Involving Community Members to Develop Culturally Relevant Word ...

Methodology
In November 2008, Otto Fietz, Director of Education, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, and Charlie
McKenzie, Audio/Visual Technician, Gift of Language and Culture Project traveled to the
community members’ respective communities to conduct individual interviews. They purposely
ventured to interview men from the original group to represent the male figure. They inquired
about the role they had in teaching language, values, and other child rearing practices. To reach a
certain degree of comfort among the males within the participants, they conducted interviews
with the men from varying Cree speaking communities to ensure a good cross-section of feedback
was gathered. They obtained interviews from Isaac McKenzie from Grandmother’s Bay, Albert
Ross from Hall Lake, Daniel Cook from Stanley Mission, and Jim Lafleur from Beauval.
Minnie McKenzie, Site Coordinator for the Gift of Language and Culture Project, Grace Cook,
Curriculum Developer for the Gift of Language and Culture Project, and Charlie McKenzie,
Audio/Visual Technician for the Gift of Language and Culture Project, also embarked on trips to
the various other communities to interview the following women: Susan McKenzie from Grandmother’s
Bay, Ida Tremblay from La Ronge, Charlotte Stapleton from Little Red River, and Sarah Ballantyne
from Stanley Mission. Leda Corrigal, Curriculum Developer for the Gift of Language and Culture
Project, interviewed Claire Roy and Anne Lafleur from Beauval and Yvonne Maurice from Pinehouse.
Documentation of the forum, interviews, and observations was taken through audio-visual recordings,
pictures and written accounts. The audio-visual recordings were completed by the following Gift
of Language and Culture staff members: Charlie McKenzie, Susan Cook, and Zack O’Brien.
Sarah Ballantyne Daniel Cook Grace Cook
Ann Lafleur
Jim Lafleur
6 RESEARCH REPORT: Involving Community Members to Develop Culturally Relevant Word Lists for First Nations and Métis Students