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Fox Lake Cree Nation (FLCN) is a First Nation community located in northern Manitoba, with approximately 1100 community members, of which approximately 500 reside in the traditional territory. FLCN has been highly affected by the development of five dams within their traditional territory, and have participated in the Clean Environment Commission hearings to share the impacts of that development. The FLCN youth have a unique perspective and experience with development. Youth are impacted by past hydroelectric development projects, and will continue to be affected in the future. In addition to looking at impacts and mitigation strategies, FLCN youth are looking to business and training opportunities that still align with their core values and Cree worldview. Knowledge transmission from Elders to youth is an important factor in moving forward for FLCN youth. Understanding how these experiences and perspectives affect and influence youth in FLCN is important to creating a future that benefits the youth of Fox Lake Cree Nation. / May 2017

Many important developments have followed from the distinction being made between post-colonial and settler-colonial situations. This distinction has had implications that reach across disciplines, but have especially impacted the immerging field of Indigenous studies in Canada, which had previously been drawing, and to a certain extent continue to draw, on theories from post-colonial studies. I write this at the intersection of Indigenous studies and English literature building on the theories of decolonization in settler-colonial situations. I show that English poetry written by people in the Indigenous prairie context is one particularly active site of decolonization, in the sense that scholars such as Linda Tuhiwai Smith explain. Through the poetry of Louise Halfe, Duncan Mercredi, Gregory Scofield, Marie Annharte (Née Baker) I show how important elements of Indigenous culture are being translated into printed poetry. Furthermore, these poets are Indigenizing aspects of settler-colonial culture. I use Halfe’s poetry, especially her collection Bear Bones & Feathers, to show the ways in which Indigenous concepts of medicine can be translated into printed poetic form and bring healing for the injuries inflicted by colonialism. Scholars Jo-Ann Episkenew and Sam McKegney provide other examples of this practice and the theoretical underpinnings for literature operating as medicine. Mercredi’s poetry reveals that some of the oral character of Indigenous stories can be translated into poetry. Indigenous scholars such as Neal McLeod argue that Indigenous cultures have long engaged in the use of wit and metaphor that is so prolific in poetry. Scofield translates ceremony into poetry. Drawing in part on J.L. Austin’s notion of performativity, I show that Indigenous poetry is an active force within communities. I read Annharte’s poetry as an example of Indigenization and activism in which she destabilizes the authority of the English language. Francis challenges artistic genres to assert his own Indigenous perspective in much the same way many Indigenous people are choosing not to seek the recognition of the neo-liberal state in what Glenn Coulthard calls “the politics of recognition.” I explore the significant potential for decolonization in this writing by authors writing from Indigenous perspectives. / October 2016

This thesis studies how Native women make life choices and set goals for themselves, and what influences those choices. In Chisasibi, James Bay, young Cree women learn their roles and responsibilities--what is expected of them as women--at school, at home, in the bush and, most importantly, from the examples set for them by older women in the community. Cree women's descriptions and perceptions of their own lives, in their own words, forms the basis of the framework used here to analyze women's comments on their aspirations, expectations and obligations. The conclusions drawn here are first, that Cree women perceive the range of choices that they have to be determined by the scope of their responsibilities to their families and their community, and second, that young women are taught to expect to assume these social responsibilities too.

This ethnobotanical project screened and evaluated the use of traditional medicine of the Cree Nation of Quebec as part of a study directed at preventing complications associated with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Antidiabetic plants used by the Cree that treat T2D symptoms were identified. Quantitative ethnobotany and analysis of antioxidant activity were conducted. Results from Whapmagoostui were compared with those found in Mistissini and also the literature. Twenty-one plant species were cited during the survey. Although Cree medicine throughout Quebec and Canada is homogenous, geographical and vegetation gradients show some variations. Medicinal plants have better antioxidant potential than non-medicinal plants and have a higher phenolic content. Rankings based upon the ethnobotany, the bioassays and the quantitative tools showed positive correlations. This evidence supports the beneficial effects of Cree TM and medicinal plants selected by the Cree Nation in the prevention of T2D and its complications.

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Caribou have a longstanding cultural and environmental role, and have interacted with human groups across time. This thesis is a consideration of these interactions, exploring prehistoric and historic patterns of caribou usage by Cree people in northern Manitoba. Through zooarchaeological analysis, an ethnohistorical review, and community workshops and interviews with York Factory First Nation, the relationship between caribou populations and Cree use is illustrated, providing insight into abundance, movements, and the socio-cultural value of caribou over time. In doing so, context is provided for the present-day situation: connections between historical and modern herds are drawn, population and migration changes are highlighted, and the impact of hunting pressures, climatic variation, habitat changes, and food availability on caribou populations are contemplated. Caribou have long been central to the seasonal economy in northern Manitoba, and the use of these animals reflects their abundance and value.

The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze the experiences and beliefs of a cross section of the second language Cree learning and teaching community regarding perceived hurdles in Cree language acquisition. Very little applied linguistic research has been done involving indigenous languages in Canada, especially ones focusing on adult learners; as a result this study was conceived of as being exploratory in nature, opening ground for further research. The research questions were as follows: what are the major challenges facing adult second language learners of Cree? And secondly, what are the solutions used by learners to overcome these challenges? Seven participants were interviewed from across western Canada, two learners, three teachers, and two participants who had been heavily involved in both learning and teaching. The interviews covered participants’ history with the language, exploring challenges, learning approaches, and goals. The findings suggested that the most significant challenges facing learners were affective challenges such as anxiety; in addition the nature of resources available to learners and teachers was a significant challenge. The study highlighted the connection between methodologies and challenges, suggesting that challenges which appear specific to a particular language are often instead the result of the methodological approach. It also highlighted some areas of disconnect between teacher and learner views on challenges. This thesis also examines the pedagogical implications of this research. / Graduate / 0279 / 0290 / 0727 / mccreery@uvic.ca

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