Sahtú Renewable Resources Board Community Page

Written by: Deborah Simmons, Leon Andrew, Kirsten Jensen (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), Harry Harris (Fort Good Hope Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę – Renewable Resources Council) and Anne Marie Jackson (Fort Good Hope)

Project Summary…

Although fish harvesting techniques have changed through colonization and amongst generations, some people still retain important practices that keep them connected to the land. Fish has always been a food staple for communities of the Sahtú region, available when other foods like caribou and moose are scarce. However, ongoing climate-related changes are raising newfound concerns about the future of fishing and fishing livelihoods and culture. Since 2016 this project has focused on environmental change in and around the Dǝhogá (Mackenzie River) through hands-on activities, participant sharing and interpreted traditional knowledge about the changing ecology of water and fishing livelihoods. In the summer of 2018, similar questions were explored during a fish camp in the K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę District and focused on working with and teaching the younger generation the necessary knowledge and skills in fish harvesting and preservation, and sharing stories about the changes that have been seen. The design of the camp focused on bringing entire families together. By using a family-centered approach, the camp promoted healing across generations and allowed for the passing down of family traditional knowledge while further encouraging the younger generation to participate in traditional fish camps, research initiatives in the region, and to learn about the environment and how it is changing. Through a collaboration with the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) and the Community Researcher at the camp, Anne Marie Jackson, the camp was filmed in an effort to keep these lessons and stories for future K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę families.

What we learned…

This project brought together four K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę families from Fort Good Hope at a fall fish camp at the Lafferty family’s cabin, where they have been fishing for decades. Lafferty elders Michel and Judy are known as expert fishermen and one of a few families that still practices land-based harvesting ‘out on the land’ in specific camps outside the community. The first objective of this camp was for participants to have a greater understanding of traditional fishing practices, and fish and water ecology, and how these have changed. Through interviews, it became clear that most participants joined because they wanted to learn from Judy and Michel Lafferty given their vast experience on the land. Skills the participants were especially excited to learn include how to set up a proper fish camp (smoking/drying area, butchering tables, etc.), how and where to set nets , and how to prepare the fish itself (knife and butchering techniques).

A second objective was to build on the changes documented in previous camps. Changes have been observed in fishing culture. For example, it was noted that more harvesting is now being done within the community. With full-time jobs and their children committed to education, it is difficult to go ‘out on the land’ for extended periods. Some find it more accessible to set nets close to the community and harvest outside their homes with teepees at their doorstep.
Other inevitable changes relate to technology and fewer traditional tools. This includes the use of dog sleds. Now that most community members are using snowmobiles, there is less need for fish to feed the dogs, so fewer fish need to be caught and less time is spent at camps. Hunting has become more popular than fishing. This is partly because there are now more moose (another consequence of environmental change in the region).

Changes in the river include more open areas, landslides where permafrost has melted and where flooding and other factors have caused erosion. Break-ups have also changed, causing floods in some areas, and lower water levels in others. Ice is getting thinner which coincides with warmer winters.
One of the major changes is that the weather now is one month ahead of time, which means that you can’t fish at the end of July anymore because the water is too warm and the fish rot or burn in the nets before you can get to them.

The long-term goal of this project is to strengthen the voice of Indigenous communities in the governance of the Mackenzie River. Local and traditional knowledge can help us understand and interpret the long-term patterns of both cultural and ecological change and the connection between the wellbeing of the river system and the community. Participants in the camp left with a greater understanding of traditional fishing practices, and fish and water ecology, and how these have changed over the years, as well as a new set of skills in traditional fishing practices.

Three videos were developed that tell the story of the Lafferty family. The first tells of how the Laffertys set up their cabin and spent time on the land and the changes in the climate they have noticed. The second describes the benefits of coming to fish camp and why the participants chose to join the camp (e.g., spending time with family, learning new skills and eating healthy foods and getting away from the distractions in town). Video three describes fish harvesting techniques (seasons, types of fish to harvest and how to clean, prepare and dry the fish), as well as more general bush skills.

This project seeks to build traditional knowledge research and monitoring for land-based program management; strengthen community leadership–in research, monitoring and stewardship; explore community strategies for sustainable fishing; document traditional knowledge; provide opportunities for cross-family, cross-community, and cross-regional knowledge and skills and document traditional and evolving systems for knowledge transfer; develop water and fisheries components of the Sahtú Research and Monitoring Strategy (Nę K’ǝ Dene Ts’ı̨lı̨ – Living on the Land Forum); and, contribute to the implementation and further development of the NWT Water Strategy, including water-related climate change adaptation strategies.

Youth Involvement…

The younger generations learned directly from their elders on how to gather wood and keep the camp running smoothly. They also attended the interviews where they learned some of their histories and heard stories about the past. It became very evident that the skills were being passed on when the elders at the camp had to leave from time to time. When Michel had to go into town because the boat broke down, his grandson took on the role of gathering and chopping firewood. When Judy had to leave early for a moosehide tanning event she was leading, her granddaughter took charge of ensuring the fire was stoked, the dishes washed and the meals prepared. It was very inspiring to watch them come into their own and grow through this experience.

Three videos produced by the Community Researcher, Anne Marie Jackson and edited by NCCIE are available below and on the SRRB websites (hosted on Vimeo).

Video 1: The Lafferty Family

Video 2: Importance of Camp

Video 3: We Live with the Fish