Elizabeth Gardiner

Producer & Host

Elizabeth Gardiner is a married grandmother from Ile-a-la-Crosse and a member of the Buffalo River Dene Nation. Like most everyone on the Highway 155 route of northwest Saskatchewan, Elizabeth is a mixture of Cree, Dene, and Métis. She speaks northern Mechif and the ‘y’ and 'th’ dialects of Cree fluently; she says she understands enough Dene to get by.

Elizabeth is a teacher with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has taught all ages, from nursery to adults in their 50s. Elizabeth is also a breast cancer survivor.

Elizabeth was raised by her grandparents in Buffalo Narrows. For the first 10 years, until her pap died, her family spent most of their time in the bush. She continued to live a traditional life as much as she could until she left the north to get an education. She eventually had five children, who she parented alone until she married. 

Elizabeth’s husband, who she describes as the ultimate bushman, moved her and her children back to the bush for a few years. There he taught her how to trap, commercial fish, and filled in the things she had forgotten about bush living. Elizabeth is now very knowledgeable about harvesting wild food and medicines, making and sewing hides, and has a deep understanding of the behaviours and cycles of animals, weather, water, and plants.