Last week the students of Tok School were given moose days. Moose days are days off so the kids and families can go hunting, which is an important part of our culture. Every year the students usually get two moose days for hunting. Moose hunting is a large part of our culture because of how much moose meat is used.
Moose season this year has been one of the best hunting seasons in years; many families have gone without moose in past years because of the lack of moose, but this year it seems as though the moose are slowly coming back. You may only shoot a cow for a potlatch, otherwise you have to kill a bull, and in some places the bull must be at least 50+ inches.
Just recently, my family got two moose in one day - one in the morning and one at night. We haven't had a successful moose season in almost four years. Moose meat is very essential to locals and their livelihood, and moose meat is essential for potlatches. A potlatch is how we show respect to a recently deceased loved one.
Nadine Thomas notes that her family has not seen success yet this season. “My family saw many moose this season but we never managed to actually get to one because people managed to get to them before us.”
However, overall, this year's moose season has been much more successful than past years have and it shows. Many families finally have moose meat in their freezers after years without it. Moose meat is an essential part of native culture because of how many recipes it is in, and how often it is used for potlatches, celebrations, and many other gatherings. It seems not all families were lucky enough to get moose this year, which is why the successful hunters must share with their family so no one goes without moose again.
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