Episode 6: Geraldine Govender
In 2014, Moose Cree First Nation launched the first edition of the Dictionary of Moose Cree which featured 6,000 Cree to English entries in the community’s unique L-dialect. The dictionary now has more than 34,000 Cree entries after the fourth edition was launched in December. The dictionary’s development is led by Geraldine Govender, director of language and culture for Moose Cree First Nation.
In this episode, Geraldine discussed how the dictionary came to be despite limited resources. She also talks about growing up Moose Factory and attending school down south, bringing ceremonial and cultural traditions back to her community, and upcoming language revitalization projects, including an online learning platform to be launched next month.
Also, host Lenny Carpenter shares Cree words related to the Great Moon (February) and Valentine’s Day, discusses watching his niece’s children play in the Mushkegowuk Cup hockey tournament, and how grief and mourning have interrupted his learning progress.
This episode marks the halfway point of this podcast project and we’re looking for your input. Send us any ideas for segments, features and possible guests for the next six episodes! And leave feedback and reviews on how we can improve the podcast. You can send us a message on our website, social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram (@apisheeshpodcast) or email: apisheesh@gmail.com
About our guest: Geraldine Govender is a member of Moose Cree First Nation and resides in Moose Factory, Ontario. Over the span of 45 years, she has held several senior management positions in regional social and health organizations. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native Studies from Trent University, Geraldine moved back to Moose Factory in 1980. She was instrumental in generating an interest in and revival of the Cree culture and traditional spirituality among young adults and youths and has helped to bring ceremonies to Moose Factory and workshops that recognize the role of our elders and the cultural knowledge that they hold. Geraldine is currently the Director of Language & Cultural Programs at Moose Cree First Nation. Working with elders and linguists, she has led the team in publishing four editions of the Moose Cree Dictionary, a Moose Cree Grammar, a storybook as well as eight children’s readers and the development of three language apps.
Moose Cree online dictionary and community language project info: https://moosecree.ca/dictionary/
The dictionary is free for all Moose Cree members and available for purchase for non-members. Request form available at https://moosecree.ca/request-form/
Apisheesh is supported by the Indigenous Screen Office
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