BIRM students and mentors embark on an annual year-end trip filled with experiences and learning opportunities. This year’s journey took them to Alberta’s mountains for the Kaniyasihk Culture Camp, which was truly memorable! Here are some reflections from the students.

What interested you the most on the BIRM year end trip to Kaniyasihk Culture Camp?

• The fish gutting and fishing
• What interested me most about the trip was being able to get the experience to learn more about the traditional ways of my culture. It was so exciting to be able to apply the skills and teachings.
• Learning about the indigenous culture and getting a better understanding of how they lived.
• The land-based learning.
• All of the hands-on activities, they didn’t just make us sit and watch they made sure we were in there doing stuff alongside them.
• Connecting with new people and learning new skills.
• Learning about the indigenous culture and getting a better understanding of how they lived.
• The opportunity to experience Indigenous culture and survival skills!
• I was most interested in the community dynamics, the traditional teachings and the hide tanning.

• I was very interested in the activities (Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Calgary tower, Lake Minnewanka cruise, the gondola, lake Louise hike)
• U of C
• The mountains in Banff and getting to camp out there.
• Exploring places I hadn’t been before.

How was the BIRM trip different from other school trips you may have been on?

• It was our first trip so it was the best ever.
• This trip was different because we were gone for 4 days and 3 nights but i’ve only ever been on day trips or only half a day.
• I have not been on any trips like this so it was a first for me.
• It was outdoors.
• Connecting to my culture.
• Much more life skilled oriented, I have knowledge I can now use for the rest of my life.
• It was super hands-on and we were allowed to choose whether we participated.
• I went camping for the first time.
• There was more freedom to choose how and what you learnt from the teachers there and it was more immersive than other trips.
• We stayed in a hotel and left Saskatchewan.
• Very interactive with students.
• I never been to Banff or Calgary or left Saskatchewan (ps I been on my Rez).
• Other schools don’t take you out of province for class trips.

How does the BIRM trip experience prepare you for your future goals?

• To be more traditional and taught me that cell phones aren’t everything.
• It helps me understand what I want to be for the future and furthers my knowledge with seeing what I am capable of doing for myself.
• It shows how independent I can be.
• It helped me with talking to new people because obviously you can’t avoid talking to people when staying at their house.
• Prepares me to learn how to fillet fish.
• It gives me a broader perspective on the many opportunities there are in the world.
• It gave me insight into what life could look like if i prioritized traditional values and helped me with perspective into the reality of tradition living and community.
• We got to see the arts thing in Banff and learned about the opportunities available for Indigenous artists.
• Helps me figure out all of that stuff.
• Pack extra blankets and make sure your air mattress doesn’t deflate if you’re camping. But other than that it really made me want to go explore more.

Did anything surprise you about what you explored and learned at Kinayasihk Culture Camp?

• The smell and cow heads.
• I was surprised with the whole fish experience, I had not expected it to be like that but I enjoyed every second of it.
• Yes the amount of dead animals and the smell of them.
• I was really surprised that they got us to do the hide the first day.
• How often they have the opportunity to catch big game. And how much freedom we had to explore on our own with it being a school trip.
• I knew nature could be used in so many different ways but they showed us here instead of just telling us.
• Seeing the eel-looking fish.
• How good the food was.
• I was surprised how immersive it was and how engaged they got the students and how excited I was to get my hands dirty.
• I did not know that Elk carry a disease that kills moose and that when elk populations go up moose populations go down.
• I explored a lot it was too much for my tiny brain.
• I was surprised by the mountains in Banff and busy schedule full of cool activities.

How has this trip impacted your school journey, confidence, and personal growth?

• I made memories I’ll never forget and I had so much fun’s with my friends. Definitely got closer with everyone there and my friends. Boredom was actually fun, we even did a fashion show.
• It definitely impacted my confidence and personal since this trip was a huge step out of my comfort zone, it gave me a chance to learn more about myself and about my culture.
• It helped my confidence with my culture.
• Yes I felt free from the big ugly city and got a taste of a simple fun life.
• I learned so much, more than I’ve ever learned in school or other school trips. And now I feel confident in skills I didn’t before.
• It definitely was a positive impact i love trying new things and this was definitely not something I expected to be able to do.
• Yes, my confidence in filleting fish.
• It helped my confidence with my culture.
• I made friends on the trip, and I got to spend one-on-one time with nature.
• It helped with my confidence in talking to the other kids on the trip I would’ve have spoken to otherwise.
• I got to go to Banff for the first time.
• Made me realize what I could be.
• I want to go explore the world and see the mountains again.
• Helped me get through school a little bit more. I wasn’t confident I was going to pass this year but the people I had this year really helped me.

The Kaniyasihk Culture Camp had a powerful impact on BIRM students, deepening their connection to Indigenous culture through hands-on experiences like fishing, hide tanning, and traditional teachings. The trip built students’ confidence, sparked personal growth, and inspired new perspectives on their futures through cultural teachings and Indigenous ways of living.