Exploring Wahkohtowin

We would like to acknowledge the Treaty 6 territory, the traditional land of Indigenous peoples who have lived and passed through here for many centuries and continue to enrich our shared communities. To remind the truths of our settler presence and affirm our commitment to honor the spirit of friendship in which the original treaties were signed.

“Wâhkôhtowin” is a Cree word meaning the kinship interwoven in relationships, communities, and natural systems. From an Indigenous perspective, Wâhkôhtowin establishes a road map for building understanding between communities. The Exploring Wâhkôhtowin board game aspires to spark Non-Indigenous people to start thinking about the meaning and impact of Treaty and how can we better our relations. The first step to rebuilding relationships is knowing the shared history of these territories and the impact of events, policy, and legislation on us all. The purpose of the game is to be an entry point to foster dialogue about these topics in an engaging and meaningful way.

Exploring Wâhkôhtowin is a cooperative board game for 2 - 4 players aged 14 and up which is played in rounds moving through the four seasons of the year. Each player represents an Indigenous family possessing the knowledge, skills, and resources for survival. As players move through the rounds, the event cards guide them through major events in the history of our shared territories here in Treaty 6. The board game is intended as a learning tool in facilitating discussion and sharing knowledge and a ‘Wâhkôhtowin Background’ document is provided for educators and game hosts to assist them in providing context, historical information, and further resources for information and discussion. “Exploring Wâhkôhtowin” is a project between the Edmonton Shift Lab, the Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre and the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation, with support from the Edmonton Community Foundation.