Since 2013, Alloprof has had the opportunity to work in partnership with the Atikamekw Nation. In addition to visiting communities, Alloprof offers two stories of Atikamekw origin in the reading comprehension game Book of Spells: Louta et le pipon and Louta et le sikon!
In our educational game Book of Spells, students read texts and answer reading questions. The two stories by Jacques Newashish recount the adventures of Nikwiwk-iskwe, the little otter girl.
In Louta et le pipon, the young heroine goes to the snares to catch hares with her kokom (grandmother) for the first time and is introduced to the knowledge of her ancestors.
In Louta et le sikon, the author brings to life sugaring season through the sparkling eyes of the little otter. It’s a heart-warming and rewarding experience for the reader.
These two stories, which fall somewhere between traditional stories and poetry, introduce students to a new side of Indigenous culture. The author conveys aspects of Atikamekw culture through a vocabulary as rich as it is colourful.
When children read these stories in the game, they can do the following:
Whether they are simply curious, want to learn to pronounce the Atikamekw words sprinkled throughout the stories, or want to learn a new language, readers of all ages can visit the Atikamekw language section of the Alloprof website. Like our section dedicated to Nehlueun, there are some 500 words to learn in 21 categories, each accompanied by an image and an audio recording to facilitate understanding.
The tales Louta et le pipon and Louta et le sikon are also available in Atikamekw in the Indigenous content section of the site. The stories are accompanied by a reading comprehension exercise with questions in Atikamekw so that Atikamekw students can learn in their own language.
In addition to Book of Spells, there are several creative ways to use Jacques Newashish’s writing in class.
For example, in French class, you could do an activity centred on the vivid vocabulary in the two tales. Whether you do a word wall, work on semantic fields, or hold a writing workshop on the topics from the stories, students are sure to be engaged.
In social sciences class, the two stories can help bridge the gap with the history of Indigenous peoples in North America. For instance, you could invite your students to research the Indigenous communities that live in Quebec. This could also make for an interesting geography lesson!
In science class, exercise your students’ analytical skills by comparing the six Atikamekw seasons to the four astronomical seasons. How do the astronomical seasons work? How are they similar to the seasons described in the stories? How are they different?
Finally, in art class, you can ask your students to draw inspiration from Jacques Newashish’s colourful world to illustrate a story of their choice in the same artistic style.
As you can see, there’s more than one way to explore Louta et le pipon and Louta et le sikon with your class. And we’re willing to bet you’ll be able to come up with more!
Alloprof would like to thank Hydro-Québec, which has allowed us to continue to develop relationships with the Atikamekw Nation and maintain an ongoing presence in their communities for nearly four years!
Writing : Alloprof Teacher's team