Lenny describes his progress from reading and repeating Cree stories from a book (“atalohkana nesta tipacimowina or Cree Legends and Narratives: from the West Coast of James Bay”) and recordings. He also shares his venture into learning linguistics and research into language learning methods. Then he speaks with Greg Spence, a Cree expert originally from Fort Albany. Greg talks about learning music as a youth and starting the Spence Band, working as a Cree translator, Omushkego vs. inninew vs. anishnaabe as self-identifying terms, and the benefits of learning Cree syllabics.

Lenny also discusses the podcast being featured in several media outlets in recent weeks and that he created a Substack for the podcast. Sign up to receive updates about episode drops and news directly to your email inbox. No registration required. apisheeshpodcast.substack.com

About the guest: 

Greg Spence is a community organizer, educator, and musician based in Moose Factory. Originally from Fort Albany, Greg has decades of experience working as a Cree translator and teacher and continues to be consulted about the Cree language and culture. He founded and coordinated Cree Fest, an annual cultural festival hosted in different Mushkegowuk communities every summer for more than 20 years. Greg also plays bass and guitar and over the years has performed live across the region.

About the host: 

Lenny Carpenter is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation who grew up in the James Bay community of Moosonee. He has a background in media having worked as a report/editor with Wawatay News, an intern at CBC Thunder Bay, a program manager at Journalists for Human Rights. He was most recently a Gladue Writer and Gladue Manager with Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services. 

Apisheesh is supported by the Indigenous Screen Office.

Links to resources described:

Atalohkana nesta tipacimowina or Cree Legends and Narratives: from the West Coast of James Bay

Becoming Fluent: How Cognitive Science Can Help Adults Learn a Foreign Language by Richard Roberts and Roger Kreuz

Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It by Gabriel Wyner

How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die by David Clear

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In this episode, host Lenny Carpenter announces that the podcast now has a website: https://www.apisheeshpodcast.ca/ where listeners can listen to and share the episodes, read bios, sign up for a newsletter, and find links to all of platforms and socials. He'll also be writing blogs. Listeners can leave reviews on the website which might be featured in a future episode. There is also a Cree Resource page on the website with links to resources to help learn Cree, including apps, online dictionaries and lessons, and a book.

The book he shares is called atalohkana nesta tipacimowina or Cree Legends and Narratives: from the West Coast of James Bay. It has 68 stories, legends and narratives (stories) told by 16 Cree speakers from Moose Factory and Kashechewan recorded in the 1950s and 60s. The book has the stories in both Cree (in Roman orthography) and English side-by-side, and the recordings are available online at https;//www.spokencree.org. After not making much learning progress, he plans to use the book and recordings for the upcoming month.

The guest this month is Robert Nakogee, chief of Fort Albany First Nation (and Lenny's cousin). Robert was raised in his home community of Fort Albany by his great-aunt and uncle Margaret and Joseph (Jojeep) Wheesk and completed his last two years of elementary school in Moosonee, Ont. He completed high school in Timmins, Ont., and returned to his community where he later entered politics, first as a band councillor for his First Nation before serving two terms as the deputy chief. In 2020, he was elected chief and served one term before voluntarily stepping away. He re-entered politics this year and was elected as chief of Fort Albany in October 2025 for his second term.

Robert, or Bobby, talks about growing up in a house full of different generations and extended family, going to school outside his community, and how he entered politics. He also shares words of wisdom from Jojeep, the man who raised him.

Lenny shares reflections on Robert's story and repeats some Cree phrases Robert shared and reiterates his plan to learn.

Apisheesh: A Cree Learning Podcast is produced and hosted by Lenny Carpenter. 

Additional editing by Tyler Angeconeb

Logo design by Robin Kioke. 

Goose call provided by my niece Harlow Carpenter.

Music by Lenny Carpenter

Have any questions, feedback, or resources to share? Submit a message on our website: www.apisheeshpodcast.ca or email us at [email protected].

Visit our website to listen to past episodes, view guest bios and Cree learning resources

Apisheesh is supported by the Indigenous Screen Office.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a minute but we're back with Episode 2. In this episode, host Lenny Carpenter talks about the podcast logo and its design, how he chose “Apisheesh” for the name, and his Cree language learning progress. 

He chats with guest Jocelyn Cheechoo, who is a Cree language learner from Moose Cree First Nation currently based in Thunder Bay. Jocelyn talks about growing up in Moose Factory, going out on the land, and competing at the North American Indigenous Games (and later becoming the Team Ontario manager). She also talks about her education and career paths, before they discuss their respective Cree learning journeys and the challenges that come with it. 

Lenny reflects on the conversation before discussing his learning plan for the upcoming weeks.

About the guest:

Jocelyn Cheechoo is from Moose Cree First Nation and has been learning the Cree language for the past 40-plus years by being around speakers when she lived in Moose Factory and most recently by taking a Cree class in Thunder Bay. Jocelyn grew up in Moose Factory where she attended Ministik school and learned Cree from her teachers Bea, Eleanor and Stella. She attended university in Peterborough and Winnipeg to study environment sciences. In recent years, she has worked in environment and sport for First Nation organizations. She is currently working at World Wildlife Fund – Canada as Senior Specialist, Conservation Management and Integration for the Hudson and James Bay Lowlands.

About the logo designer: 

Robin Kioke is a self-taught artist from Attawapiskat First Nation. She mostly worked with black and white drawings and recently shifted to digital art. She hopes to expand her artistry by taking up painting and other forms of media. View her artist profile: https://nanipek.ca/robin-kioke/

About the host:

Lenny Carpenter is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation who grew up in the James Bay community of Moosonee. He has a background in media having worked as a report/editor with Wawatay News, an intern at CBC Thunder Bay, a program manager at Journalists for Human Rights. He was most recently a Gladue Writer and Gladue Manager with Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services. 

Apisheesh is supported by the Indigenous Screen Office

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.