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.

Looking for a little inspiration? Check out Adora Svitak’s recent TED Talk, “What Adults Can Learn from Kids”:




Just twelve years old, Adora has published two books, been interviewed on numerous radio and television stations, and has had speaking engagements throughout the country.

And as if these accomplishments weren’t enough, last February Adora gave an impassioned and provocative speech at the TED 2010 conference, a prestigious event reserved for the world’s foremost thinkers and doers.

Standing alone in front of an audience filled with eminent scientists, artists, politicians, and intellectuals (the majority of them more than twice her age) she is calm, poised, and articulate -- a task most of us would find daunting.

In fact, the thought of giving a speech in front of a uniformly brilliant international audience at an event renowned for its intelligence and creativity is enough to make most of us want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over our heads.

It is this fear, these self-imposed restrictions, that Adora’s speech addresses. She argues that adults need to learn from kids because kids haven’t yet learned to be rational. 

She asks, “who’s to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren’t exactly what the world needs? Maybe you’ve had grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking: That’s impossible, or that costs too much or that won’t benefit me. For better or worse, we kids aren’t hampered as must when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things.”

Kids are risk takers. They want to explore and learn. They haven’t learned to be afraid of failure. They haven’t learned to be afraid of taking the stage and voicing their ideas – until we teach them.

Adora draws a provocative comparison between top-down school systems and oppressive regimes:

“Now, adults seem to have a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids from every ‘don’t do that,’ ‘don’t do this’ in the school handbook, to restrictions on school internet use. As history points out, regimes become oppressive when they’re fearful about keeping control. And, although adults may not be quite at the level of totalitarian regimes, kids have no, or very little, say in making the rules, when really the attitude should be reciprocal, meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population.”

Of course, experience is vital. We need to grow up. A society of utterly naive and overly idealistic adults is as disturbing and dangerous as one full of hyper-rational and restrictive adults. However, Adora’s argument that adults and kids have things to learn from each other is important. We need to help kids gain the experience they need to be responsible and contributing adults, and we need to learn from kids how to dream.

It’s up to us to develop an education system that encourages kids to gain experience without losing their drive to achieve the impossible. After all, that’s who many of the speakers at TED are: adults who have refused to give up the capacity to imagine.

All too often we shape our dreams to fit reality, when what we really need to do is shape reality to fit our dreams. 

Education is constantly in flux. How should technology be integrated into the classroom, what is the best way to assess a child’s learning, is social media a help or hindrance to participatory learning – these are just some of the questions that struggling with. During the creation of On the Path of Elders, we were constantly trying to find ways to empower students and to encourage exploration, rather than risk aversion. 

But sometimes it’s refreshing to have a reminder of what we’re struggling for: while not every child may be a published author, mathematical genius, or musical prodigy, Adora Svitak represents future generations of citizens who are confident, hard-working, thoughtful, sincere, and passionate. If we dare to dream it.

Listen to Mary Linklater describe women’s work in the Mushkegowuk Cree community:

Women’s work - Path of the Elders

Or listen to Gilbert Faries recount a Cree myth:

Why the squirrel has red eyes - Path of the Elders

Video and audio clips are just one of the ways On the Path of the Elders seeks to reinforce the Aboriginal tradition of oral history.

In addition to the extensive video and audio collection, On the Path of the Elders’ role-playing game (RPG) encourages players to learn from their Elders through conversations and observation. Furthermore, the difference between the government and the Aboriginal’s view of the spoken word is highlighted in the Negotiating Game, where the player renegotiates the signing of Treaty no. 9.

Through each of its features, On the Path of the Elders is committed to celebrating the oral tradition. Indeed, one of the site’s original purposes was to provide a familiar space where youths could listen to and learn from their Elders. 

But what does it mean that we’re blending oral tradition with new media?

The chosen method of transmitting knowledge throughout generations reflects a community’s fundamental values and beliefs.



In the oral tradition, the individual becomes an integral part of the transmission of culture. Each time a story or legend is told, it changes. The tone, the facial expressions, the potential for interruptions, the physical interaction between speaker and listener – these are ever-changing variables that affects the story’s essence.

Conversely, a society based on the written word is one that values stability and facts. In a book, the words are static, unchanging. Readers can gain new knowledge, and they can contribute their own writings, but the author and the reader cannot have the same relationship as the speaker and the listener.

So where do videos, audio clips, and role-playing games fit?

Is new media breaking down this spoken/written word dichotomy?

On one hand, websites, online games, and multimedia displays reinforce the importance of the individual’s narrative.In the video and audio clips on PathoftheElders.com, Elders recount their memories and stories while passing on vital cultural knowledge and history. You can watch their facial expressions, and you can listen to their natural cadences and turns of phrase. You are immersed in the moment, listening to the speaker share his or her life.

On the other hand, these videos and audio clips are frozen in time. They will always play the same way, repeating the same intonations and gestures. You cannot ask questions, and you are physically separated from the Elders by a screen. 

And there are other factors in play:

• Perhaps the video and audio clips are unchanging, but they are also teaching the act of storytelling, encouraging today’s youths to pass on this knowledge to their children in the future.
• Likewise, the role-playing game teaches youths a method of learning based on talking with and listening to the Elders.
• As the urban population increases, sites like On the Path of the Elders encourage the transmission of cultural skills and knowledge even when Aboriginal youths are no longer living in their communities.

What’s the future of oral histories?

There’s no neat conclusion to this post, only questions:

• How is new media affecting the transmission of knowledge and culture?
• How can we draw boundaries around what constitutes oral tradition?
• Do we need to redefine what it means to be a speaker? A listener? A reader?
• What types of beliefs and values are reflected in this mode of transmitting history?
• Is new technology an extension or alteration of the oral tradition?

As we continue to adapt new technologies and discover new forms of communication, these are just some of the questions that we need to keep in the back of the minds.

On the Path of the Elders is one attempt at exploring the oral tradition through a new medium.

What do you think the future looks like? 

Are you looking for innovative ways to connect your students to Aboriginal culture and history?

While creating On the Path of the Elders, we found a surprising lack of interactive online resources for educators trying to integrate Aboriginal content into the classroom.

While there are numerous excellent websites devoted to providing information about various issues relating to First Nations, few sites try to engage directly with Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal youths.

So, to save you from further frustration, here are 5 quality resources to get you started in your search:




1)  On the Path of the Elders  (PathoftheElders.com)

A graphically sophisticated site (and this blog's namesake), PathoftheElders.com immerses you in the culture and history of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Canada.

An innovative role-playing game lets you experience a variety of cultural practices while learning traditional skills and values: you can hunt a bull moose, learn about medicinal plants, ride in a canoe, lay trap lines, and renegotiate Treaty no. 9 (James Bay Treaty).

Furthermore, this comprehensive site features a number of rich historical resources, including video and audio clips of interviews with Elders, an essay on Treaty No. 9 written from an Aboriginal perspective, an interactive treaty map, and archival photographs.

PathoftheElders.com includes downloadable Teachers’ Guides for grades 4-10.
 

2)  FourDirectionsTeachings  (www.fourdirectionsteachings.com)

FourDirectionsTeachings.com is a visually captivating celebration of First Nations’ oral traditions. 

You can listen to a diverse array of audio narratives from five indigenous cultures: Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibway, Mohawk, and M’ikmaq. The narratives are enhanced by engaging animations that vary in style and format. Written transcripts are also provided, and the narrators' full biographies are available.

FourDirectionsTeachings.com includes a downloadable Teacher’s Resource kit divided into three learning groups: Junior (grades 1-6), Intermediate (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12).


3)  Native Drums  (http://www.native-drums.ca/)

As its name suggests, Native Drums is a wide-ranging site devoted to exploring First Nations’ music and culture.

This easy-to-navigate website features interviews with Aboriginal musicians, detailed explanations and pictures of a variety of Aboriginal drums, a gallery of masks from the Pacific Northwest cultures, and a wide array of myths and stories. By tracing the significance of the drum through various Aboriginal societies throughout Canada, Native Drums provides an engaging and unique exploration of First Peoples’ traditions and cultures.

Native-drums.ca includes downloadable Teachers’ Resources for grades 9-12.
 


4)  Native Dance  (http://www.native-dance.ca/)

A sister site to Native Drums, Native Dance is a comprehensive examination of First Nations’ dance traditions from various regions all over Canada.

In addition to browsing through a large collection of pictures and reading in-depth interviews and articles about different dances’ historical and cultural significance, you can watch over 100 videos of regional dances. Eight Aboriginal cultures are featured, including the Mi’kmaq, Innu, Algonquin, Eeyou, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Dene, and Kwakwaka’wakw.

Native-dance.ca includes downloadable Teachers’ Resources for grades K-12.


5)  Dust Echoes  
http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/

Unlike the previous four websites, Dust Echoes does not have Canadian content. However, it is worth checking out its series of beautifully crafted animations that depict 12 Australian Aboriginal narratives.

Not only can you watch these twelve depictions of traditional oral narratives, but you also have the option of creating your own one-minute versions of the stories. Each narrative is accompanied by a study guide, online quiz, and glossary.

While less comprehensive than the other resources, Dust Echoes is an excellent introduction for discussing different Aboriginal cultures with young children.


Do you know of other resources you would like to share?