By Jill Sperling

Children learn about traditional territory during fish harvest, relocation

May 11, 2017 | 4:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — Jacko Lake and the land surrounding is sacred to the Secwepemc people. Today, May 11, SSN staff spent the morning teaching young children the importance of being stewards of the land. 

High water has spilled hundreds of fish out of the lake, into Ink’s Creek, and further into marshy grassland where they will be unable to survive.     

Children from Little Fawn Nursery helped relocate many of those fish, all while learning valuable lessons about their land and culture. 

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“We follow what the Secwepemc people’s way of life is throughout our school year, so this is a really important event for us because this is the only time that the trout are doing this,” said Little Fawn Nursery administrator Jessica Arnouse. 

Some of the fish will be harvested, taken by the nursery school to be cooked up in a traditional feast. 

According to SSN Knowledge Keeper Ed Jensen, a balance must be struck between what is taken and what is given back to the lake. 

“We’ve always been givers and takers, so there’s always a fine balance that we need to reach that way, and we show that in a respectful way by leaving offerings before we come into the area, saying a prayer, and humbling ourselves before we can come and take things,” Jensen said.

Most of the fish are relocated to the lake, known as Pipsell to the Secwepemc people. 

The ultimate lesson for the children is how to respect their special land and waters.

“It’s places like this that have to be taken care of,” Arnouse said.