Omushkego Oral History Project

In Aboriginal culture, teachings are passed from generation to generation in a rich tradition of storytelling. Join the University of Winnipeg's Centre for Rupert's Land Studies as they welcome Louis Bird, Aboriginal scholar and storyteller.

As part of the Omushkego Oral History Project, Bird will share - in Cree and in English - a sampling of the stories of the Omushkegowak or "Swampy Cree" people of the Hudson and James Bay Lowlands of northern Manitoba and Ontario.

Bird is from Peawanuck Ontario and has shared his stories with audiences throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. In addition to performing traditional Cree legends, mystery stories, and oral history, Bird has devoted three decades to documenting Cree oral traditions. He began making audiotape recordings of the stories told by his elders in 1965. Today, his collection comprises more than 340 hours of material - the largest extant collection of such recordings.

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