Renewing Cultural Identity – The Justice Trapline

“The Grandfather system is in place; young people can learn from the elders; that practice is still there.” – Clifford Ray, NSTAC president

Viewing young people as key actors in the co-op’s future, NSTAC is working hard to include youth and renew their sense of cultural identity. Through school programming and trapper training, the NSTAC shares the knowledge, skills, and benefits of a traditional trapper lifestyle. The Justice Trapline is an initiative designed to engage young people. The pilot project paired young offenders with experienced trappers on the trapline. The youth learned to build cabins and canoes and prepare food and pelts, reconnecting with traditional Aboriginal culture and rebuilding their self-confidence. It also provided them with the knowledge and skills to face life challenges and see trapping as a way of life that can sustain them in their home communities.

For more information about this project and to see the final report when it is completed: Lessons Learned on the Justice Trapline