this is a very physically demanding way of life there’s been times where I’ve
of life there’s been times where I’ve
of life there’s been times where I’ve been skiing for eight or ten hours
been skiing for eight or ten hours
been skiing for eight or ten hours through deep snow and stopping to
through deep snow and stopping to
through deep snow and stopping to maintain traps and I’m really tired and
maintain traps and I’m really tired and
maintain traps and I’m really tired and I’m hot and I’m sweaty and I know that
I’m hot and I’m sweaty and I know that
I’m hot and I’m sweaty and I know that I’m just one sprained ankle away from
I’m just one sprained ankle away from
I’m just one sprained ankle away from literally dying and that’s a risk I’m
literally dying and that’s a risk I’m
literally dying and that’s a risk I’m willing to accept when we were little
willing to accept when we were little
willing to accept when we were little kids we always wanted to go exploring
kids we always wanted to go exploring
kids we always wanted to go exploring and find out where this river went and
and find out where this river went and
and find out where this river went and people in talent seem like they’re more
people in talent seem like they’re more
people in talent seem like they’re more interested in who or what going to
interested in who or what going to
interested in who or what going to school and whose birthday party is
school and whose birthday party is
school and whose birthday party is coming up and we just want to know what
coming up and we just want to know what
coming up and we just want to know what kind of bird is that and where’s the
kind of bird is that and where’s the
kind of bird is that and where’s the best place to find moose we are trying
best place to find moose we are trying
best place to find moose we are trying to preserve the old way people used to
to preserve the old way people used to
to preserve the old way people used to live on the land because there’s not
live on the land because there’s not
live on the land because there’s not very many people who can do it anymore
most people seem to think it’s a choice
most people seem to think it’s a choice but it was never really a choice for us
but it was never really a choice for us
but it was never really a choice for us this was always our home we inherited
this was always our home we inherited
this was always our home we inherited this trapline in 1975 it’s basically a
this trapline in 1975 it’s basically a
this trapline in 1975 it’s basically a hundred miles of trail bounded by rivers
hundred miles of trail bounded by rivers
hundred miles of trail bounded by rivers and so we will travel about 15 miles a
and so we will travel about 15 miles a
and so we will travel about 15 miles a day from one camp to the next and every
day from one camp to the next and every
day from one camp to the next and every quarter of a mile along the trails we
quarter of a mile along the trails we
quarter of a mile along the trails we have traps set that are targeting
have traps set that are targeting
have traps set that are targeting whatever furbearer is in that particular
whatever furbearer is in that particular
whatever furbearer is in that particular area
we mostly catch Marten but we also catch
we mostly catch Marten but we also catch Lakes Fox make and occasionally wolves
Lakes Fox make and occasionally wolves
Lakes Fox make and occasionally wolves and Wolverine we caught very large
and Wolverine we caught very large
and Wolverine we caught very large numbers of Marten in the 1990s the crash
numbers of Marten in the 1990s the crash
numbers of Marten in the 1990s the crash came about 2001 since then the Marten
came about 2001 since then the Marten
came about 2001 since then the Marten haven’t managed to come back or I think
haven’t managed to come back or I think
haven’t managed to come back or I think it might have to do with climate change
it might have to do with climate change
it might have to do with climate change it’s really difficult when our lives are
it’s really difficult when our lives are
it’s really difficult when our lives are so closely tied to the seasons to the
so closely tied to the seasons to the
so closely tied to the seasons to the climate and to the land
climate and to the land
climate and to the land we always hold back some of the first
we always hold back some of the first
we always hold back some of the first that we catch to make the hats and
that we catch to make the hats and
that we catch to make the hats and mittens and mukluks they keep us warm in
mittens and mukluks they keep us warm in
mittens and mukluks they keep us warm in the wintertime when we get temperatures
the wintertime when we get temperatures
the wintertime when we get temperatures of 40 50 60 below or very high winds
some people think that’s inhumane to
some people think that’s inhumane to catch an animal in a trap it’s really no
catch an animal in a trap it’s really no
catch an animal in a trap it’s really no more cruel for an animal to die in a
more cruel for an animal to die in a
more cruel for an animal to die in a trap than it is to be crushed in the
trap than it is to be crushed in the
trap than it is to be crushed in the jaws of a wolf or died over a period of
jaws of a wolf or died over a period of
jaws of a wolf or died over a period of a month of starvation that is life in
a month of starvation that is life in
a month of starvation that is life in the bush we really feel very strongly
the bush we really feel very strongly
the bush we really feel very strongly that we are deeply involved in the whole
that we are deeply involved in the whole
that we are deeply involved in the whole cycle of life and death subsistence is a
cycle of life and death subsistence is a
cycle of life and death subsistence is a huge part of living in the bush because
huge part of living in the bush because
huge part of living in the bush because you have to go 150 miles by plane to get
you have to go 150 miles by plane to get
you have to go 150 miles by plane to get to the store the most important things
to the store the most important things
to the store the most important things in our life come off of a land whether
in our life come off of a land whether
in our life come off of a land whether that’s something to eat or to build your
that’s something to eat or to build your
that’s something to eat or to build your cabin with or to feed your dogs there’s
cabin with or to feed your dogs there’s
cabin with or to feed your dogs there’s too many people living in towns and they
too many people living in towns and they
too many people living in towns and they work all day long and they move a pile
work all day long and they move a pile
work all day long and they move a pile of paper from here to here and we work
of paper from here to here and we work
of paper from here to here and we work all day long and we have a quart of
all day long and we have a quart of
all day long and we have a quart of water we have a 5 gallons of berries or
water we have a 5 gallons of berries or
water we have a 5 gallons of berries or a moose in the freezer and so it’s a
a moose in the freezer and so it’s a
a moose in the freezer and so it’s a much more tangible reward
we’ve learned an awful lot in the last
we’ve learned an awful lot in the last 55 years and the people who lived here
55 years and the people who lived here
55 years and the people who lived here before the white men moved in knew the
before the white men moved in knew the
before the white men moved in knew the land so much better than anybody who
land so much better than anybody who
land so much better than anybody who lives here now it’s humbling to think
lives here now it’s humbling to think
lives here now it’s humbling to think that we know it’ll even a little bit
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