Track Rabbits and Trap Martens Online!

So, how are you at reading animal tracks and hard-nose bargaining?


The neat thing about the Trapping Game is that it involves a lot more than simply catching animals.

First of all, you need to understand animal behaviour, learn how to read animal tracks, and figure out which traps are suitable for which type of animal.

Here I’m triumphantly collecting a rabbit!

Then once you’ve got your furs, you need to negotiate the price of your pelts with the factor at the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post.

That means that not only do you need to have some pretty sharp negotiating skills, but you also need to know what’s a fair price for the different type of furs.

Here I am in deep negotiations:

Oh yes, you also have to do all this while avoiding being mauled by hungry wolverines, falling into freezing water, or starving in the frozen wilderness!

As you can see, I failed to avoid the freezing water!

We wanted the Trapping Game to be entertaining, but we also wanted it to express the cultural significance of ndoho (the Cree word for hunting, fishing, and trapping in the bush); we wanted to explore the First People’s reciprocal relationship with the land and animals.

If you’re a teacher, the Trapping Game provides a great opportunity to talk about the historical relationship between the First Peoples and the Hudson's Bay Company.You can find detailed lesson plans in our Teachers’ Guides.

Good luck trapping! We'd love to hear about your adventures!

(And hopefully you’ll have better success at avoiding the wolverine than I did!)

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9. 

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Are Schools a Production Line?

“... we have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education. And it’s impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.” – Sir Ken Robinson.

When I was in grade 5, my teacher constantly told my class that we needed to start preparing for university now.

For him, the entire K-12 system was merely prep for that final goal. Not once did he talk about why university was so important, or what life after university might look like. Not once did he consider any alternatives, such as the trades or the arts.

Of course, my grade 5 teacher was not alone in his views. Our education system is built around the idea that you pass from grade to grade until you ultimately go on to post-secondary education.

But what effect does this myopic focus have on students?

Linearity and Conformity

These are the two diseases plaguing our education system according to Sir Ken Robinson in his latest TED talk, "Bring on the Learning Revolution!"

Like David Williamson Shaffer’s egg-crate school, Robinson argues that our schools are modeled on an outdated system that is focussed on creating cookie-cutter workers.

Schools that are designed to simply move a student from grade to grade to college to job are not part of an education system. They are part of a production line. 

So, what’s the answer? 

Robinson advocated moving from an “industrial model of education” to one based “on principles of agriculture”:

“We have to recognize that human flourishing is not a mechanical process, it’s an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development; all you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish.”




What do you think? Is our education system in need of a revolution?

And if you haven’t already, check out Robinson’s previous TED talk on creativity and education!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Free Aboriginal Resources for Teachers

After you watch the Elders’ Stories video collection at PathoftheElders.com, check out “The Battle for Aboriginal Treaty Rights” in the CBC’s Digital Archives Website. 

Through 17 short video and radio clips, the archives let you watch media coverage of Aboriginal issues spanning from 1971-1999. 

Stories includes the 1985 Haida blockade, the funeral of Anthony Dudley George in 1995, the standoff at Gustafsen lake in 1995, and the Donald Marshall victory in 1999. 

These digital archives are fascinating not only for their content, but also for seeing how media coverage of Aboriginal issues changed over the 30-year span: compare the interviewer’s language and attitude in the first clip in 1971 with the final clip in 1999! 

1971: "Why Treaty Rights are Worth Fighting For"

Why Treaty Rights are Worth Fighting for.

The CBC Digital Archives Website.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Last updated: March 10, 2004

1999: Donald Marshall wins Supreme Court Victory

Donald Marshall Wins Supreme Court Victory

The CBC Digital Archives Website.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Last updated: March 16, 2004.

If you’re a teacher looking to introduce Aboriginal issues into the classroom, these video and audio clips provide a great starting place for discussing land claims and treaty rights with your students. 

You could also compare the experience of watching the media coverage to watching the Elders’ videos on Path of the Elders. 

While CBC’s digital archives give an overview of some of the major challenges facing Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, the Elders’ videos allow a more intimate glimpse of the day-to-day experiences growing up in an Aboriginal community. 

For more free resources like the CBC’s digital archives, check out the Teachers’ Guides at PathoftheElders.com!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Elders' Stories Video Collection Lets You Share in the Oral Tradition

While you’re busy getting ready for the upcoming contest by playing the games at PathoftheElders.com, don’t forget to check out some of its other features!

The Elders’ Stories video collection is one of the most valuable resources at Path of the Elders.

Honouring the oral tradition, here you have the rare opportunity to listen to Elders share their stories and memories.

Often recorded in Cree, these videos not only give you compelling glimpses into Mushkegowuk culture and history, but they are also part of our efforts to preserve and promote the Cree language.

While the Elders' Stories video collection is fascinating for its content, it’s also an important record of our country's past from an Aboriginal perspective.

Are you an educator?

Our Teachers’ Guides provide detailed information on how to integrate the Elders’ Video Collection into your lesson plans.

Here are some of my favourite videos:

1)    Staying in school - Path of the Elders

This video is a fascinating glimpse into some of the challenges Aboriginal students faced in residential schools as they struggled to maintain their traditional way of life.  Edmond Edwards describes having difficulty paying attention in class because he was thinking about getting ready for the fall hunt, and how it was difficult to learn English when his parents only spoke Cree.

2)  Life then and now - Path of the Elders

How was life different in the early 20th century? John Kataquapit describes some of the changes he's seen over his lifetime, including moving from dog teams to ski-doos, and the advent of running water.

3) Starvation - Path of the Elders 

Emile Sutherland shares some of the stories his father told him about the methods his people used to combat food shortages. He talks about how everyone used to share in the food when a caribou was killed.

4) Marriage, parents, responsibilities - Path of the Elders

What was life like from a woman's perspective? Anna Bella Solomon talks about her wedding, her experiences raising her siblings and her own children, and her duties towards her parents.

Do you have a favourite video?

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9. 

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

How Games Affect Our Lives: From Job Training and Education to Stories and Politics

From using game-based learning (GBL) for job training, to how Nazis used game boards as part of their propaganda campaign, here are this week’s top links!

What stands out for me in these articles is the tremendous influence games have on our lives. Not only can we learn specific skills from games, but they also affect our perception of the world and ourselves.

Enjoy some Friday reading, and we look forward to hearing your comments!

And don’t forget! 

Path of the Elders will soon be announcing the details of its upcoming contest! 

Make sure you’re ready to compete – visit PathoftheElders.com to practice your trapping, hunting, and canoeing skills!

1)    OK, game-based learning is fine for kids, but is it really useful for adults? 

This is the question Helen Routledge, GBL Instructional Design Manager at Pixelearning, answers in her interview posted on G-Cube Solutions’ blog, “Game-Based Learning – Fad or Future?” Routledge talks about some of the ways game-based learning is being used in the corporate world.

From the type of learner best suited to game-based learning to the challenges game designers face, this is a quick introduction for anyone interested in the use of game-based learning outside of the classroom.

Upcoming Contest at Path of the Elders!

Think you’ve got Path of the Elders all figured out?

Prove it.

Path of the Elders is getting ready to announce its June contest!

So, have you been practicing your canoeing and portaging skills?
Can you shoot a moose from a canoe?
Do you know how to use medicinal plants?
Can you read Cree syllabics?

If not, you had better hop over to PathoftheElders.com and brush up on your skills. Competition is going to be fierce!

Better start practicing.

Keep watching for contest details!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Learn Cree Language During a Scavenger Hunt!

The Healing Game: This Week's Feature!


One of the most popular games at PathoftheElders.com, the Healing Game is modeled after an old-fashioned scavenger hunt!

It’s up to you to collect and administer 10 traditional medicinal plants. Along the way, you must avoid dangerous animals, navigate mazes, and read Cree syllabics!

Here you can see my less than successful encounter with a black bear:

One of the neat features about this game is that each plant comes with:

1. Its Cree name and syllabics
2. An English translation of its Cree name (which wasn't always easy to find!)
3. An explanation of how this plant has been used in traditional bush medicine.

So, as you can see from the picture below, the Cree name for Labrador Tea is “Kakike-Pokway”, which means “Infinite Plants” – so-called because they stretch for as far as the eye can see. Labrador Tea is used for treating diarrhea, arthritic pain, chest pain, and backaches!

If you’re using Path of the Elders in the classroom, the Healing game is a great opportunity to talk about traditional bush medicinal and to discuss Aboriginal medicinal practices were affected by the new diseases brought by European settlers.

Check out our comprehensive Teachers’ Guides for innovative suggestions for integrating the Healing Game with your lesson plans!

So, are you up for the challenge? Let us know how you do!

(Oh, and be careful not to fall in the lake....)

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

This Week in Education and Serious Games

Are you a teacher looking to use online games in the classroom? Interested in issues relating to education and technology?

Check out this week’s top links!


1)  Assessment is always a hot topic in education!

In “Looking Where the Light is Bad,” J.P. Gee and D.W. Shaffer argue that we need to revolutionize the way we assess students by making tests more like games. According to them, our current forms of assessment, such as standardized testing, are no longer a relevant or accurate depiction of progress.

Accessible and engaging!
 

2) If you’re an educator looking to use games in the classroom, you might be interested in Thorkild Hanghoj and Rikke Magnussen’s “The Role of the Teacher in Facilitating Educational Games: Outlining a Game Pedagogy.”

While most papers focus on students' interaction with games, this paper takes a different approach by looking  at how the teacher’s role changes with games in the classroom!

It’s a bit heavy going, but if you’re interested in a different perspective on gaming and teaching it makes a fascinating read.


3) For something lighter, check out Oliver J. Chiang’s article “Video Games that Can Change the World.” It's a great overview of some the advances being made in the world of serious gaming. (You might also be interested in Jane McGonigal's talk, "Gaming Can Make a Better World"!)


4) OK, it’s Friday afternoon – time to kick back and watch a video. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Sir Ken Robinson’s classic TED talk on schools and creativity:





And finally, if you're interested in all things related to gaming, education, and technology be sure to check out the 7th Annual Games for Change Festival!


Have a link you would like to share? Let us know!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

3 Ideas for Using Path of the Elders in the Classroom

You can find comprehensive Teachers’ Guides for grades 4-10 at PathoftheElders.com, but to get you started here are 3 easy ideas for integrating On the Path of the Elders into the classroom! 

1)  The Canoeing Game stresses the importance of working together while drawing attention to the historical circumstances surrounding the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Before playing the Canoeing Game, use geometry to lead into a discussion about the events surrounding the treaty signing!

Give each of your students a set of tangrams and ask them to create a series of specific shapes. (Click here for a tangram outline). Insist that they work on the problems individually and give them a short time limit.

Once your students have failed to complete all the puzzles in the given time, divide the class into small groups and allow them to work on the problems together.

Ask each group to share their results with the class. Discuss how working as a group changed the problem solving process.

Explain that during the negotiations for Treaty No. 9, the government representatives approached each Aboriginal band individually. Discuss as a class how the treaty negotiations may have been different if all the bands had been able to work together. You can use the Interactive Treaty Map to guide your discussion!

The Deschâtelets Archive: This Week's Feature!

While you’re busy avoiding black bears and trying not to sink your canoe at PathoftheElders.com, don’t forget to check out our extensive photo gallery!

Browse through pages of rare photographs of the James Bay area from the Deschâtelets Archive at St. Paul University.

Some of my personal favourites are:

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Father Bilodeau and his motorbike - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Example of life in Moose Factory - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Cree children watching a movie - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - 1900s example of a snowmobile on skis - Path of the Elders

The Deschatelets Archive photo collection - Winter view of downtown Moosonee - Path of the Elders

Are you from the James Bay area? Do you recognize any of your ancestors?

Let us know what your favourite photos are!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Interested in Online Games and Education? Check Out These Links!

All worn out from moose hunting, trapping, and canoeing on PathoftheElders.com?

Check out this week’s interesting articles on education, technology, and games!


1) Nicola Whitton’s blog about game-based learning is always a pleasure to read (Play Think Learn). This week she draws attention to a school (Quest to Learn) that has based its entire curriculum around gaming principles!


2) In a theoretical frame of mind? Check out Alex Kendall and Julian McDougall’s latest article, “Just Gaming: On Being Differently Literate,”  in Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture. They examine how players understand their role in the game’s story. (It’s heavy going, but the snippets from players’ journals make it worth the read!)


3) Deidre Kelaher explores the link between games, learning, and motivation in her blog post “The Effectiveness of Educational Gaming and the New Possibilities of Engaged Learning.” This is a fairly quick read that will give you some basic information about the benefits of using games in the classroom, and point you towards other resources.


4) Looking for something classic? Take a look at Marc Prensky’s article “The Seven Games of Highly Effective People.” Here the renowned expert on education and technology looks at how gaming contributes to the development of Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”


Have you come across an interesting video or article about education and technology that you want to share? Let us know!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Preserving Cree Language: Path of the Elders as an Archive

 Do You Know What “Pine” Means?

We ran into a problem during the creation of On the Path of the Elders: we couldn’t find the literal translation of “pine”.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like such a big deal. After all, it’s just one word.

But it symbolizes how much of the Cree language we have already lost.

One of the goals of On the Path of the Elders is to encourage the preservation and transmission of Aboriginal language.

Not only do the interviewees in the Doug Ellis Audio Collection speak in their native language, but we have also integrated Cree throughout the role-playing games.

For example, for medicinal plants in the Healing game both the English and Cree names are provided, along with the Cree syllabics and an English translation.

So, the Cree name for Labrador Tea is Kakike-pokwa, which means “infinite plants”-- so-called because they stretch as far as the eye can see.Or Cattail is Pashekanushk, which means "exploding" because they seem to explode when they spread their seeds!

But we couldn’t find the literal translation of “pine” no matter how hard we searched. Even the oldest Elder didn’t know.

So sure, it’s just one word.

But it’s also a reminder of the real threats facing Aboriginal language and culture. As fewer and fewer youths are taught Cree or other languages, we risk losing not only the language itself, but also a vital part of the First People’s culture.

After all, language is a key part of our identity. Our words determine how we understand the world and ourselves.

Through its historical resources and adherence to Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe culture, On the Path of the Elders is more than a game: it’s an archive of the First People’s language and history.

But we still need to ask ourselves what’s missing from this collection, and how can we prevent further erosion of the language in the future.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9. 

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.