Murdo Scribe (1920–1983) was a

Swampy Cree The Swampy Cree people, also known by their Exonym and endonym, autonyms ''Néhinaw'', ''Maskiki Wi Iniwak'', ''Mushkekowuk,'' ''Maškékowak, Maskegon'' or ''Maskekon'' (and therefore also ''Muskegon'' and ''Muskegoes'') or by exonyms includin ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

veteran and educator from

Norway House Norway House is a population centre of over 5,000 people, some north of Lake Winnipeg, on the bank of the eastern channel of the Nelson River, in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The population centre shares the name ''Norway House'' with the ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, Canada. He recorded his stories and some of the legends that had been passed to him. He wrote ''Murdo's Story'', the text of a children's picture book published in 1985, which is available in Cree and Ojibwe as well as English. After WWII Murdo returned home to Manitoba and resumed his life as a trapper, gardener, business man, band councillor and storyteller. Scribe was appointed to co-ordinate the Traditional Individualized Education (TIE) Program with the Aboriginal Education Directorate (formerly known as the Native Education Branch) of Manitoba Education, in 1975. Throughout his life Murdo created various works that were published through the Manitoba Ministry of Education. The work features topics pertaining to the indigenous way of life such as canoe freighting, trapping and sledding. Most of these works were published in English as well as Cree. ''Murdo's Story'' was illustrated by Terry Gallagher. Gallagher won a 1985 Canada Council Children's Literature Prize, now the

Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration The Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian illustrator for a children's book written in English. It is one of four children's book awards among the Go ...

. The Murdo Scribe Centre opened on June 14, 2005 located at 510 Selkirk Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was named in honor of the Murdock "Murdo" Scribe in recognition of his contributions to Aboriginal education in the province of Manitoba. The centre houses the Aboriginal Education Directorate, part of

Higher education in Manitoba Higher education in Manitoba includes institutions and systems of higher or advanced education (including post-secondary/tertiary and vocational education) in the province of Manitoba. Manitoba was the first western territory to join confederat ...

Works

*Scribe, Murdo. ''Canoe Freighting in the North''. Winnipeg: Native Education Branch, Manitoba Department of Education, (1979?). * a short booklet about canoe freighting at Norway House in the 1920s and 1930s *Scribe, Murdo. ''Life on the Trapline''. Winnipeg: Native Education Branch, Manitoba Department of Education, (1979?). * Scribe remembers going on the trapline with his uncle in 1941/1942. *Scribe, Murdo. ''Trail Blazers of the North''. Winnipeg: Native Education Branch, Manitoba Department of Education, (1979?). * life at Norway House from the 1930s to the 1970s. * Scribe, Murdo. ''Murdo's Memoirs: The Early Days in Northern Manitoba''. Winnipeg: Native Education Branch, Manitoba Department of Education, 1983. * ''a compilation of Trail Blazers of the North, Life on the Trapline, and Canoe Freighting in the North'' * ''More Than A Marathon''. Scribe, Murdo. Winnipeg: Manitoba Education, Media Productions, c1985. 1 videorecording (20 min.) * the story of Amos Colon, a sled-dog runner who ran more than a marathon a day to deliver mail and supplies to isolated communities, as told by his grandson. * ''Murdo's Story: A Legend From Northern Manitoba''. Illustrated by Terry Gallagher. Winnipeg, MB: Pemmican Publications, 1985. . CIP. * Tells the story of how Fischer became a constellation (the big dipper) and how the animals divided the season

References

External links

* is identical in effect to link 'LCCN' below --> {{DEFAULTSORT:Scribe, Murdo Canadian storytellers Canadian children's writers Writers from Manitoba 1920 births 1983 deaths Cree people 20th-century First Nations writers 20th-century Canadian male writers Swampy Cree