Cree radio network creates puppet show for kids to learn Cree

Vanna Blacksmith · CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The James Bay Cree Communications Society (JBCCS) is launching a puppet amusement to promote young and older audiences to perceive and talk the Cree language.

John and Friends is simply a caller bilingual puppet amusement produced by JBCCS to promote kids that it's good to beryllium learning Cree. 

"We're trying to span the gap. There are a batch of kids nowadays who don't talk a batch of Cree. We're trying to thatch them however and that it's good to beryllium learning," said Samuel MacLeod, who voices Morley the Moose. 

The amusement has respective characters: John, a Cree elder who lives successful the bush, Mary-Ann, a Cree woman, Ghaline the Goose, Ka and Kachoo, who are some crows; and Morley the Moose. 

"My quality is the existent bridge. He speaks a batch of English and is learning Cree. The constituent of Morley the Moose is truthful radical tin say, 'Oh, I tin subordinate to this character,'" said MacLeod. 

While the amusement is mostly successful Cree with immoderate English, they usage English subtitles to marque it easier for the assemblage to learn. 

In the archetypal episode, they had peculiar guests to thatch however to marque accepted bannock and bead earrings. 

"[Kids are] a batch much locked into their screens. So video practice truly matters present much than ever," said MacLeod. 

JBCCS is simply a non-profit vigor web that broadcasts Cree quality stories crossed 9 communities successful bluish Quebec. The web was founded successful 1981 and archetypal aired successful 1986.

"They conscionable wanted to enactment a amusement retired determination for the kids who are glued to their screens and thatch them astatine the aforesaid time," said MacLeod. 

Jason Swallow, a shaper of John and Friends arsenic good arsenic JBCCS, says that the younger procreation consumes little vigor and much video content. 

"We are aiming astatine the younger procreation present since they volition beryllium our adjacent audience," said Swallow. 

JBCCS has been publishing much video contented to support up with existent trends successful storytelling. They station them connected their Facebook page. 

"Younger generations are much progressive successful their technologies, close — making video and whatnot. And truthful that's wherever we're aiming astatine now," said Swallow. 

For Swallow, the thought of watching videos resonates with him from his puerility days. 

"The thought itself was truly a bully idea. I similar it due to the fact that it astir brings nostalgia erstwhile I utilized to ticker shows similar Sesame Street," said Swallow. 

Swallow hopes that John and Friends volition go acquainted characters successful the classroom, akin to erstwhile teachers utilized to rotation successful a TV for peculiar occasions.

"This would beryllium a large mode to thatch children successful schools, similar to amusement them these videos of John and Friends," said Swallow. 

It took the squad 3 weeks to assemble the archetypal episode, which lasts implicit 30 minutes. They've been learning video editing, publication writing, and utilizing greenish screens, among different skills.

For MacLeod, the clip and effort are worthy it. He watched the archetypal occurrence with his son. 

"My lad saw the episode. He didn't cognize which quality was me, but helium instantly jumped to Morley the Moose and said, 'That one's my favourite," said MacLeod. 

MacLeod momentarily felt disbelief aft watching the published episode: helium said helium realized that, adjacent though the unit was learning, the last accumulation was impressive.

"I anticipation that they instrumentality the connection with them due to the fact that it's truthful important present much than ever, due to the fact that we're losing our connection truly rapidly," said MacLeod.

JBCCS plans to nutrient much episodes of John and Friends successful the aboriginal and station them connected Facebook. 

"We privation our kids to cognize our language. We're trying to thatch kids and amusement that learning tin beryllium fun. When you're learning and you stumble, it's each portion of the process," said MacLeod.