The Legend of Massu told by Voyageur Memorial School Students

Cycle Two teachers Stephanie Gordon (Grade 4) and Elaine Drouin (Grade 3) submitted a class project to the Nation completed by their students at Voyageur Memorial School in Mistissini. The teachers looked at the Cree legend of Maasu, presented a shortened version of the story to their students and had them create their own visual representations of the following scenes.

Featured in photos are the students and artists responsible for the illustrations.

Grade 3 students: Vernon Gray, Alayna Wapachee, Felix Coon, Alison Blacksmith-Sheshamush, Lorenzo Shecapio, Violet Brien and Sienna Mianscum.

Grade 4 students: Landen Spencer, Elaine Rabbitskin, David Trapper-Gunner, James Coon-Come, Kenyon Awashish-Hunter, Sayge Cheezo, Alison Lazore, Kathleen Coon and Joe Shecapio.

This is the story of how Maasu recreated the world after a big flood.

Scene 1

Kingfisher is crying because he is hungry.

Kingfisher tells Maasu: “The Kaachaamishikunich don’t let other animals hunt.”

Maasu tells the Kingfisher: “I will tell you where you can find plenty of fish to eat.”

Scene 2

Maasu goes to spy on the Kaachaamishikunich.

He hides under branches and little trees.

They thought they heard something in the trees, so they went and shook the trees violently.

Scene 3

The Kaachaamishikunich were sleeping.

Maasu gets out of his hiding spot.

He fought the Kaachaamishikunich with harpoons and lances.

But Maasu didn’t kill them because he doesn’t want the world to be flooded.

Scene 4

Maasu makes a boat and gets two of each animal to go on it and also different types of vegetation.

 

Scene 5

Maasu killed the Kaachaamishikunich.

The whole world is flooded but all the animals in the boat are saved.

 

 

 

 

 

Scene 6

The animals on the boat are hungry.
Maasu needs sand and a plant to make land where animals can eat.

 

Scene 7

All the animals try but fail to get sand and plants from the bottom of the water.

Only the female otter gets the sand and plants for Maasu.

 

Scene 8

Maasu blows on the sand and the plants and creates land.

Maasu makes the land big and full of food for the animals.

 

 

 

 

 

Read the full text of the legend of Maasu in Cree and in English at www.eastcree.org/cree/en/stories/text/maasu/