In The Media
CityNews Edmonton
We’re excited to share an interview with Sameer Singh, Founder of Edmonton Shift Lab, and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, NDP MLA, featured on CityNews Edmonton. They discussed Exploring Wâhkôhtowin, a board game that explores Indigenous stories and the impact of the treaties signed between First Nations and the Canadian government.
Sameer explained, “What does it mean to be a signatory or adherent of Treaty 6?” as the game immerses players in Indigenous life and the arrival of settlers. Jodi highlighted how the project helps us reflect on local policies and their broader impact.
The game, launched in 2016 with Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation and the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre, received global recognition with a $20,000 US grant from the United Nations’ Intercultural Innovation Hub.
Exploring Wâhkôhtowin is available for free online via Tabletopia, with the physical version distributed by Pe Metawe Games.
Taproot Edmonton
The board game Exploring wâhkôhtowin, highlighting Treaty relationships and Indigenous-settler history, is set for a retail release in 2025 after earning global recognition from the United Nations.
Developed by the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation, Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre, and Edmonton Shift Lab, the game received a $20,000 grant and mentorship through the UN’s Intercultural Innovation Hub.
Designed for players aged 14+, the game teaches the spirit of Treaty partnerships through interactive storytelling. Already available online via Tabletopia, it will soon be distributed by Pe Metawe Games.
“This is allyship in action,” said Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, MLA and key collaborator. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!
Edmonton Journal
Shift Lab 2.0 facilitator Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse said the social innovation lab tools invite people to explore their biases. They look to find that “sweet spot” where someone can reconsider in a positive, inviting way. The focus is on building relationships.
EDify - Gaming the Treaty
“In this era of reconciliation, it’s fine to talk about trying to do the right thing,” says Ron Lameman, bilateral treaty coordinator for the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations. “But, actions speak louder than words.”
With that spirit, Lameman is one of the experts consult-ing the creators of Exploring Wahkohtowin, a board game aimed at junior-high-aged students that’s currently in the prototype stage. The game allows players to become Indigenous families whose lives are affected by the treaty. Players can simply go on their own and try to survive, or build relationships with other players and collaborate. Instead of making the game about how the treaty was signed, it’s about what the treaty did to people. It’s about living the treaty, not a text-book explanation.
Ep. 100: 100th episode part 2
In this episode, Tchadas continues part 2 with previous guest David Plamondon, owner of Pe Metawe games in Edmonton Alberta. Two additional game-developer guests include, Liam Burns and Roberta Taylor.
The Well Endowed Podcast
On today’s episode, we sit down with our friends at Edmonton Shift Lab to hear about one of their latest projects aimed at shifting perspectives to eliminate racism. It’s a new board game called: Exploring Wahkohtowin. Wakhotowin is a Cree word that expresses the interconnected relationships we experience with the people and environment around us. Wahkohtowin expresses something that is constantly in motion and evolving. It’s about how we choose to treat each other, how we interact with where we live, even how we impact our environment, and our environment has a strong impact on us. It’s a complex idea that the developers of the Exploring Wahkohtowin game want players to experience.