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Pisim Picture Book App
On October 24, 2019 the Six Seasons of Asiniskaw Ithiniwak collaborative research group celebrated the launch of the first picture book app in the Six Seasons series. A retelling of the 2013 story Pisim Finds Her Miskanaw, by William Dumas, the free app brings Pisim’s journey richly to life through full-colour illustrations, songs, interactive games, and cultural notes.
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Rocky Cree Gathering 2016
In Summer 2016, MFNERC hosted a gathering of Rocky Cree people to discuss their culture, language, history and traditions. At this time, work was beginning on the Six Seasons Project grant application, and researchers from the project attended the gathering.
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Rocky Cree Project Gathering 2015
In July 2015, MFNERC hosted a gathering for Rocky Cree Elders on the land at beautiful Paint Lake MB. One of the intended outcomes from the gathering was to eventually develop a history book for students at the junior high and high school levels, and for academic use. More information about the gathering at: mfnerc.org/2015/07/rocky-cree-elders-gather-at-paint-lake/
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"awaniki asiniskaw ithiniwak? Who are the Rocky Cree?" Gathering 2023
"awaniki asiniskaw ithiniwak? Who are the Rocky Cree?" was a three-day gathering that took place on May 26 – 28, 2023 at the University College of the North in Thompson, Manitoba.
This gathering focused on sharing knowledge of asiniskaw ithiniwak (Rocky Cree) language, culture, and history. It aimed to promote cultural awareness and foster a sense of shared identity, especially among young community members.
The asiniskaw ithiniwak are a distinct group of Cree-speaking people living in the northern boreal forest of western Canada. In Manitoba, the focus of the gathering, there are six Rocky Cree communities: piponapiwin (South Indian Lake); kisipikamahk (Brochet); nisicawayasihk (Nelson House); okawi mithikananihk (Granville Lake); pakitawahk anik (Pukatawagan) and kahkitinamiw (Black Sturgeon Falls).
Traditionally these communities maintained relationships among each other through travelling storytellers and annual gatherings. The Missinipe or Churchill River, considered the lifeline of the Rocky Cree, was the key travel route that connected them within their territory. As colonization eroded traditional relationships and significant hydroelectric development in the area altered landscapes and travel routes, communities became more isolated from each other and lost close relationships to each other and their identities as asiniskaw ithiniwak.
This is why the theme of identity was central to the gathering and seeks to support the cultural revitalization of asiniskaw īthiniwak.
