At the Saskatoon Elders Gathering in January 2020, Joseph Naytowhow shared stories and songs with the accompaniment of the drum. Naytowhow is a singer, songwriter, storyteller, voice and stage film actor, from Sturgeon Lake First Nation. He was invited to share Cree stories and songs at the Saskatoon Elder’s Gathering, hosted by First Nations University of Canada. Naytowhow beautifully weaves stories from his experiences with songs that he has written or has come to know and, in doing so, leads participants in singing and chanting along in Cree. He reminds us that, “we are from the Earth, and the land is our mother.”
We respectfully acknowledge the original lands of the Indigenous Peoples of Treaty 4: Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota, Dakota, Lakota and Treaty 6: Cree, Saulteaux, Dene, and Dakota whose language and songs are shared by Elders and Knowledge Keepers. As well, we acknowledge the homeland to many winged, four-legged, crawling, and water creatures.
| Name | Role/Job Title |
Place |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Naytowhow | Elder, Singer, Songwriter, Storyteller | Sturgeon Lake First Nation, SK |
| Alina Perrault | NCCIE Video Editor | Regina, SK |
| Steffany Salloum | NCCIE Videographer, Community Research Associate, and Website Manager | Saskatoon, SK |