This documentary focuses on the goose hunt, a ritual of central importance to the Cree people of the James Bay coastal areas. Not only a source of food, the hunt is also used to transfer Cree culture, skills, and ethics to future generations. Filmmaker Paul M. Rickard invites us along with his own family on a fall goose hunt, so that we can share in the experience.
This documentary can inspire research, discussion, projects and deeper learning in relation to the Nehiyawak (Cree) connection with the land. What is land-based learning in relation to the Nehiyawak (Cree) or other nations that continue to exist within what is now Canada? What does "Okimah" translate to and how are relationships with family connected to relationships with the land? What can be learned from specific First Nations people’s original ways of knowing, being and doing in relation to the need to respect the land and the animals? How is it possible to balance a respect and nurturing of the land and animals with current consumer lifestyles of today? What is sustainable hunting and harvesting, and how can it contribute to wildlife conservation? What do Treaties have to do with hunting and harvesting rights? How can learning in schools about Treaties from First Nations perspectives contribute to reconciliation?