Hay River AHS
Dezoa Undaa Gogah Goghaonete
Hay River Reserve Aboriginal Head Start Centre
Box 3055
Hay River, NT, X0E 1G4
Tel: (867) 874-6548
Fax: (867) 874-3678
email

Welcome to the Dezoa Undaa Goghaonete website. The Aboriginal Head Start Program is located on the Hay River Reserve, just 20 kilometers from the Town of Hay River in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

Our program opened June of 1997. At present, we have approximately 33 Aboriginal children and a waiting list of 3 in the two half-day programs. There are three different groups that engage in the two half-day programs. Our program begins early September and ends June each year with a graduation ceremony.

Four staff members deliver and administer the Aboriginal Head Start Program: Leonie Vermillion, Program Coordinator, Bus Driver and Secretary Treasure. Rene Squirrel is the Teacher, Trudy Coutrie is the Classroom Assistant and Olga Aviugana is the Special Needs Assistant.

South Slavey cultural events and activities are planned throughout the year. The children set snares in the woods or we go sliding, cook hot dogs and marshmallows etc.

We are fortunate to have elders available to teach the kids how to cook or prepare traditional foods or make traditional clothing. Depending on the time of the year, they may come in to show the kids how to pluck ducks, make dry fish or dry meat, skin rabbits; skin and cut up caribou, moose and beaver; bead, make drums or rattles and tell stories and legends at the same time. The students are also shown how to check fish nets on the lake with a local Fisherman, enjoy a dog ride with a local dog musher. They learn drumming from an Elder who visits the classroom, while teaching he also teaches them the prayer song and reason for feeding the fire and Dene Hand Games. The students name their own drums, made by the elder and then use the drums at the ceremony of their graduation. The students also have the opportunity to learn how to prepare fish and bannock and enjoy after cooking.

To get a better picture of the positive impact the Aboriginal Head Start Program is having on our children, we present this mini-photo album to showcase that success.