Lil Glooscap is the main character in a cartoon series called Lil Glooscap and the legends of Turtle Island, recorded in Wolastoqey, English and French.
Multimedia artist, Natalie Sappier recorded the character in the Wolastoqey language.
“Every part of your spirit is awake and then you start seeing your language everywhere so I’m really excited to see the show airing because I miss it,” says Sappier.
The series follows the adventures of Glooscap as a boy, according to legend he created landscapes and animals and is a hero and a warrior.
Tara Audibert created the character, wrote, produced, and directed all of the episodes.
Her goal is to preserve her language by teaching youth.
“I grew up on sesame street and I probably know more Spanish than I do Wolastoqiyik so just from watching that, so I think it’s important that this culture is within our entertainment stream and espe cially for kids,” Audibert tells APTN News.
According to Stats Canada, there are only 350 speakers – with fewer than 100 using it as a first language.
Grandmother Meme Muwin, is voiced by Imelda Perley who is fluent in Wolastoqey and ensured the script was in the traditional language.
“So what this is doing in the language, its showcasing identity be safe, identity to be shared, identity to be proud of, identity to be celebrating,” says Perley.
Sappier says Lil Glooscap was a challenge.
“You are putting it into a character, you are putting action to it, and where I’m new at telling stories this way, I’m like wow so I cleared my cleared my schedule for three months to focus on lil Glooscap and it was such an amazing experience,” says Sappier.
The 13 episodes of Lil Glooscap and the Legends of Turtle Island, produced by Ninen Productions, begin airing May 7 on APTN in English, French and Wolastoqey.
