APPENDIX

B. Land Experiences

How do land experiences fit into the Dene Kede Program?

1. Need for Land Experiences

For many years, Dene language and culture has been taught in the schools in 20-40 minute periods, 2-3 times a week, often times isolated from real cultural experiences, especially land experiences. Such an approach has not been effective in teaching the subtle but uniquely important perspectives of the Dene.

The Dene Kede curriculum is concerned primarily with developing these basic Dene perspectives in students. The elders involved in the development of the Dene Kede curriculum saw land experiences as the only effective way of developing these perspectives.

Any land experience will not do. Attention must be given to the Dene perspectives while on the land. The community resource people who are involved in the land experience should model the Dene perspectives and behaviours that are desired for the students. The land experience must be of a quality of which the elders can approve and have a comfortable feeling about.

2. Kinds of Land Experiences

• Day Picnics:

For the youngest of children, frequent picnics to locations close to the community are easily arranged. These can occur on nice days in all seasons and involve the parents, grandparents, families and elders.

• Excursions within the community:

Throughout the year, there will be times when individuals within the community are involved in special projects or events which relate to the land. Examples are summer cooking tents, preparation of hides, bringing in a load of fish etc. With the permission of the individuals, students can be taken to watch, or if appropriate, be actively involved in the activity.

• Overnight camping trips:

Frequent overnight camping trips to locations close to the community would be appropriate for students in grades 4-6. Community resource people should be involved to help the teacher with these trips.

• Week-long land trips:

Week-long trips for hunting and camping are very effective for the older students.

These experiences should be arranged in all seasons to challenge the students.

The community resource people who are involved to help in teaching the students on the land should be very capable and have the Dene perspective toward land experiences.

• Immersion camps:

Immersion camps are perhaps the most effective of all land experiences for learning language, cultural skills and perspectives in a holistic and concentrated way.

Example.. In Fort McPherson joint community efforts have led to camps at Midway Lake, Noch River and trips to Old Crow. These camps were funded through various organizations such as the Community Education Committee, the school, the Teaching and Learning Centre, Social Services (Young Offenders), Renewable Resources and the Band Council.

The amount of time spent on the land will vary from community to community depending upon the amount of community support there is for such activity. Minimally, students should be exposed to frequent day trips out onto the land with occasional overnight camping experiences for the older students.

3. Need for Parental and Community Involvement

For years it has been understood that what is taught in the school should be reinforced in the home. To support the school program, parents must take the initiative to reeducate themselves in their language and land skills. On their own initiative, parents and their children should attempt to spend more time on the land as a family, learning from their family elders, reinforcing the perspectives and skills being taught through the Dene Kede curriculum. This information should be conveyed to parents at a meeting which orients them to the Dene Kede curriculum.

Parents should be available to help the Dene Kede teachers and resource people with the land projects as much as possible. Even if they feel they are not experts on the land themselves, they can use the opportunity to learn alongside their children.

As mentioned earlier, the most effective land experiences are the immersion projects the land projects as much as possible. Even if they feel they are not experts on the land themselves, they can use the opportunity to learn along side their children.

As mentioned earlier, the most effective land experiences are the immersion projects which have the students on the land for an extended period of time. Because of the tremendous resources that are required for this type of venture, immersion camps are best organized at a community level. Leadership is crucial in initiating such projects but there is need also for the support and cooperation of resource people from the community including the Dene teachers.