Five youth participated in a five-day moose hunting trip under the guidance of Josh Kyplain from the Miyo-pumatsowin youth program at the Ile-a-la-Cross Friendship Centre.
The youth learned the skills of hunting for an animal, processing it on the site, and taking it back home to be cleaned and packaged. Kyplain is co-ordinator of the Friendship Centre’s miyo-pimatsiwin, program and helped organize the hunt.
Miyo-pimatsiwin means “it’s a good life in English,” Kyplain said, in an interview with the Northern Advocate.
The boys got to learn about the equipment needed, how to process the meat on site and transport it back to be cleaned, cut up and packaged, and other camping skills, over the weekend hunt.
The hunters came back with two moose. They also caught some trout on their trip, according to their trip, according to the related Facebook page.
“We taught the kids how to cut up the meat and everything,” Kyplain said.
“A big thank you to George Malboeuf, Louis Roy, Larry Gardiner, Angela McKay, Jeremy Daigneault and Leon Desjarlais Jr. For taking the young men out hunting this weekend,” Kyplain said in the Facebook story.
This is the first moose hunt they’ve done and “it was really successful,” he said.
Kyplain said he’s teaching land-based education through the program.
The moose meat was packaged up and shared with 34 elder families across the community.
Pam Misponas, also working with the Friendship Centre, planned to lead a moose hunt Thursday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 6 which is open to women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ Ile-a-la-Crosse community, Misponas said.
So far five women had registered for the hunt, as the Northern Advocate went to press.
