CEMA releases second video in Dene and Cree

“The Air We Breathe” video has been released by the Cumulative Environmental Management Association in the Dene and Cree languages. The videos have been distributed to high schools in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to be used to educate youth about regional air issues and as a language tool for those students studying Dene and Cree. Copies have also been distributed to all the First Nations and Métis locals in the lower Athabasca Region. “When CEMA visits Aboriginal communities a main concern is the air. Many Elders ask questions and express concerns regarding the air they breathe. Being able to show them a video about CEMA’s Air Working Group which they can watch in Dene or Cree is an important way to communicate with our Elders,” said Bryan Fayant, Aboriginal Community Engagement Liaison, in a news release. In 2012, CEMA’s Traditional Knowledge Working Group created a similar project after hearing first hand from local Elders about the lack of information in their traditional languages. At that time CEMA’s “Athabasca Water Withdrawals” video was translated into Dene and Cree and distributed.