#TechTipTuesday – Manito Ahbee Aki
On Tuesdays, I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role.
Launched in 2022, the Manito Ahbee Aki program is a world within Minecraft that was developed in conjunction with the Louis Riel School Division Indigenous Education team. This world takes place in Manitoba, prior to European colonization, and features three core lessons:
- Phase 1: Explore Manito Ahbee Aki
- Phase 2: Travel to Manito Ahbee (Petroforms) and Gather and Craft
- Phase 3: Design a Community and Establish Food Sovereignty
In their own words, Manito Ahbee Aki is described as:
Boohzoo Aniin, in the Manito Ahbee Aki Minecraft World, participants will have the opportunity to travel back in time to visit Manitoba, Canada before European contact in North America. Players will live amongst the Anishinaabe Nation to learn and understand how Indigenous peoples thrived on the land and lived in harmony with Mother Earth.
As a member of the Anishinaabe Nation, you will receive teachings about the environment, including traditional materials for crafting long established items. You will explore a sacred site called Manito Ahbee,
located in Manitoba’s western Whiteshell area and discover some of the abundant wildlife of the region. Players will also build a community through collaborative activities such as assembling a tipi, making birch bark canoes and participating in a bison hunt.Through gameplay and in-game lessons, players will learn about the
Educator Guide
Anishinaabe worldview, gain knowledge from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and develop an understanding of how Anishinaabe people respected the earth and all living things.
Learn more in this overview from YouTube:
If you are new to Minecraft, you can learn more about the program via the Minecraft Teacher Academy.