Program aims to boost relationships with police, Indigenous youth
The second annual Mooz Akinonmaaget Maa Aki Moose Hunt initiative was launched Thursday in Sudbury.
The program aims to build positive relationships between Indigenous youth and Greater Sudbury police.
“The police and the agencies are always there in an unfortunate situation where either the youth or their caregivers are removed from the residence," said Const. Darrell Rivers, Indigenous liaison officer.
"That traumatic knowledge memory stays with the kids. So how do we rebuild that? How do we get them to trust us again?”
The program is a partnership with Niijaansinaanik Child and Family Services, Nogdawindamin Family & Community Services, Kina Gbehzgomi Child and Family Services, Children’s Aid Society, Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Youth are selected from each organization and paired with a Sudbury police officer and an agency mentor.
Throughout the summer and into the fall, they learn about traditional Anishnawbek values through the Seven Grandfather Teachings and participate in training and activities, including hunting education, firearms safety, the moose hunt and teachings on gratitude and giving thanks.
Last year six youth took part and two moose were harvested. One was donated to the Shkagamik-Kwe wild game food bank while the other was divided among participants and enjoyed during a traditional feast.
Organizers said it was a huge success.
“We were successful in purchasing 50 acres of land just last year so this partnership was actually the first group that accessed the land as a community event,” said Angela Recollet, Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre CEO.
"We were honoured to have the youth and our partners in the police service and the courage of the officers to stand up as leaders, role models and mentors breaking down that stereotype around policing and ensuring that they were giving youth a different lens to look through."
This year, there will be eight participants. The Rainbow School Board will award participants two co-op credits, as well as volunteer hours for completing the program.
The moose hunt will take place over a weekend in September followed by a traditional feast.
“All of the non-Indigenous participants and mentors are not hunting, they are observers," said Rivers.
"It’s the Indigenous mentors who will be doing the harvesting and the kids are not going to be shooting guns. For that cross-cultural component, they’re going to learn what we do when we harvest and how we respect the gift that was given to us.”
Linden Robotham, 13, is one of the participants. He said he’s most excited to learn about the land.
“It's very helpful for the youth so that we can learn more about the culture and where our land came from.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.