Culture Camp
Culture Camp week precedes the military portion and starts early July and is completed with the hand over Ceremony; where the Culture Camp Coordinator transitions the Candidates from Culture Camp to Basic Military Qualification training. Culture Camps main objective is to bridge the culture gap between the candidates’ home environment and life in the military, while providing learning in a diverse range of cultural activities and ceremonies. For those who were raised in a mainstream environment, it also serves to educate and instill pride in their heritage. This is an important aspect of the program. It provides the necessary orientation and team spirit to succeed in the military training phase. It ultimately contributes to Bold Eagle’s success rate.
The recruits were sworn in on the evening of July 9th by the Commanding Officer of 3rd Division Training Centre. They were given the option of swearing on the bible, the eagle feather, or making a solemn affirmation. The elders explained the traditions surrounding the eagle feather before the ceremony. The majority chose both the bible and the eagle feather.
In 2021 the Culture Camp staff had to follow strict Covid19 protocols which included vaccination proof as well as protective spacing and masks.
Participation in traditional ceremonies was encouraged but completely optional. A small number of recruits had strong beliefs that precluded them from joining in certain ceremonies. All lesson sessions and the balance of training were compulsory and standardized by the Canadian Armed Forces.
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Traditional Aboriginal ceremonies
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Traditional arts and crafts
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Traditional meals and cooking instruction
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Traditional music
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Workshops and Circles in Traditional values
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Oral history
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Aboriginal rights and responsibilities
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Traditional family/kinship relations
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Male/female conduct and ethical relations
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On site Elder counsellors available throughout the duration of Bold Eagle
Culture Camp is organized by the FSIN, through a contractor selected by the Bold Eagle Management Committee (BEMC). The BEMC is comprised of FSIN representatives and other partner organizations to oversee the planning and coordination of the program. BEMC tries to meet quarterly throughout the year.
