Around 500 students invited to annual Doig Day

FORT ST.JOHN, B.C. — Approximately 500 grade four students from School District 60 participated in the annual Doig Day event to experience the Dane-zaa culture and traditions. 

The event took place on June 8th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Doig River First Nation’s cultural grounds. It allowed students to participate in many practices, including moose hide and bannock making, archeological digging, drumming, and more.

The district has been going to Doig River for over 25 years.

“The event is about manifesting Doig River cultural traditions by engaging with School District 60 students,” said Doig River First Nations councillor Garry Oker.

“It feels great to have different cultures sharing a common space to have fun collectively.”

Oker says the focus of Doig Day is to introduce students to Indigenous languages, traditions, and songs and impart them with practical experience of the Dane-zaa lifestyle.

Doig’s events always focus on uniting communities through cultural experiences, said Oker.

He added that events are essential for First Nation communities to express and represent their cultural values with freedom, especially following the complicated history between Indigenous people and the Canadian government. 

Thomas Whitton, information and technology manager at Doig River and SD60 board trustee, said Doig Day is a unique event to share Dane-zaa’s values with students.

“Students get to experience live drumming, cultural activities, and part of it is reconciliation with the focus to educate and share the Indigenous experience with students,” said Whitton. 

The First Nation aims to enhance the event in the future by collaborating with more local organizations to spread the message of truth and reconciliation.