BBQ and Mittens

August 27, 2022

Lindsay Bailey, AVC 2023, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of reflective writing.

The Chinook Project has been full of unique experiences and unforgettable memories. What made the Chinook Project so special and memorable are the people in the Port Hope Simpson community. There have been so many interactions that have left an imprint on me. We did several fun activities like going on a boat to see icebergs, and hiking on top of a mountain, but what was most impactful was the barbeque that the people in the community organized for us. We were able to talk to people one on one, outside of the realm of veterinary medicine.

Chinook Team with Wallie

It was nice to sit back with the people we had seen throughout the week and hear about their lives. At the beginning of the barbeque, one of the people from the community – Wallie – gave a speech about what it meant for us to visit them and take care of their animals. She gave each of us a gift which was a card with sweet messages, containers of homemade baked apple butter, and keychains with our first initial. The keychains were made out of seal. Even though we were the ones visiting their community and their culture, she said “I hope this [the keychain] doesn’t offend anyone”. I thought it was very sweet of her to be concerned about our comfort when we were the ones 'from away' .

Lindsay with a piece of iceberg

After the barbeque, she gave me a ride to the shore – where the Chinook group had been invited to ride on a sea-doo - and we chatted about her husband being a trapper and her hobby of crafting out of what he brings home. She was using the money she made from her crafts to go towards a vacation in Boston, MA. She told me about some projects she finished – one of them being mitts made from beaver. Wallie told me that the beaver mitts are warmer than the seal mitts she has made before. I let her know that I was interested in purchasing them, and she insisted that I didn't have to buy them if I didn't like them. Fast forward to the next day- I bought the beaver mitts that she brought to the clinic. I may not ever wear them in the mild winters in St Louis, Missouri, but I love the memory that comes with them and that I helped Wallie get a little closer to her vacation to Boston.