Cultural skills demonstrations such as fish preparation, lock snare making and trap setting were all part of this afternoon’s Youth Day activities at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre.

The event marked the first day of the Northern Saskatchewan Trappers Association 2018 Convention, which includes an annual general meeting on April 12 and 13. Youth Day, however, was meant to educate students about trapping and the importance of learning land-based skills, according to association President Adam Charles.

“Teachers can bring their students and learn the cultural things we’re doing,” he said. “It’s the expertise we’re trying to bring back.”

Although many of the students were from nearby schools, Charles noted some travelled from Stanley Mission for the day. In addition to the demonstrations, Charles delivered a presentation about the history of the Saskatchewan Northern Trappers Association’s Northern Fur Conservation Area. The area includes 81 fur blocks, he said, and stretches as far south as Prince Albert.

Charles also said Youth Day matters because it’s a chance to show students they have potential, while at the same time teaching them about their culture.

“We see these young people getting into trouble and they’re stuck in communities,” he said. “There’s no way out and they think there’s no future, but there is a future.”

Tomorrow should also prove to be a busy day as the annual general meetings get formally underway, Charles said. Representatives from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nation and Prince Albert Grand Council, as well as Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Season and NDP MLA Doyle Vermette are expected to address the trappers. In the next two days, Charles said an election will also occur for the roles of president, vice-president and six regional directors, which are all three-year terms.