Deer hunting: An innovative teaching paradigm to educate Indigenous youth about physical literacy

Introduction: Many Indigenous youth do not have the opportunity to participate in traditional hunting practices. These skills are being lost to colonial conveniences that negatively influence physical activity (PA) participation and health. Objective: Understand the contribution of PA for health and fitness through deer hunting as a means to improve physical literacy (PL) among Indigenous youth. Methods: Case study and proof of concept, demonstrating the feasibility of an Indigenous youth learning about PL through deer hunting. Results: Deer hunting requires both low and high-intensity PA. In a single day, this individual easily surpassed the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG) for adults of 150 min/week by accumulating 161 minutes of moderate PA. On day-2, he accumulated an additional 114 minutes of vigorous PA. However, almost 60% of all reported PA was performed at a low intensity, indicative of sedentary behaviour. Experiential learning opportunities, like this, provide a unique opportunity to learn about the components of PL. Conclusion: Deer hunting exceeds CPAG PA thresholds required to maintain health, despite large portions of hunting activity being sedentary. This innovative teaching paradigm provides an effective learning opportunity to promote PL