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.

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.

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.