Cree radio network creates puppet show for kids to learn Cree

The James Bay Cree Communications Society (JBCCS) is launching a puppet show to encourage young and older audiences to hear and speak the Cree language.

John and Friends is a new bilingual puppet show produced by JBCCS to encourage kids that it’s okay to be learning Cree. 

“We’re trying to bridge the gap. There are a lot of kids nowadays who don’t speak a lot of Cree. We’re trying to teach them how and that it’s okay to be learning,” said Samuel MacLeod, who voices Morley the Moose. 

The show has several characters: John, a Cree elder who lives in the bush, Mary-Ann, a Cree woman, Ghaline the Goose, Ka and Kachoo, who are both crows; and Morley the Moose. 

“My character is the actual bridge. He speaks a lot of English and is learning Cree. The point of Morley the Moose is so people can say, ‘Oh, I can relate to this character,'” said MacLeod. 

While the show is mostly in Cree with some English, they use English subtitles to make it easier for the audience to learn. 

In the first episode, they had special guests to teach how to make traditional bannock and bead earrings. 

“[Kids are] a lot more locked into their screens. So video representation really matters now more than ever,” said MacLeod. 

JBCCS is a non-profit radio network that broadcasts Cree news stories across nine communities in northern Quebec. The network was founded in 1981 and first aired in 1986.

“They just wanted to put a show out there for the kids who are glued to their screens and teach them at the same time,” said MacLeod. 

Jason Swallow, a producer of John and Friends as well as JBCCS, says that the younger generation consumes less radio and more video content. 

“We are aiming at the younger generation now since they will be our next audience,” said Swallow. 

JBCCS has been publishing more video content to keep up with current trends in storytelling. They post them on their Facebook page. 

“Younger generations are more involved in their technologies, right — making video and whatnot. And so that’s where we’re aiming at now,” said Swallow. 

For Swallow, the idea of watching videos resonates with him from his childhood days. 

“The idea itself was really a good idea. I like it because it almost brings nostalgia when I used to watch shows like Sesame Street,” said Swallow. 

Swallow hopes that John and Friends will become familiar characters in the classroom, similar to when teachers used to roll in a TV for special occasions.

“This would be a great way to teach children in schools, like to show them these videos of John and Friends,” said Swallow. 

It took the team three weeks to assemble the first episode, which lasts over 30 minutes. They’ve been learning video editing, script writing, and using green screens, among other skills.

For MacLeod, the time and effort are worth it. He watched the first episode with his son. 

“My son saw the episode. He didn’t know which character was me, but he immediately jumped to Morley the Moose and said, ‘That one’s my favourite,” said MacLeod. 

MacLeod momentarily felt disbelief after watching the published episode: he said he realized that, even though the crew was learning, the final production was impressive.

“I hope that they take the language with them because it’s so important now more than ever, because we’re losing our language really rapidly,” said MacLeod.

JBCCS plans to produce more episodes of John and Friends in the future and post them on Facebook. 

“We want our kids to know our language. We’re trying to teach kids and show that learning can be fun. When you’re learning and you stumble, it’s all part of the process,” said MacLeod.