Tipi Tales
Encyclopedia
Tipi Tales is a Canadian children's TV series that is broadcast on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
(APTN) where it is shown in both English
and Ojibway.
It is filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
.
Russell has many fears. He tries hard to keep them to himself, but they usually surface in some type of disaster. He looks up to Junior and Elizabeth and wants to be "grown-up" just like them.
Russell counts on Sam to be his accomplice. Junior is his hero and Russell takes great pride in playing drums for Junior's dancing or even being asked to play with him. He is goofy and loud and his enthusiasm for life is contagious. But his greatest gift is the joy he brings to others.
Sam is honest to a fault, as well as adventuresome. She always pushes the limits and rarely listens to anyone. She thinks she doesn't need anyone's advice, but that usually gets her into her biggest scrapes.
In a way that only a three-year-old can, Sam always tells it like it is. She's smart, quick and has sudden bolts of great big ideas. As a result, she can persuade her cousins to do wild and crazy things. She lives with joy and abandon.
The 'princess' of the group, Elizabeth wants things to go her way and is determined to see that happen. She has many fears but usually manages to hide them well. She fights for what she believes in (even when she is wrong) and periodically has meltdowns which some might even call tantrums, but Elizabeth has a good heart and loves her cousins very much.
While she can be nurturing, she often plays the martyr, complete with whole body sighs. "I have to do everything myself I guess...." Elizabeth knows she is destined for greatness. And even though she drives them crazy, her cousins all look up to her.
Great-grandfather is his hero and like him, Junior is a great dancer and loves telling traditional stories. He is sincere, loving and hungry for life. Junior will be a great man.
Great-grandmother makes the best saskatoonberry pies in the world. She quilts and gardens with equal passion. She was a champion Pow-wow
dancer in her day and knows how to do anything, including operating the backhoe. Her great weakness is great-grandfather.
Great-grandfather listens well and understands. He doesn't judge. He has endless stories that enchant and inform the kids. He loves playing his drum and teaching the children to dance. His laugh is infectious and he never seems to get riled.
Great-grandfather is tender and humble and has a wonderful sense of humour. He has an awesome respect for the natural world and teaches the kids about the voice in the wind, the spirit of the tree and giving a gift of thanks. He knows the stars, moon and sun personally. He has endless time for the kids. His weaknesses are great-grandmother and her saskatoonberrry pies.
Sabe (bigfoot
) is Honesty
Bear
is Courage
Buffalo
is Respect
Eagle
is Love
Beaver
is Wisdom
Wolf is Humility
Turtle
is Truth
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian broadcast and cable television network. APTN airs and produces programs made by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples...
(APTN) where it is shown in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Ojibway.
It is filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Russell
Voiced by Herbie Barnes, Russell is four and a half but looks six. He is big for his age but is a very gentle and sensitive boy. People often expect more from him because of his size. He loves to eat and is always hoping that great-grandmother has something cooking in the kitchen, especially cookies or pies.Russell has many fears. He tries hard to keep them to himself, but they usually surface in some type of disaster. He looks up to Junior and Elizabeth and wants to be "grown-up" just like them.
Russell counts on Sam to be his accomplice. Junior is his hero and Russell takes great pride in playing drums for Junior's dancing or even being asked to play with him. He is goofy and loud and his enthusiasm for life is contagious. But his greatest gift is the joy he brings to others.
Sam
Voiced by Jan Skene, Sam (Samantha) is a three-and-a-half year old who is a mischievous, funny, free spirit living in the moment. She thinks everything is "the bestest!" She's cute and snuggly with a curly bob of black hair flopping carelessly on top of her head. Sam can get away with just about anything. Her cousins find her a little annoying but would do anything for her. A tomboy, there is nothing Sam won't try, so she often needs her cousins, help to keep her out of trouble.Sam is honest to a fault, as well as adventuresome. She always pushes the limits and rarely listens to anyone. She thinks she doesn't need anyone's advice, but that usually gets her into her biggest scrapes.
In a way that only a three-year-old can, Sam always tells it like it is. She's smart, quick and has sudden bolts of great big ideas. As a result, she can persuade her cousins to do wild and crazy things. She lives with joy and abandon.
Elizabeth
Voiced by Rebecca Gibson, Elizabeth is a precocious and confident five-year-old. She is artistic, expressive and has an opinion on everything. She sees herself as the leader of the group. She can sometimes be self-absorbed and often ends up being excluded.The 'princess' of the group, Elizabeth wants things to go her way and is determined to see that happen. She has many fears but usually manages to hide them well. She fights for what she believes in (even when she is wrong) and periodically has meltdowns which some might even call tantrums, but Elizabeth has a good heart and loves her cousins very much.
While she can be nurturing, she often plays the martyr, complete with whole body sighs. "I have to do everything myself I guess...." Elizabeth knows she is destined for greatness. And even though she drives them crazy, her cousins all look up to her.
Junior
Voiced by Ryan Rajendra Black, Junior is a five-year-old Ojibway boy who stays at his great-grandparents' house every week while his parents work. His real name is Eugene, which he hates, so everyone calls him Junior. Junior is traditional and proud of it. He wears long braids and loves everything about being Indian. He is very spiritual. Focused and serious, his feelings often get hurt. He and Elizabeth frequently clash over leadership issues. He can be very self-righteous, even a bulldozer at times, but he has great passion for life and nature.Great-grandfather is his hero and like him, Junior is a great dancer and loves telling traditional stories. He is sincere, loving and hungry for life. Junior will be a great man.
Great-Grandparents
The great-grandparents are wonderful caregivers. They love and support their great-grandchildren and are essential to their learning. They often open the door to new ways of thinking. They have gentle humour and great wisdom but never preach. They listen, understand and guide the children to the animal who will help them discover the best course of action.Great-Grandmother
Voiced by Michelle St. John, everyone knows great-grandmother is the boss. She is wise and kind, but often enigmatic. Great-grandmother has a fantastic sense of humour and the kids make her laugh all the time. She often laughs at herself too. Even at her age, she could be convinced to climb a tree. But make no mistake - she knows how to hold the line with the kids. She is truth and wisdom incarnate. She will always call it straight and with love.Great-grandmother makes the best saskatoonberry pies in the world. She quilts and gardens with equal passion. She was a champion Pow-wow
Pow-wow
A pow-wow is a gathering of North America's Native people. The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning "spiritual leader". A modern pow-wow is a specific type of event where both Native American and non-Native American people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor American...
dancer in her day and knows how to do anything, including operating the backhoe. Her great weakness is great-grandfather.
Great-Grandfather
Voiced by Jules Desjarlais. Great-grandfather knows great-grandmother is the boss. He is a fairly traditional man, but is willing to accept the modern world through the children. Great-grandfather is a dreamer and storyteller but lives the seven principles.Great-grandfather listens well and understands. He doesn't judge. He has endless stories that enchant and inform the kids. He loves playing his drum and teaching the children to dance. His laugh is infectious and he never seems to get riled.
Great-grandfather is tender and humble and has a wonderful sense of humour. He has an awesome respect for the natural world and teaches the kids about the voice in the wind, the spirit of the tree and giving a gift of thanks. He knows the stars, moon and sun personally. He has endless time for the kids. His weaknesses are great-grandmother and her saskatoonberrry pies.
Animal Characters
When the children have a problem, the great-grandparents instruct them to speak with an animal guide to help solve the problem. Each animal represents one of the seven sacred laws, or teachings:Sabe (bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
) is Honesty
Honesty
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft....
Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
is Courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
Buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
is Respect
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
is Love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
Beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
is Wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
Wolf is Humility
Humility
Humility is the quality of being modest, and respectful. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions, being connected with notions of transcendent unity with the universe or the divine, and of egolessness.-Term:The term "humility"...
Turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
is Truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...