Traditional meat smoking taught to those living in Regina

WATCH: Mick Favel brings us another edition of Indigenous Circle.

Staff and clientele of the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre took a field trip out of Regina to learn how to cut and smoke moose meat.

The group of a dozen met on Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation to learn the process where it is practiced regularly.

Angel Sunshine is the cultural support worker at the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre. She said it’s a unique opportunity for those living in the city.

“A lot of the urban [clientele] really want to learn the traditional way of life. By having this type of group and bringing them here is a warm feeling,” said Sunshine.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

This type of programming has been offered at the Friendship Centre for a number of years.

It is intended to get the people they serve connected and learning Indigenous culture and practices.

Tiffany Redman was a facilitator of the meat smoking workshop. She is now passing on knowledge that was once taught to her 20 years ago.

“It has really helped me in my life to reconnect with the land and our traditions. I want to be able to pass that along to other people,” said Redman.

The cutting and smoking process was once used to prolong the life of the meat.

The people of Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation and surrounding tribes kept the smoked meat for the winter months.

For the workshop, a smokehouse was used to speed up the process, which would normally take four hours or more to complete.

Sunshine said the original process can still be done with just the materials found on the First Nation if needed.

The Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre plans to continue hosting events like these in the future.