Remember, each animal has something to teach us, so always teach Indigenous cultures and languages in a way that will create meaningful connections. This can be further reinforced by using our coloring books that contain all the mural images. The names of the animals, its pronunciations, its image and the meanings that we as listeners understand are incorporated in this book.

To download the book, please click here.

Use this video to teach children how to say the animals living in Canada in Cree. This resource would be wonderful for younger learners especially when paired with the above Paint The Rails Coloring book. The names of the animals are written in Cree syllabics. Learning Cree names and their meanings offer an additional entry point to understanding Indigenous cultures.

The River at University Station tells the story of the land and animals that have been here since time immemorial. Consider going on a field trip to the mural and explore the animals and their cree words through the use of the Augmented Reality App.

Practice learning the nehiyaw names of each animal using the app.

Some guiding questions as you visit the mural:

• How can we connect to this land we live on?

• How do Indigenous languages connect to cultural knowledge, traditions and to this land?

• Who are the original people of this land and how do we honour them?

• What is the significance of the river in this area?

For slides that offer visual resources on different animals and their Cree words, visit Bent Arrow’s slideshow: Bent Arrow Animal Slideshow

The Nehiyawewin resource supports teachers in understanding how to go about implementation of Cree learning in classrooms. Although, this resource is meant for those who have a good understanding of the language and culture, there are still many lessons of Cree pedagogy that can benefit your students' learning.