrate this seasonal change for time immemorial, and we do the same by playing and learning together on the Land.
Why is it Important
Carnival is a time when many different communities across the NWT celebrate the beginning of spring. People come together to enjoy each others’ company, to laugh, to play, and to share stories after a long cold winter. Trappers traditionally would come back from the trapline and show off their skills and strengths at carnival!
The Bushkids have noticed the change in how the sun moves across the sky. We saw a squirrel for the first time, which is a signal that the season has changed. The Bushkids love to celebrate the Land, how it changes and what we can learn from it. Indigenous people have been taking time to celebrate this seasonal change for time immemorial, and we do the same by playing and learning together on the Land.
What’s Next?
We want to invite parents to join us on either Friday, March 27th for lunch and/or March 28th for a family gathering for a family literacy event funded by the NWT Literacy Council.
The Bushkids want to share what they have learned with you. They will be leaders.
Here are a few ideas they had about what they have learned and what they want to share:
*take families to Fairy Fortress
*eat Fish, duck or ptarmigan (we can’t eat them all, but we will have something delicious
to share.
*teach how to build a quinzee
*cook fried bannock with sugar or chocolate bannock
*explore together
*hike to the mountain
*create a puppet show
*play carnival games
BushKids Quotes
“I have a caribou tongue.”
“Look at the art I made.”
“All the animals have a bed made of fur.”