Educational Videos
Teachers can download lesson plans to accompany each video by visiting the Curriculum Page of the website. Please contact us for log in information.
Sacred Relationship
Water is sacred in Aboriginal culture. It is in our stories, it is in our ceremonies and it gives us life. In The Sacred Relationship, Elders from across Alberta teach us that water must be respected, because, what we do to the water, we do to ourselves.
- Running time: 7:59
Creation Story
For Aboriginal people, storytelling is the way we teach our children, pass on our values and remember our history. It is the story that inspires people to learn more. It is the story that begins all learning journeys.
- Running time: 3:51
People of the Land
As Aboriginal people, our relationship with the land shapes who we are and our place in the world. Featuring Cree, Blackfoot, Dene and Nakota people, People of the Land takes the viewer on a beautiful journey of people and place.
- Running time: 11:40
Eco-Despair
Aboriginal people have always had a deep connection to the land and felt the responsibility to keep it healthy for future generations. As a result of colonization, voicelessness and powerlessness has caused many Aboriginal people to feel a deep sense of despair.
- Running time: 7:15
Ceremony and Identity
Traditional ceremonies are still performed in Aboriginal communities today. Ceremony is a place where you can learn about who you are and where you come from. The Elders have the knowledge. The youth have the responsibility to carry it on.
- Running time: 6:55
Tea of Life
Dene Artist Roy Salopree knows about a secret place. It is a water hole in the muskeg, surrounded by spruce trees. The muskeg water he collects from the hole is made into tea and used as medicine for his family and friends.
- Running time: 3:31
My Rubber Boots
Dr. Suzanne Bayley is a world renowned Wetlands Ecologist. She has spent her life studying wetlands to preserve the water, plants, animals and birds that depend on a healthy ecosystem. Join Suzanne as she wades into one of Alberta’s many wetlands. Bring your rubber boots!
- Running time: 5:08
Two Sciences
Witness a discussion about wetlands by Wetland Ecologist Dr. Suzanne Bayley and traditional Cree man Len Benson. Suzanne and Len discuss the difference between western science and Aboriginal science – and the benefits of bringing them together.
- Running time: 7:47
Wetland Odyssey
Can you recognize common plants, animals and insects found in wetlands? See for yourself and take this fun quiz as you go on a Wetland Odyssey!
- Running time: 2:22
Return to the Source
Blackfoot professor Ryan Heavyhead has been visiting the same wetland two or three times a week for years. He continues to learn about ecology of the wetland by watching the seasons change before his very eyes. So when Ryan's Elders asked him to provide eggs and berries for a ceremony, he didn’t go shopping, instead, he returned to the source.
- Running time: 6:30
The H Factor
Len Benson is a traditional Cree man who grew up on the land near Lac La Biche, Alberta. He has seen changes to the water, plants and animals as industrial development has increased. Len wonders if human beings really understand the impact we have on mother nature.
- Running time: 3:51
A Beautiful World
Cree Elder George Brertton takes us to a lake near his home and reflects on the changes he has seen in his lifetime. Deeply passionate about respecting all of creation, George has a serious message for us all.
- Running time: 5:59
Mirror Lake
Cree/Nakota Elder Violet Poitras was raised on the shores of Wabamun Lake, Alberta. The word "Wabamun" ( ‘mirror’ in English) meant that the water so clean and clear that you could see your reflection in the lake. Today, our reflection in the water tells a different story.
- Running time: 4:27
Water Spirit
Join Blackfoot Elder Leo Pard on a journey into Blackfoot traditional territory. From glacial mountain tops to the grasslands of Southern Alberta, Leo demonstrates an intricate knowledge of the land – and explores the relationship between spirituality and survival.
- Running time: 5:58
Wind Spirit
Cree Elder Fred Campiou flies a British flag in his front yard to remind people of the treaty between his people and the British Crown. Wind Spirit, also featuring the late Dr. Harold Cardinal, explores the original understanding of the treaties from a Cree perspective.
- Running time: 10:18