Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
The Annual Heritage week was full of cultural festivities at Nak’albun School in Fort St. James.
From Jan. 23 – 27, the school community celebrated with a week filled with history, stories, out outdoor activities and yes, culture.
“Journey on your trail where your ancestors used to walk,” was said as kindergarten students were led on a trail leading to a trapping demonstration.
Sara Sam, the organizer of Heritage Week at the school, says that the event is so important to the school community but it is also very much about bringing communities together.
“This is an opportunity for us to share our culture, language and traditions with others,” Sam said.
Sam’s sister Florence Sam began organizing the event in 1994 and with each year it just keeps getting more and more popular.
“We are always trying to include new people and get them involved too,” Sam said.
Local school communities were invited as well as schools from Prince George and Burns Lake.
For Sam and the rest of the school community, Heritage Week is also about keeping oral history alive.
“In years past, people relied on storytelling and having these stories passed down from generation to generation is so important,” Sam said.
The week was also filled with teaching traditional survival skills including medicines, how they are made as well as ice fishing, trapping demonstrations, drumming, storytelling and a feast day.
The week concluded with the popular winter Olympics held on Jan. 27.