There was a little something for everyone this past weekend courtesy of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN).
Its annual Spring Carnival, which ended on Sunday, was a three-day long celebration of culture, sports, and community spirit. This year’s carnival was particularly special as it featured the first ever dog races attracting 10 teams for the 10-dog race and 14 for the six-dog race.
“Dog racing is deep-rooted in our culture,” said Theresa Lynn, YKDFN’s recreation co-ordinator. “We have multiple elders in our community who used to race in the Canadian Championship (Dog Derby) and won first place. So all these elders are super excited they’re all out here and they’re happy to be watching the races.”
Preparing the race was a collective effort, with Det’on Cho Logistics clearing the parking lot near the entrance to the ice road, Doug Almond grooming the tracks with a Snowcat, and Ernie Campbell marking the track with a snow machine.
The Beck family, one of the most well-known families in the sport, and familiar faces like Buddy Streeper, who brought his daughters Clara and Alva from Fort Nelson, B.C. It was the first time father and daughters had competed together.
Buddy Streeper won the 10-dog race in a two-day total time of one hour, 37 minutes, 21.40 seconds, while T.J. Fordy crossed the finish line first in the six-dog event in a time of 45 minutes, 24.88 seconds.
In addition to the dog races, there were outdoor activities, including a pond hockey tournament and a snow snake competition.
There were indoor activities also, including a hand games tournament inside the Chief Drygeese Centre, a talent show with participants singing and jigging and a children’s carnival at the Dettah gym. A drum dance was the big highlight on Saturday, and a baking contest happened on Sunday.
Despite the fishing derby’s lack of catches, Theresa Lynn was pleasantly surprised by the smooth running of the event, noting that everything proceeded as planned.
“This is definitely (the) biggest event that the Yellowknives Dene hosts and it is exciting to add more activities to this as well,” said Lynn.
She highlighted the carnival’s role in reuniting the community after the long winter, providing an opportunity for residents to reconnect and forge new friendships.
The carnival wrapped up with a community feast Sunday.