Fort Smith, N.W.T., trapper keeps tradition alive for future generations

Mary Schaefer of Fort Smith, N.W.T., works a full-time job, but she still finds the time to trap, hunt, and get out on the land every winter in the evenings, carrying on traditions passed down by her family.

Schaefer grew up on the land with her parents and siblings. The family made a living from trapping and selling animal furs. Schaefer said trapping is no longer a reliable source of income like it was in those days, but she continues to do it because of its cultural and personal importance.

"I just do it because it's my way of life, and I enjoy it," she said.

"I'm still practicing my way of life. My parents did it. My dad, my grandparents. You know, I am here, I am doing it."

Schaefer processes the animals herself, including skinning, fleshing, stretching and drying each pelt. This past winter, she caught two wolves, 20 lynx, one mink, one fisher, and several squirrels.

"My son said I'm a night trapper," she said, adding that she would typically trap for around three hours after work each evening.

"I go back and look at all these pelts here now, and it's like, 'wow,'" she said.

Preparing a single wolf for auction can take up to 10 hours of manual work. Wolves used for taxidermy must have the claws, paw pads, lips, ears, and tail carefully preserved and cleaned, which adds to the time and effort.

Schaefer says the process is demanding but can also be spiritual, as she feels connected with the animals, especially the wolf.

"I don't know what it is, but whenever I do a wolf, you just feel the strength from it," she said. "You're tired and you don't want to stop, you [find the] strength to finish off." 

She recently brought some of her pelts to a trappers' workshop to get some feedback from the instructor.

"He said I did extremely well, probably even better than what he did," she said. "I was just like, 'Wow, that's good feedback.' I was really proud of myself."

Schaefer said fur prices have dropped significantly since the 1980s, when a single lynx could sell for more than $1,000 at auction. Today, she said she only gets about $80 in advance for a lynx.

Schaefer thinks she'll get around $3,500 in total revenue from the furs she has harvested this year. Usually, that money will go to repair or replace her equipment, and to cover the cost of fuel she used for each trip.

She also makes use of every part of the animal she can. While pelts are sold, carcasses are returned to the land to feed other animals or to be used as bait.

Passing on the tradition

Schaefer has also passed on her knowledge her son Keith Schaefer.

Keith grew up spending his weekends on the trapline. He now works full-time in Calgary, but he still makes time to get out on the land. He and Mary just returned from an almost 800-kilometre snowmobile trip to Thekulthili Lake.

The two passed through traditional hunting and trapping areas used by generations of Fort Smith hunters and trappers. Keith said they could do the trip thanks to the help of other land users who mapped out trails and advised them.

He said the experience taught him self-sufficiency and a deep appreciation for the land.

"It's an easy way of living. If you don't mind chopping wood and gathering water," he said.

"It's pretty worry-free, you still got to look out for yourself and your partner out there. But you just go on with your day. And you know, worry about having a warm tent or warm cabin."

Mary said the trip also served as a reminder of the changes in the landscape. Forest fires have burned significant sections of land around Fort Smith, damaging berry patches, medicinal plants, and wildlife habitats, displacing many beavers and muskrats from the lakes.

"There are a lot of rabbits. So that really lifted my spirits," she said. "I saw that and thought, OK, all these rabbits mean there's going to be more lynx next year."

Mary says she remains committed to keeping the tradition alive and is open to teaching others who want to learn. She believes more young people would be interested in trapping and bush skills if they had more opportunities to get out and experience it.

"Reach out to us. There are a few of us still who go out on the land. We have to keep sharing," she said. "We don't want to lose this, our way of life. That's why I continue."