Hunt Camps
Land-Based Healing, Food Sovereignty & Nation-Specific Education
Guided by Community, Grounded in Tradition
Dreamcatcher Holistic Health Services Inc. (DHHS) 's Hunt Camps are about much more than learning to hunt. They are a journey of reconnection, healing, knowledge sharing, and capacity building; all rooted in your nation's unique traditions and vision.
As an Indigenous-owned and led holistic health provider, we believe that every Nation’s protocols, history, and teachings must guide every program. Our Hunt Camps are always customized in partnership with your community’s leadership, Elders, and local hunters. We bring humility, respect, and a collaborative spirit into every territory we visit.
What Makes Our Hunt Camps Unique?
Nation-Led and Customized: Every camp is designed with your Nation, integrating your values, protocols, language, and traditional hunting practices.
Mobile & Respectful: Our team comes to your community, bringing knowledge, equipment, and support—wherever you are.
Capacity Building & Instructor Training: Camps can focus on building your local capacity—training community members to become guides and instructors—or be tailored for youth and young adults learning to harvest for the first time.
Holistic Wellness: Healing circles are woven into every camp, supporting emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Certified mental health responders are present to ensure cultural and psychological safety.
Sustainable, Ethical, and Inclusive: We teach and practice conservation, food sovereignty, and respect for the land, welcoming all genders and backgrounds.
Nation-Specific Hunting Education Program Development
Dreamcatcher HHS works with Nations to co-create hunting education programs that reflect your unique culture, land, and priorities.
Whether you envision a course modelled after the BC Wildlife Federation’s C.O.R.E. program or a program entirely rooted in your teachings and language, we partner closely with community leaders, Elders, and local hunters to ensure your Nation’s knowledge and values are at the heart of every lesson.
Our collaborative process includes:
- Community and Elder engagement sessions to co-develop curriculum
- Integration of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge with modern safety and conservation practices
- Training and certifying local facilitators to deliver the program for years to come
- Ongoing mentorship and access to DHHS curriculum resources
Who Are the Camps For?
Youth & Young Adults (Ages 10+): For those new to hunting or seeking to reconnect with traditional food systems.
Community Facilitators & Guides: Instructor training for those who wish to lead future camps and grow local capacity.
All Genders & Backgrounds: Inclusive and welcoming, with intertribal knowledge sharing encouraged.
What Options Are There for Training at the Hunt Camps?
1. Beginner Harvesters
- Introduction to hunting, safety, and food sovereignty for youth and young adults.
- Foundational skills: animal identification, tracking, ethical harvesting, firearms safety, field dressing, and survival.
- If applicable, cultural teachings and ceremonies with elders and knowledge keepers.
2. Capacity Building & Instructor Training
- Hands-on mentorship for community members wishing to become certified guides and facilitators.
- Safety and program delivery: firearms handling, wilderness first aid, risk management, teaching classroom and land-based sessions.
- Leadership skills: managing group dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution.
- Cultural facilitation: leading healing circles, supporting emotional and spiritual wellness, and holding space for ceremonies.
- Curriculum planning: co-develop and adapt workshops, integrate language and local knowledge, and access DHHS curricular resources.
- Assessment and feedback: evaluate participant progress, self-reflection tools, and ongoing mentorship.
- Certification: DHHS graduates receive a certificate of instructor training, and there are opportunities for continued mentorship and co-facilitation.
3. Specialized Workshops & Skills
- Plant medicine walks and traditional food knowledge.
- Traditional tools and weapon making (e.g., bows, arrows, bone tools).
- Butchering, food preparation, and preservation.
4. Mental Health, Wellness & Healing
- Daily or as-requested healing circles, facilitated by certified mental health responders.
- Resilience and coping skills for grief, trauma, or stress related to land and harvest.
5. Customized Topics
We adapt to your Nation’s vision, whether for trapline skills, conservation, wilderness first aid, or other land-based priorities.
Sample Two-Week Hunt Camp Program
Here’s an example of how a comprehensive Nation-specific hunting camp could unfold. Every camp is tailored to your Nation’s lands, traditions, and goals.
Week 1: Foundations & Skills Development
Day 1: Classroom Learning
- Introduction to traditional and modern hunting ethics
- Overview of local wildlife, treaty rights, and conservation principles
- Firearms safety basics and hunting regulations
Day 2: Classroom Learning
- Trip planning, camp safety, and emergency preparedness
- Review of local cultural protocols, ceremonies, and community expectations
- Q&A with Elders and experienced hunters
Day 3: Firearms Range
- Practical firearms safety and handling at the range under certified supervision
- Live-fire practice: rifles, shotguns, and archery (if applicable)
- Review of range safety protocols and respectful conduct
Day 4: Tracking, Plant Identification & Land Connection
- Land-based outing focused on animal tracking, reading signs, and understanding animal behaviour
- Guided walks for medicinal and edible plant identification
- Teachings on respectful harvesting and “getting to know the land”
- Storytelling circle on the connection between land, plants, animals, and people
Day 5: Wilderness Survival & Field Dressing
- Hands-on wilderness survival skills: shelter building, fire-making, navigation, and emergency response
- Water safety and sourcing
- Field dressing demonstration: safe and respectful animal processing
- Food safety and storage basics
Week 2: Harvesting Practicum
Days 6–12: Guided Harvesting Experience
- Daily land-based harvesting with guidance from local hunters and DHHS facilitators (1 instructor per 2 participants)
- Practice tracking, hunting, and applying classroom skills in real situations
- Integration of cultural and conservation teachings throughout
- Healing circles and daily debriefs to support holistic well-being
- All harvested food is processed and shared with the community (Elders, single-parent homes, etc.)
- Participants assist in field dressing, transporting, and preparing harvested animals (as appropriate)
Final Day
Reflection circle and celebration
- Camp Clean-up
- Certificates of participation and/or instructor training (if applicable)
- Feedback and planning session for future camps or program adaptations
This sample program is just a starting point; every Hunt Camp is fully customized for your Nation’s needs, land, and traditions.
Contact us to co-create a hunting education program honouring your community’s knowledge and future.
Our Commitment
- Trauma-Informed, Culturally Safe Programming: All camps are delivered by certified, insured instructors and mental health responders.
- Collaborative & Flexible: We honour your protocols, adapt to your timelines, and support your community’s vision.
- Sustainable & Ethical: We teach conservation-minded, respectful harvesting and stewardship for future generations.
Ready to Bring a Hunt Camp to Your Nation?
Whether you want to build local facilitator capacity, inspire youth, or revitalize traditional food systems, Dreamcatcher Holistic Health Services is ready to help fill the gaps.
Contact us for a customized program brochure or to start a conversation:
Dreamcatcher Holistic Health Services
Dreamcatcher Holistic Health Services
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Contact us
We would love to hear from you! Contact us through the form or simply use the email address below to get in touch.
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