Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse

Presentation: Exploring Wâhkôhtowin: Prototyping an Indigenous/historical boardgame for the education market

This session will invite participants to help us test the Exploring Wâhkôhtowin board game, an Indigenous-centric game that takes place in Treaty 6 Territory (Alberta & Saskatchewan) based on historical events. It is designed to help non-Indigenous students in junior/high school understand the meaning of the Treaties signed between Indigenous Nations and the Crown during colonization.

Each player in the game 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. Players will move through the simulation of experiences associated with resource scarcity, illness, Treaties, and various policy/legislative actions that characterized the settlement of the Prairies before and after Confederation leading up to the start of the 20th Century.

This project was developed jointly between the Edmonton Shift Lab, the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre, and the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation. This session will include a brief backgrounder on the game, an explanation of the rules, and 2-3 test rounds by some of the participants followed by the solicitation of feedback on their experience, the mechanics of gameplay, and the learning experience resulting from playing the game.

About Jodi

Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse is a Cree and Mohawk woman from the Samson Cree First Nation in Alberta.  Jodi is the Executive Director of the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation. Prior to that, she spent many years at the University of Alberta, serving in faculty development, advancement, recruitment, community relations, and as reconciliation advisor. She helped found the Wahkohtowin Law & Governance Lodge with the Faculty of Law. In 2021, Jodi was appointed to serve on Edmonton’s Police Commission. Jodi’s graduate research focused on Indigenous women’s experience of waterways downstream from the Alberta oil sands. Aside from academics, Jodi’s passion is media and community building. She has won multiple awards for her film productions and radio show production.  Jodi is currently running to be the New Democrat Member of the Legislative Assembly in the province of Alberta’s upcoming election.