Visiting the Doig River First Nation

By Haruna Tonomura

I was a very good experience for me to go to the Doig River First Nation. I was surprised that there were a lot of children. I met students of the Upper Pine Elementary School. I was glad they remembered me.

The location was very good, and I enjoyed the beautiful natural view. At first, I didn’t want to see the moose’s skin because I thought it was revolting, but it was very soft and beautiful. I took a lot of pictures. The process of making a moose’s hide is very long. A woman said it would cost $700 to buy.

After studying how to make a moose’s hide, we ate bannock. It was the first time I had eaten it, and it was very good. I like to eat it with jam. When I was eating, a very cute dog came. The dog liked people. I stroked his stomach. There were three or four dogs. I took many pictures of them. Then I enjoyed First Nation’s traditional dances and songs. There are similar dances in Japan. Before I came to Canada, I went to an international exposition. I learned about First Nations cultures. I saw a lot of art objects and clothes. I’m interested in First Nations’ cultures, so I really enjoyed this valuable experience.