Imagine walking up to a bear licking your face.
William Archibald, from Taykwa Tagamou Nation had that happen to him during a time when he was struggling with homelessness and addiction.
This run in with the bear happened after he had passed out in a wooden area.
For William, that encounter became a turning point. In Cree teachings, he said, the bear represents healing and medicine. He took the experience as a sign that it was time to change his life.
Nearly two years later, William is sober, has housing, and he’s building an online following through “Moose Calling 101” videos that teach moose-calling techniques and traditional hunting knowledge. Now, he’s preparing to launch a new app.
William wants to teach others the skills that were handed down to him through the generations of his family.
For example…
Using the dried shoulder blade of a bull moose to scraped the brush to imitate the sound of a bull moose moving through the forest during rutting season.
Performing cow calls and bull grunts designed to attract moose during the fall mating period.
One of the most important teachings, William says is taking only what is needed.
He say that he feeds the people on his reserve for a whole year with one moose.
For William, sharing these teachings has become part of his recovery.
Check out “Moose Calling 101” on Facebook and Youtube
