Early Prince Albert Model Forest

Aerial Picture of Brochet
This is an aerial view of the community of Brochet., Lac Brochet is a first nation community in the Boreal Forest of Northern Manitoba, Canada. The village is located on the North shore of Lac Brochet. There are no permanent roads connecting Lac Brochet with other parts of Manitoba (there are some that are passable only during the winter.) Many residents travel using the Lac Brochet airport near town.
Aerial Picture of Montreal Lake
This is an aerial picture of Montreal Lake., Montreal Lake is a First Nations community located on the southern shore of Montreal Lake 103 kilometers North of Prince Albert and 167 kilometers south of La Ronge. Highway 969 passes through the village.
Annie Bird- Culture in Canada- Traditions
This audio recording talks of traditions in Canada. This audio is in Cree, and the translation is provided below. "As the children got a little older, they did their share of work They were taught how to observe and do exactly what they learned. My father taught me how to chop and get wood. I did this myself. I did not use a a dog team to bring back this wood.I used a sleigh and pulled the wood home. This was a way to get firewood, make a fire in the wood stove all winter."
Bio on Stanley "Buddy" Bird
Picture of a snowy landscape., Stanley Bird resides in Montreal Lake, Saskatchewan. He was a cultural teacher and a hunter. Statement: "The changing of the weather is really big- it's a huge thing, especially for animals."
Caribou
This is a picture of caribou.
Caribou Skinning
A picture of a caribou being skinned in the field.
Caribou with her Calf
A picture of caribou with her calf.
Christian Nelson- Culture in Canada- History of the People
This audio recording talks about the life of Christian Nelson and the names changes of communities.
Christian Nelson- General Biology- Food
This audio recording talks about the impact of harsh weather on local animals eating habits.
Christian Nelson- General Biology- Habitat
This audio recording discusses environmental impacts from Weyerhaeuser [strip] cutting the forests. Christian Nelson talks about the impact this is having on the woodland caribou.
Clifford Carriere- Climate Change- Seasons
This audio clip talks about how important caribou. The audio clip is in Cree and the English translation is provided below. "Long ago, the elders have always stood up to their word. That it is important to look after this woodland caribou. Its existence in our areas is just like other animals that have the right to live around here. They have to watch these animals with their movement during the different seasons, whether is summer or winter and where they do their calving. All those other animals that live off them, such as us, we can talk to each other and listen to each other. An animal will not understand you, cause they are not human like us; they will not understand English or Cree. We have to be serious with what is happening to this woodland caribou.", The entire video is not provided, but the full translation is provided in description.
Climate Change
Picture of forest on a body of water., The Physical factors in the environment are very specific in the Cree and Aboriginal worldviews. They would include both animate and inanimate objects such as land, water, wind, and fire. In the face of changed what are people observing within the physical realm.
Colin McKenzie- General Biology- Migration
This audio recording talks about the caribou and their habitat around Grandmother's Bay. This recording is in Cree, and the English translation is provided below. "There were many woodland caribou close by here. The woodland caribou would travel this migratory route. You would see them in the middle of the lake traveling through it, many hours of the day. The woodland caribou would appear in this area. It was close by [Grandmother's Bay] that the barren caribou stopped. They [woodland caribou] would join the barren caribou in their passage.
Cree Language in Canada
This picture depicts a group of young individuals., There are two Cree language dialects found in Northern Saskatchewan: Woodland Cree (th) and Swampy Cree (n). Both groups see their roles as 'the keepers of the land' and the stewards of its resources.
Culture in Canada
Picture of moccasins., Teaching within Indigenous culture are based on traditions and knowledge learned from the past. It can encompass knowledge gained from working on the land and oral stories shared by elders through teachings and taboos (which include connection to the spirit world and to the physical world). Families have passed along important, significant and critical cultural information based on their traditional livelihood, to their children and grand-children. In the face of change to the climate, will these stories, taboos and indicators still be valid? Will cultures, communities and families be able to adapt to these changes in such a short time.
Elders by Community
This is a map of communities where elders reside who contributed to this project.