Hungry students will have the chance to partake in some traditional First Nations food this holiday season thanks to a donation from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
The FSIN has spent this past week giving elk, deer and moose meat to those in need. The organization gave the traditionally hunted meat to the Prince Albert Food Bank and North Battleford Lighthouse on Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning the meat was given to students at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology at their downtown campus in Saskatoon.
“It’s just our way of encouraging our students that they are valuable and they are our next leaders,” said Chief Cameron.
Cameron says he was a student once and knows what it is like to struggle to put food on the table.
“This is our way of giving back,” he said.
Several SIIT students were on hand for the meat giving and for the school’s president Riel Bellegarde the give-away has become a welcome tradition.
“It really is in the spirit of giving,” he said. “This is what we do as First Nation people. We give back to our communities and our citizens.”
Chief Cameron started the tradition in 2014 and hopes it will continue for many years to come.
Some more meat will be making it’s way to the Saskatoon Lighthouse as well.
(PHOTO: FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron and SIIT President Riel Bellegarde giving traditional hunted meat to SIIT students in Saskatoon. Photo by Joel Willick.)