Youth from Norway House Cree Nation learn to live off the land

On a cold November morning, Lester Balfour heads out onto the land with a group of boys to check his rabbit snares about a 40 minute drive north of Norway House Cree Nation.

A snare is a simple tool — a branch and a silver wire. 

Balfour uses his fist to measure the circumference of the wire loop, making it slightly larger than a rabbit's head. 

The end of the wire is loosely fastened, the idea being that when a rabbit runs through it, the wire tightens around its neck. 

"So when a rabbit runs in, it gets caught," Balfour said. "That's how you get your rabbit."

Balfour doesn't want traditional hunting, trapping and fishing skills to be lost to younger generations, so he dedicates much of his time to teaching youth who want to learn.

Keeping up with his snares is a laborious task. Balfour checks them multiple times a week, to avoid losing his catch to other predators, like martens and lynxes. 

"The other day, we had checked and were setting snares, my brother actually seen a small lynx close by," Balfour said. 

That morning, the youth caught six wapos — the Cree word for rabbits — but lost two, learning a valuable lesson about being diligent when checking snares and to remain aware of your surroundings. 

"A lynx got to it, so there's other predators, so we're not the only ones trying to eat the rabbits," Balfour said. 

Growing up, Balfour didn't have many chances to learn about living off the land, and that's why he now shares his knowledge with youth from Norway House Cree Nation. 

"Nobody is teaching them … [about] eating wild food. For me, it's a lot healthier," said Balfour, who was initially taught by his grandmother to stick to a diet of mostly wild foods.

WATCH | Lester Balfour teaches lessons on the land to his community's kids:

Balfour hasn't been to a doctor in years.