Cathy Wheaton is seen here demonstrating her skills last summer. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

online videos

Promotion of Cree language and culture continues online despite pandemic

May 21, 2020 | 2:31 PM

Even though the coronavirus has been a disruption to so many aspects of life, residents of La Ronge are still finding ways to promote First Nations language and culture.

Two locally produced videos have recently appeared on YouTube of residents sharing their knowledge for an online audience. One of the videos includes Cathy Wheaton and her granddaughter Lottiah Halkett as they perform a powwow dance at Nemeiben Lake.

“I wanted to take my granddaughter out powwowing all this summer,” Wheaton said. “This was going to be her first full season and it was kind of disappointing because we can’t go to any gatherings because they are all cancelled.”

Wheaton was challenged by a friend to create the video as it has become an emerging trend for powwow dancers across North America. She decided it would be a good idea and Wheaton along with Halkett dressed in their regalia and made a trip to the lake during the May long weekend.

Since the video has been posted online, Wheaton noted there has been encouragement and support by those who have watched it. She added the video has particularly been popular with kids.

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“It was so much fun and it was a really fun thing for us to do together,” Wheaton said. “We’re going to do it again during the summer.”

Only a couple days beforehand, author Miriam Körner posted a video of her reading from When We Had Sled Dogs. It’s a children’s book co-authored by the late Ida Tremblay and Körner had the idea of reading from the book after she was asked by an employee of a Saskatoon school do to so.

Körner was unsure if she wanted to create the video at first because she enjoys interacting with an audience, but decided to do it as a new opportunity. In the video she’s joined by Simon Bird who reads the Cree translation.

“It was a nice way of honouring late Ida Tremblay’s story and I think a lot of people in La Ronge have good memories of her,” Körner said. “It was nice to bring that story to life by being in the yard with the sled dogs all around.”

So far, Körner said the reaction to the video has been positive. She noted people have been leaving encouraging comments and seem to enjoy the read-along.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno