Hunting Reality (storey 3 of 40)

One hundred and twenty six dogs stretch out across the frozen McKenzie River. Eighteen teams of dogs become thin lines of broken black thread that sew their way toward the even blacker ridge of pecker pole pine and spruce that frame out the western shore of the mighty McKenzie. This is the western side of the NWT that borders with the Yukon Territory.

It is time for the early spring hunt. The men will be gone until they have killed enough caribou to feed us through to the last part of March and until the ice breaks up. Then everyone heads for fish camp and rat camp. A rag tag group of kids watches in silence as our fathers, uncles and brothers head out to hunt food for us.