TRADITION COMES ALIVE AT HARVEST
A family’s commitment to culture and care
By Mashkodebizhikigahbaw, Benji Sam
Calendar year 2025, officially dubbed “The Year of the Child" by our Chief Executive Virgil Wind, wrapped up with a bang as hunters found success across the State of Minnesota. One of the teachings that was given in our family is to involve children as early and often as possible to help keep our way of life alive as the world becomes more modern. In the Sam/Houle hunting party, our youngsters filled the woods this fall with six hunters under the age of 16, awaiting their chance to make a decision that could very well change their life.
Hunting deer has always been more than a sport, more than a hobby in our culture and has always been more closely regarded as a passage into adulthood with responsibility. We have had the honor to share first harvest ceremonies with many of our loved ones over the years, bringing meat back to family and feeding those around us is what brings us back every fall. Taking a life is never easy, but with every loss there is a gain and this year we were fortunate enough to see three hunters harvest their first ever white-tailed deer while wrapping up a wonderful time with family in the woods that we call home. Soon these young relatives will be surrounded by their most loved ones celebrating their own first harvest ceremony and entering adulthood into our family's tradition.
With hunting, there is always series of decisions to be made — where to sit, where to watch, when to leave, and when to make a harvest. This is something we preach to our children and first-time hunters as they join in the woods with us for the first time. The health of the deer herd is what will continue to drive our survival as a family and supplementing our diet with the same foods our loved ones utilized long ago keeps us connected with the world around us. Yet, we try to teach our children and loved ones that hunting, fishing, gathering, etc. is about so much more than the use of a resource but respecting the opportunities around us and who we share that time with.
In the circle of life, we understand that our place in the world can be critical in management of habitat, bedding, food source, water supply, travel corridors, and ultimately our footprint means a lot more to the wildlife around us than we sometimes care to admit. What we harvest, and when we harvest it, has a lot to do with next year and beyond as far as healthy forests, lakes, streams, and biomass of the critters that share our world. That's what makes this journey such a beautiful opportunity to share with others, to share with children, and to enjoy every waking moment in the woods that gives us life.
Like I tell my nieces and nephews, never forget your tobacco and never ask for good luck while hunting. Instead, we pray that our family can stay safe and that we can heal in our own path surrounded by those who love us most — that is what hunting is all about.
