Wiigwaasi-Jiimaan: These Canoes Carry Culture

STUDENT
Marcus Cederstrom
Colin Connors - Co-Producer
Tom DuBois - Co-Producer
Tim Frandy - Co-Producer
Carrie Roy - Editor

COURSE
Independent

MEDIUM
Video (15:02)

See this Project!

Wiigwaasi-Jiimaan: These Canoes Carry Culture was designed to teach Ojibwe youth the art of birchbark canoe building on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. This innovative program used a preventative and culturally-situated intervention to improve health and wellness outcomes within targeted youth.

Building upon Lac du Flambeau’s ENVISION program and Goodman Community Center’s Seed to Table program, These Canoes Carry Culture utilized indigenous methodologies and pedagogies, along with traditional exercise, traditional teachings, and a culturally-situated approach to leadership building skills, in order to draw students to the good path of living. These Canoes Carry Culture was led by Wayne “Mino-Giizhig” Valliere, an Ojibwe teacher, artist, and community leader from Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.  In addition to the film, which was finished in November of 2015, the project resulted in a blog and permanent website,