On the Path of the Elders

On the Path of Elders is an interactive animated game aimed for a Grade 4 – 10 audience that explores the treaty process in north-western and north-eastern Ontario from an Aboriginal perspective. The story of the Mushkegowuk and Anishinaabe Peoples is shared through elder accounts and historical documents that provide alternate interpretations of  the how the signing of Treaty No. Nine (the James Bay Treaty) transpired in the area known as Nishnawbe Aski Nation. While providing an opportunity to document elder knowledge as a means of revitalizing this distinct Aboriginal language and culture, the game format also appeals to a younger generation of learners that are missing vital cultural information as a result of the Canadian governments attempts to assimilate Aboriginal people into Non-Aboriginal society and/or the lack of attention Aboriginal history has been given in schools. This is a resource that stands to benefit Canadian youth in the process of decolonization so that a better understanding of Aboriginal treatment in Canada can be achieved.

The site also includes teacher guides broken down by grade and a gallery of primary and secondary resources to substantiate the story behind the game.

http://www.lessonsfromtheland.ca/index.asp
An interactive, multimedia resource that allows visitors to engage in a virtual exploration of traditional trails traveled by First Peoples in the Northwest Territories. There are teacher resources available, and the experience is available using a storytelling approach. This journey stops along the route at important cultural sites, taking the time to point out their significance. Local elders were involved in the creation of this resource.

Emily

A site devoted to a project to help unite urban Aboriginal youth with elders, and in the process conduct interviews with the elders to document and learn from the stories. There is a list of links provided for the purposes of do-it-yourself-ers, who would like to engage in these projects on their own.

http://films.onf.ca/ourcityourvoices/index.php

http://www.pathoftheelders.com/game/
Description: An interactive adventure game that kind of reminds me of the legend of Zelda. Your character walks around a territory with the goal of learning about the people of the region at the time that they signed a treaty. At certain points when you run into someone, there are opportunities to talk to elders, look at maps, and other activities, and a lot of authentic archived footage is available. Students would really get into this, and it is very high quality, rather than the low-budget type of websites we often associate (unfortunately) with educational material.
Additional resources: there are links for teachers, general information, videos, essay material, audio clips available in addition to the game.