charlie venne
As a child, I went to trapline many times with my parents and siblings. Much of my time was spent with my late grandfather. He taught me to tell stories with hand gestures and facial expressions that help to visualize the events as they are happening. I use Cree words as best as I can, however, many stories were written before my writing skills improved through education.
When we were not in the trapline, I would be on the reserve with my maternal grandparents. They had a TV, and a collection of encyclopedias and National Geographic magazines, that I devoured when I was not playing outside and exploring the surrounding area.