The Key To Sustainability In Canada

The key to sustainability is the Denesųłiné belief that respectful behaviour keeps caribou near. Teaching respect for caribou by community elders to their youth provides an intergenerational transfer of knowledge. I think that my community partners lead a traditional lifestyle out of necessity. A total of 36,000 people live in Northern Saskatchewan. Of these, 46 percent live on reserve. In 2010, 32 percent of the population was under the age of 15 (Irvine et al. 2011:3). Regional health agencies acknowledge a variety of social factors that affect human health trajectories. These include economics, education and employment, physical environment, social environment and health practices (Irvine et al. 2011:8). The Athabasca Health Authority (AHA)

Youth have a harder time understanding their cultural identities (Wray 2011:86). Wray (2011:86) notes teaching youth how to harvest caribou is a means to re-engage with cultural norms. Many communities have educational programs to teach cultural knowledge (Wray 2011:86). Northern peoples want to ensure everyone harvests caribou properly and with respect. Oral traditions indicate respectful hunting maintains the health of the herds and community well-being. An example is Bayha’s (2012:26-29) work with the Sahtúot’įnę (Great Bear Lake) people of Déline, Northwest Territories. Bayha (2012:27) explains traditional ways of knowing. That is to listen and not ask questions. It also means to “develop relationships with everything, with caribou”, with wolves, with the land (Bayha 2012:28). Bayha (2012:28) understands that sometimes to move forward, traditional people have to break protocol. He also sees that with “New knowledge systems. People hesitate. They dismiss things. If it is not in the learning systems that we have, the universities and all of the learning systems that we have, we dismiss them”. Bayha (2012:28) provides a note of caution, and acknowledges long-term

There is a young and growing population of Ethen Eldèli Denesųłiné. This population faces local education and economic challenges. As shown earlier, Denesųłiné live a traditional lifestyle out of necessity. Therefore, caribou harvests will likely increase as Denesųłiné populations grow (and age). Using respectful hunting practices reduces caribou harvest levels. Hunters take less caribou when all parts of the animal are used, and when there are reductions in wounding losses. Teaching respectful caribou hunting practices occurs at culture camps. These connect elders to youth. Camps facilitate the intergenerational transfer of knowledge. Denesųłiné Nation leadership, Elders and local educators organize the camps. Local schools also bring the elders into the schools. Teachers use Denesųłiné in their