Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game

In Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game, players take the role of Tommy or Annie Sky, an Ojibwe youth, sent on a mission by their grandmother to learn important knowledge that has been forgotten by many.

While exploring the beautiful environment of northern Wisconsin, players offer asemaa to spirit helpers and knowledge holders who teach about Ojibwe treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and harvesting activities. Players will also encounter community members who are curious about the knowledge they have gathered and will ask questions. Interacting with spirit helpers, knowledge holders, and community members will earn players mino-bimaadiziwin points. These points represent a person's spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

After completing the first two levels about Ojibwe treaty rights and tribal sovereignty, players help Tommy and Annie's grandmother to make maple syrup and maple sugar by tapping maple trees and gathering sap. Then, players go spearfishing with Tommy and Annie's father and learn about the history of the spearfishing controversy. Finally, players harvest wild rice with Tommy and Annie's mother and learn about its habitat and how to properly harvest and process it.

Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game is great in any class room setting. As an introduction to Great Lakes Ojibwe history, it’s a fun way to teach middle school students relevant content that satisfies learning requirements set by Act 31. In addition to information about treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and harvesting activities, it also includes an Ojibwe language component with Ojibwe words used throughout the game. An easy to read points-system displayed on the levels screen can help educators gauge a student’s level of engagement with the material.

For more information about Ojibwe treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, harvesting activities, and much more, visit the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) website at http://www.glifwc.org/index.html or view GLIFWC's publications at https://www.glifwc.org/publications/