The First Nations communities of western Canada have a rich heritage in their knowledge of the aspects of nature and have for generations recognized the vast diversity of plants that help to nourish and heal. The purpose of this book is to provide a resource for the Little Red River Cree Nation that not only aids in identifying species of plants, animals, birds, fish and insects local to the area, but also teaches children and adults alike Cree names, traditional uses and name origins. Elders in the community gathered to record information about the ways they used local plants and animals, information shared only orally from time immemorial, until now. We hope to use this title as a model to present to other First Nations communities to gauge their interest in having a similar title for their region.

This is a localized field guide that would include local plants, animals and birds including their Cree names (in syllabics and roman orthography), as well as traditional uses. The goal of the book is: if a child sees a plant, animal or bird in the forest, they would have the opportunity to find it in this book and learn its Cree name and uses. It would also give families an opportunity to sit around a book, discussing traditional activities and uses instead of congregating around a television. The book project is currently not-for-profit, and will be distributed locally within Little Red River Cree Nation.

Kevin Kuipers' profile page

Working as the Cultural Outdoor Education teacher with a focus on authentic outdoor learning experiences, including local ecology, traditional uses and Cree names, Kevin taught at Sister Gloria School in Garden River, Alberta from 2011 to 2016. He made strong connections in the community, and through ongoing discussions, it became clear that the Elders of the community were some of the most knowledgeable ecologists he had ever met. This knowledge was acquired through years of immersion in the bush, where bird songs were the radio, and the passing of seasons was like a television. He was inspired to create opportunities within the education framework to pass on some of this knowledge to a younger generation. He worked with local trappers, took students on overnight excursions into the bush and eventually completed two log cabins outfitted with equipment to house 17 people. This allowed for a complete immersion experience away from the town.

The final phase of development for the continued expansion of cultural outdoor education in Little Red River Cree Nation was the development of a print resource, a logical and necessary step to ensure names of traditional stories associated with local ecology wouldn’t be forgotten. With this in mind, the idea of the Field Guide to Little Red River Cree Nation was born.