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For two Snap Lake Mine employees, the opportunity to connect with Aboriginal Elders and see for themselves the health of fish living in the lake above the mine was a unique experience.

The annual fish tasting recently brought together Elders from Aboriginal communities where we work. This year, representatives from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN), Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation (LKDFN), North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA), the Deninu Kué First Nation (DKFN) and NWT Métis Nation took part. An invitation was also extended to the Tlicho Government; who unfortunately were unable to participate.

Yellowknives Elder Mike Francis guided the fish harvest with support from members of the Snap Lake Environment team, netting 16 Lake Trout. The Elders examined the fish to test their overall health, including that of their flesh and internal organs.

De Beers employees Chinta Unka, a member of the DKFN who works as an instrumentation technician at the mine, and site services maintenance clerk Ron Desjarlais, LKDFN, also took part.

“You can tell the fish are healthy just by looking at them,” said Ron. “It’s good to bring the Elders here to ensure the water quality and the (fish) habitat isn’t being damaged.”

Once the fish were inspected, some of the meat was boiled without seasoning, butter or oil, and then tasted. The remaining fish were cooked over the fire, or pan-fried with flour and butter. A batch of bannock was also whipped up for everyone to enjoy.

 “I think the event went well. We had more than enough fish and gained valuable knowledge from the Elders,” said Michelle Peters, environmental superintendent. “We couldn’t do it without Ron and Chinta, and I’m proud of the Environment team for working hard to pull together a well-organized event.”

The comments and observations of the Elders are reported as a section of Snap Lake’s Aquatic Effects Monitoring Program (AEMP) annual report and sent separately to each community.