Bonding with baby: Inuvialuit mom makes traditional food for teethingtot

It's moments like these Tawny Amos will cherish forever: making dry meat with her three-month-old bundle of joy, Hayden.

"He's a very happy baby and anyone who meets him, he greets them with the biggest smiles," she said from her home in Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T.

Amos says she always takes full advantage of making dry meat whenever she can, and now that Hayden can take part, the experience is that much better.

"I took him to visit family in [Fort]McPherson.... I got his dad to thaw out the front of the caribou so that I can cut up the meat from the two front legs to make my son dry meat," she said.

It will be a while before little Hayden can gnaw on some of that delicious traditional food but Amos says caribou dry meat will be good for when he's teething.

Amos has an older son who liked to chew beef jerky when he started solid foods and was teething.

She's thinking the dry caribou will be a healthier option for Hayden.

"I thought that making my son dry meat and freezing it would be good for teething when the time comes." Amos said.

Amos grew up on the land with her grandparents and watched them work with lots of different animals they would harvest.

Now she wants to do the same with her sons.

"Hayden's grandma Ruby guides me and has taught me how to skin [a] caribou head as well ... so I, myself, am still learning," she said.

She might not be a pro yet, but that didn't stop Amos from showing people her special moment with Hayden in CBC North's Arctic Kitchen Facebook group.

"Oh he is so cute! And dry meat for teething is genius!" said one member.

"He will be the best provider for you and your family," said another.

"Omg he is soooo freakin adorable!!!!!" chimed another member.

"I'd love to at least show my sons the little knowledge I know and if it's with just caribou meat I will do my best to show them what I know," she said.