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
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.