Kids have fun at Turtle Lake Cultural Camp

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It is hard to say if they had more fun splashing in Turtle Lake or learning to hide the bones in the traditional handgame lessons. But it was clear that all the boys and girls attending the Turtle Lake Cultural Camp had a really good time.

The "fun in the sun" was only the beginning, explained camp coordinator Linda Jimmy.

"We had 25 children for five days camped out in three large tipis. Observing traditional protocol, there was one tipi for the girls, one for the boys and one in the centre for our Elders and the pipe. We kept the kids very busy and gathered sweetgrass everyday," she said.

Set in a grassy pasture near the woods surrounding Turtle Lake, the Thunderchild campground has a number of log cabins and a large log lodge for indoor activities.

Under the watchful eyes of Ester Sunchild, Adrienne Horse, and Jimmy, the children learned how to chop wood and keep the fires burning from dawn till dusk.

They skinned a deer and learned how to smoke venison with Eliza Thunderchild, who tended the traditional smokehouse.

Billy, George and Rod Wapass gave many of the children their first traditional handgame lessons, showing them how to hide the bones, roll the sticks, sing the songs and beat the hand drums.

Sheena Paskimine and Vanessa Thunderchild cooked up many traditional foods for the feast and campout.