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June 4 - Truth and Reconciliation
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May 27 - plant cards to tea unit based on a lesson from the FNESC's Science First Peoples
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Over the last few years, you may have had Heidi, Nadine or Craig (Science Helping Teacher) come into your classroom and model the tea lessons. This lesson comes from the Science First Peoples for grades k - 5 (developed by FNESC).
To support this lesson(s), we suggest you connect them the the Northwest Plant Cards which you can order online. When using the plant cards and the tea cards together, students learn that First Nations people used plants for food and for medicine.
Heidi is currently working on a textiles inquiry where she explores plants to dye materials so watch for that.
For a copy of our plant cards: click here
For a copy of our 'shopping list' and where we purchase the teas, click here
To support this lesson(s), we suggest you connect them the the Northwest Plant Cards which you can order online. When using the plant cards and the tea cards together, students learn that First Nations people used plants for food and for medicine.
Heidi is currently working on a textiles inquiry where she explores plants to dye materials so watch for that.
For a copy of our plant cards: click here
For a copy of our 'shopping list' and where we purchase the teas, click here
May 26 -Water - Sacred Relationship
This website includes several videos relating to the importance of water. There are also corresponding lesson plans. Check it out! https://www.sacredrelationship.ca/videos/
May 25 - Language, Language, Language - Learn hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓
Thank you Langley School District for creating this awesome language resource. Many teachers might remember the language teacher featured in these language videos. Sesmelot worked for our district many moons ago. Speaking of moons, watch her video related to her new book, Let's Count Moons!
Visit this language page to learn some of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. https://www.sd35.bc.ca/programs-initiatives/aboriginal-program/learn-henqeminem/
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is spoken by the Down River people’s of the Fraser Valley, including the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Kwikwetlem, Tsawwassen, Katzie, and Kwantlen Nations. In the Kwantlen Nation, the language is taught to Langley students by Aboriginal Language Teacher, Fern Gabriel — Sesmelot.
Visit this language page to learn some of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. https://www.sd35.bc.ca/programs-initiatives/aboriginal-program/learn-henqeminem/
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is spoken by the Down River people’s of the Fraser Valley, including the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Kwikwetlem, Tsawwassen, Katzie, and Kwantlen Nations. In the Kwantlen Nation, the language is taught to Langley students by Aboriginal Language Teacher, Fern Gabriel — Sesmelot.
May 22 - Two-legged, four-legged, Winged and Finned - Patterns in Indigenous Art
It is a pleasure to share this lesson created by one of our math helping teachers, Chris Hunter. It demonstrates an incredible exploration of Indigenous art and connecting it to math. Chris demonstrates how it is possible for all teachers to connect Indigenous art and math. He needed almost no support to create this lesson from Aboriginal Learning. It is hard to let go but this is our hope that at some point, our positions will no longer be necessary because all teachers are connecting Indigenous language, culture and history in the classroom.
Please take some time to examine this outstanding lesson. https://reflectionsinthewhy.wordpress.com/2020/05/21/two-legged-four-legged-winged-finned-patterns-from-indigenous-art/
Please take some time to examine this outstanding lesson. https://reflectionsinthewhy.wordpress.com/2020/05/21/two-legged-four-legged-winged-finned-patterns-from-indigenous-art/
May 21 - Directed Drawing by Michelle Stoney , Gitxsan Artist
Michelle gave us permission to share this lesson she did for the STA Pro D. Watch her video and you too can learn to draw some of the basic shapes in First Nation art. https://vimeo.com/41438384
May 20 - Indigenous Games
On Think Indigenous - Online Education for K-8, the posted a video called Run and Scream. To understand why you would want students to run and scream, you need to understand why many of these games were created. Before contact, it was important for community members to be fit. The primary mode of transportation was our feet. In this video, filmed on Treat 6 territory in Saskatchewan, we learn that having good lung capacity was an important part of physical fitness.
I found a document to all kinds of games that have Indigenous connections. Click here to download it. For background information on the importance of Indigenous games, click here.
I found a document to all kinds of games that have Indigenous connections. Click here to download it. For background information on the importance of Indigenous games, click here.
May 19 - Siwal Si'wes Residential School Curriculum
This is an amazing resource related to St. Mary's Residential School. It is a comprehensive site divided into grade groupings. To understand the layout of the website, watch a five minute video to learn how to navigate it. https://greatspirithand.com/tour/navigating-this-website/
May 15 - Counting Collections
The fabulous Meg Allan created a counting collections video for K/1 students. In it she shows students and parents how you can use things you have in your home to make our own counting collections. Highlight of the video for me, meeting her new puppy who makes a guest appearance at the end of the video. Have a look: https://youtu.be/CD9nyeZ7Jm4
May 14 - More videos!
I have uploaded several new videos by our district cultural facilitators. Mrs. Anderson has created a beautiful video related to sacred masks, Chandra has created two new videos related to beading and raven and Richard Pierre has recorded two stories for your listening pleasure. I have also added a table of contents so you can see what is available and link to the video of your choice. https://aboriginalresourcesforteachers.weebly.com/videos-from-our-dcf.html
May 13 - First Voices
If. you want to hear some authentic stories and songs and learn about First Nation languages in BC, visit https://www.firstvoices.com/
Each community has information about their history. They also have links to songs and stories. Most importantly, you can hear and learn a few greetings or more by listening to recorded language snips. It's a fabulous resource.
Each community has information about their history. They also have links to songs and stories. Most importantly, you can hear and learn a few greetings or more by listening to recorded language snips. It's a fabulous resource.
May 11 - Let's Talk About Protocols
To begin this conversation, I want you to read an excellent piece written by Sara Florence Davidson. It's short but it get's right to the point about how we, as BC Educators, need to be thoughtful in how we incorporate Indigenous content into art and into all areas of the curriculum. Read this: http://saraflorence.ca/blog/
What are your thoughts now? Aboriginal Learning appreciates how difficult it is to teach content that was not taught to you when you were growing up and may not have been addressed in your teacher training. BUT, and this is a big BUT, it is possible for us to do better.
Aboriginal Learning has created a draft protocol document to help teachers navigate protocols particularly around the area of art, stories and songs. I will link it here but you can also fine it on our Fine Arts page too. This is a draft document, rather it is more like a living document. One of the complexities is understanding that protocols for each First Nation community may vary. It is understand in our own department, Aboriginal Learning, we all have slightly different opinions on matters of protocols because we all come from different communities. If you ever have any questions regarding protocols or whether a topic is appropriate to teach in your classroom, don't hesitate to contact Aboriginal Learning.
What are your thoughts now? Aboriginal Learning appreciates how difficult it is to teach content that was not taught to you when you were growing up and may not have been addressed in your teacher training. BUT, and this is a big BUT, it is possible for us to do better.
Aboriginal Learning has created a draft protocol document to help teachers navigate protocols particularly around the area of art, stories and songs. I will link it here but you can also fine it on our Fine Arts page too. This is a draft document, rather it is more like a living document. One of the complexities is understanding that protocols for each First Nation community may vary. It is understand in our own department, Aboriginal Learning, we all have slightly different opinions on matters of protocols because we all come from different communities. If you ever have any questions regarding protocols or whether a topic is appropriate to teach in your classroom, don't hesitate to contact Aboriginal Learning.
May 8 - Circle Talks
A big thank you to Heidi Wood and literacy 8-9 set lesson team for sharing this idea. This lesson relates to talking circles or circle talks. How can you use this strategy to demonstrate and facilitate understanding when exploring a text. Click here to learn about Talking Circles
This link is connected to one of the set lessons being created by the literacy Grade 8-9 set lesson team. All set lessons are located on the https://surreyschoolsone.ca/ website.
This link is connected to one of the set lessons being created by the literacy Grade 8-9 set lesson team. All set lessons are located on the https://surreyschoolsone.ca/ website.
May 7 - Exploring videos on Seaalaska Heritage Institute
An important concept for students to know and understand is the significance of Indigenous Knowledge. FNESC's Science First People's Guide (5-9) says, "Indigenous Knowledge is the knowledge of Indigenous peoples, including scientific and evidence-based knowledge, that has been built up over thousands of years of interaction with the environment. It is holistic knowledge rooted in place and contained in language."
In this video, viewers will see the complex process of harvesting, and preparing roots. I see this video demonstrating Indigenous knowledge. They know where , when and how to process spruce roots. They know how much to take without harming the tree. These roots are used to make baskets that were not only functional but also embedded with beautiful designs. Click here to see how spruce roots are harvested and processed.
You may have to login to vimeo to see this video but it is worth it. I have started to follow Seaalaska Heritage Institute because they have numerous videos that would be excellent resources for students and teachers.
In this video, viewers will see the complex process of harvesting, and preparing roots. I see this video demonstrating Indigenous knowledge. They know where , when and how to process spruce roots. They know how much to take without harming the tree. These roots are used to make baskets that were not only functional but also embedded with beautiful designs. Click here to see how spruce roots are harvested and processed.
You may have to login to vimeo to see this video but it is worth it. I have started to follow Seaalaska Heritage Institute because they have numerous videos that would be excellent resources for students and teachers.
May 5- Free book! Thank you Goodminds for sharing this free book
Who doesn't love a free book! This is available in PDF form. The name of the book is Nuttah and Kitchi and it is written by Sandra Samatte. In this story the characters learn how to live safely.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oYwnetdZ4d7_vdifiG5NpNItsIAsTxp2/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oYwnetdZ4d7_vdifiG5NpNItsIAsTxp2/view
May 4 - Jared Qwustenuun Williams and his son Qwustenuxun
I am so pleased to share this Youtube channel. I follow Jared on FB and I was thrilled when he said he was going to create his own YouTube channel. Jared takes his son Qwustenuxun (both share this traditional name) out on the land. Qwustenuxun, at a very young age, is becoming a teacher. He is learning and teaching viewers about some of the medicines.
Here is a link to their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MCP5312
Here is a link to their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MCP5312
May 1 - Continuous Learning Resources from the First Nation Education Steering Committee
Teachers, many of you have seen some of the resourced created by the First Nation Education Steering Committee. Maybe you've looked at the Science First Peoples guide (K=9), or the Indian Residential School Guides. Maybe you have looked at the Authentic Resources guide for ideas on quality authentic resources to use in your classroom. FNESC has amazing guides. They are user friendly, and best of all, they are free to download. To see all the guides they have available, click on this link: http://www.fnesc.ca/learningfirstpeoples/
FNESCE and the FNSA has also created a new page on their website to support Indigenous families and teachers who are continuing their learning journey from home. The following link takes you to a page developed to support this learning journey. Take a peek. Find your favourite activity to share with your students.
http://www.fnesc.ca/continuous-learning/
FNESCE and the FNSA has also created a new page on their website to support Indigenous families and teachers who are continuing their learning journey from home. The following link takes you to a page developed to support this learning journey. Take a peek. Find your favourite activity to share with your students.
http://www.fnesc.ca/continuous-learning/
April 30 - Walking Curriculum 30 Day Challenge
Last year, Aboriginal Learning's Helping Teachers undertook the 30 Day Walking Curriculum challenge. We posted a walk a day that related to the Walking Curriculum. Each walk was intentional. What we like about the Walking Curriculum is how strongly it connects to Indigenous ways of knowing and doing. It has the potential to connect to land and place which is an important connection to FPPL and AWVP. You can download a copy of the Walking Curriculum book for free from Amazon.ca. It's a great resource and it is appropriate for all grade levels.
If you would like to see the 30 walks we did, click here to download a copy of our walks and how we connected them to Indigenous perspectives.
If you would like to see the 30 walks we did, click here to download a copy of our walks and how we connected them to Indigenous perspectives.
April 29 - Making Leather from Fish Skin
One of the things we teach students is that when you take the life of an animal, you show it respect by using all of it. Nothing goes to waste. Bones were used to make tools, the hide was used to make drums, clothing and footwear. The process to make the hide soft enough to make clothing is a long and labour intensive process particularly if you do it in the traditional way. Indigenous peoples have knowledge that has been passed down since time immemorial. Processing animal skins is an example of Indigenous knowledge.
Something you may not have known is that fish skin can be used to make leather. Hakai Coastal Science and Society Magazine has an excellent article about making leather from fish skin. Tracy Williams, from Squamish Nation is featured in this article. Click here to learn how.
Teachers, this magazine frequently features articles that would be of interest to your students. You can subscribe to their weekly email for free.
Something you may not have known is that fish skin can be used to make leather. Hakai Coastal Science and Society Magazine has an excellent article about making leather from fish skin. Tracy Williams, from Squamish Nation is featured in this article. Click here to learn how.
Teachers, this magazine frequently features articles that would be of interest to your students. You can subscribe to their weekly email for free.
April 28 - Hulquminum Colours
This was posted on the FRAFCA Facebook page. It teaches little ones to learn their colours. It's so delightful! To see the video, click here. The video is posted on Mark Robinson's youtube channel.
April 27 - A Movie made by Jessica Kyle - Math Helping Teacher
Thank you Jessica Kyle for making this math video relating to shapes and patterns in First Nation art. This is an important contribution because I think many teachers fear exploring First Nation content because they are afraid of doing it wrong or that it might be disrespectful. We were able to provide Jessica with resources that could help her make this movie. We shared websites that she could refer to that would give her the background knowledge to explore shapes in art. You'll notice she used some plastic shapes in her video. These were created on a 3D printer. There are files on our digital resources pages that you can use to make these shapes on your own 3D printer. You do have to have Tinkercad to use these files.
April 24 - Making a traditional Metis York Boat
Many classes have had the opportunity to have Patrick Calihou visit their classroom. Patrick is a Métis artist. He is incredibly generous with his knowledge and students love it when he visits. Over a year ago, Patrick understood a major project to build a Métis York boat . What is a york boat? The Louis Riel Institute describes it as follows:
"The York boat was a modification of the fishing boats used by the inhabitants of the Orkney Islands. Almost 13 meters long, a York boat could carry almost six tons of cargo. The standard crew on a York boat included 18 men, 16 of whom were rowers. The two others crew included a helmsman, who called out the rowing instructions, and someone to steer using the rudder. The boat also included a large sail that was used when winds were favourable. The York boat was an optimal size, in that it could both carry a large capacity of cargo, yet was still portable. The portability of the York boats meant it could be portaged from one body of water to another or around rapids or other obstacles."
Click here to see Patrick's nearly completed york boat. Patrick's family is also featured in the story maps (see April 17 entry). Patrick makes all kinds of things including paddles, red river carts and now york boats!
"The York boat was a modification of the fishing boats used by the inhabitants of the Orkney Islands. Almost 13 meters long, a York boat could carry almost six tons of cargo. The standard crew on a York boat included 18 men, 16 of whom were rowers. The two others crew included a helmsman, who called out the rowing instructions, and someone to steer using the rudder. The boat also included a large sail that was used when winds were favourable. The York boat was an optimal size, in that it could both carry a large capacity of cargo, yet was still portable. The portability of the York boats meant it could be portaged from one body of water to another or around rapids or other obstacles."
Click here to see Patrick's nearly completed york boat. Patrick's family is also featured in the story maps (see April 17 entry). Patrick makes all kinds of things including paddles, red river carts and now york boats!
April 23 - Making Seed Ball
Today's idea of the day comes from Heidi Wood. She and a group of Surrey teachers have been exploring eco technologies as part of an Inquiry through Networks of Inquiry and Indigenous Education. I have included the activity sheets for students but also a placemat activity for teachers to tuck away for when we return to classes.
What is a seed ball? Open up these instruction sheets to see!
What is a seed ball? Open up these instruction sheets to see!
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April 22 - Earth Day
I wanted to share this video written and performed by Ta'Kaiya Blaney. This was made a number of years ago but it still fits. It's called Earth's Revolution. At the time she wrote this song, she was only 10 years old. The power and voice of youth is something we need to foster. Here is a link to her website and of interest to music teachers, the sheet music for her song is available to download on her website!
April 21 - Chandra Antone
Surrey School District is very fortunate to have such gifted cultural facilitators. Chandra Antone wrote this song on her way to work. She had had a difficult experience the day before and it was weighing on her heart. This song came to her and she asked if she could share it with staff and students at Bannock and Books. Of course, everything was thrilled to hear it.
Our district cultural facilitators come from all over Canada. They do their very best to present their teachings in a way that is respectful and honours the protocols of their home community and the communities in which our district resides. This is not an easy task but they do so with grace and humbleness.
In honour of earth day, Chandra has given us permission to share her beautiful song. Please respect that this song belongs to Chandra. Do not copy it without her express permission. Enjoy!
Our district cultural facilitators come from all over Canada. They do their very best to present their teachings in a way that is respectful and honours the protocols of their home community and the communities in which our district resides. This is not an easy task but they do so with grace and humbleness.
In honour of earth day, Chandra has given us permission to share her beautiful song. Please respect that this song belongs to Chandra. Do not copy it without her express permission. Enjoy!
April 20 - Storytelling Time
Aboriginal Learning is proud to present videos from out talented District Cultural Facilitators. This week, we present two videos created by Mavis Dumont. Click here to go to the videos. You will find some information on the significance of storytelling too. Please respect the work of our staff and do not copy these videos. Enjoy!
April 17 - Metis Resources!
It is always a pleasure to share resources developed by Métis Nation BC. I am including the link to all their educational resources. If I am allowed to have a favourite for primary teachers, I would strongly recommend the Story Maps. These are free to download and they introduce some key items in Métis culture (red river cart, sash and more). Click here to see all their resources!
April 16 - Let's Design a Hairbone Pipe Braclett
This lesson was presented in a webinar by Nelson in collaboration with several First Nation communities on Ontario and with Dr. Ruth Beatty (Lake Head University). This is an excellent example of how to make connections with Indigenous cultural in an authentic way. The team that put together a set of 5 lessons consulted with knowledge keepers from several communities. Elders, knowledge keepers and artists were brought into the classroom so students could learn first hand about Indigenous culture.
What I like about this lesson is it's natural connection to math. There is patterning and designing in this lesson. It requires students to plan a bracelet before they make it. Before they can do that though, students learn about the hairbone pipe bead bracelets from First Nation knowledge keepers. Instead of embedding Indigenous content into math, this team inserted math into Indigenous beading. Do you see the difference? If you watch the webinar (the link is at the bottom of this day's lesson), you'll get a sense of culturally responsive math. At the heart of this belief is that Indigenous students, I would argue all students, need to see their culture as valued and visible in the curriculum.
I was curious to know the history of hairbone pipe beads. I know that bracelets, chokers and breastplates are often part of regalia worn at pow wows. For students who want to know more about regalia and pow wows, I recommend visiting CBC Kids. Click here for the link and look at the Do You Know What a Pow Wow Is and Do You Know What Regalia Is?
For teachers and parents, build your background knowledge too. Do some exploration around First Nation regalia. Know that original regalia prior to contact would have been made from resources that came from their traditional territories. For Coast Salish, this would include shells, seeds, bone, wood, stones and other natural materials. Things changed. With the introduction of glass beads, some regalia changed. It continues to change today. For an interesting read on the history of bone hair pipe beads, visit this site
The lesson:
Download a copy of the planning sheet. Students are going to design their own hairpipe bone bracelet. Notice the legend on the planning sheet. It shares how many spaces a single bead takes (2), how many spaces a spacer takes (1) and how many spaces a bone bead takes (5). Try and design your own bracelet. The spacer separates beads and prevents the lines of beads from tangling. Traditionally bone or leather was used as a spacer. Today plastic is often used.
When we are able to return to school and visit our students face to face, you might want to let students try and make their own bracelets. Supplies can be ordered at Big Foot Moccasin in Abbotsford.
Students, think about:
It is impossible to send supplies to you at the moment to make this bracelet.
What I like about this lesson is it's natural connection to math. There is patterning and designing in this lesson. It requires students to plan a bracelet before they make it. Before they can do that though, students learn about the hairbone pipe bead bracelets from First Nation knowledge keepers. Instead of embedding Indigenous content into math, this team inserted math into Indigenous beading. Do you see the difference? If you watch the webinar (the link is at the bottom of this day's lesson), you'll get a sense of culturally responsive math. At the heart of this belief is that Indigenous students, I would argue all students, need to see their culture as valued and visible in the curriculum.
I was curious to know the history of hairbone pipe beads. I know that bracelets, chokers and breastplates are often part of regalia worn at pow wows. For students who want to know more about regalia and pow wows, I recommend visiting CBC Kids. Click here for the link and look at the Do You Know What a Pow Wow Is and Do You Know What Regalia Is?
For teachers and parents, build your background knowledge too. Do some exploration around First Nation regalia. Know that original regalia prior to contact would have been made from resources that came from their traditional territories. For Coast Salish, this would include shells, seeds, bone, wood, stones and other natural materials. Things changed. With the introduction of glass beads, some regalia changed. It continues to change today. For an interesting read on the history of bone hair pipe beads, visit this site
The lesson:
Download a copy of the planning sheet. Students are going to design their own hairpipe bone bracelet. Notice the legend on the planning sheet. It shares how many spaces a single bead takes (2), how many spaces a spacer takes (1) and how many spaces a bone bead takes (5). Try and design your own bracelet. The spacer separates beads and prevents the lines of beads from tangling. Traditionally bone or leather was used as a spacer. Today plastic is often used.
When we are able to return to school and visit our students face to face, you might want to let students try and make their own bracelets. Supplies can be ordered at Big Foot Moccasin in Abbotsford.
Students, think about:
- What is the best way to plan my bracelet?
- Should i use a colour code for each piece (single bead, spacer, and bone bead?)
- Should i use manipulatives?
- What is hard about this activity? What is easy about this activity?
- Do you think this is how indigenous artists plan their work? Why or why not?
- What more do you want to know about regalia?
- Does your culture have cultural events where sacred clothing is worn?
It is impossible to send supplies to you at the moment to make this bracelet.
Teachers, I am certain you can see the value in this lesson. Nelson has created a professional development video for teachers and it relates specifically to making this bracelet. More importantly, it discusses the importance of embedding culturally relevant activities into math. To watch the video, click here. You will need to register but there is no fee for watching these videos if you watch them before the end of June.
How good is your bannock? Bannock has become a staple at pow wows and other cultural events. I like to pre-mix my dry ingredients and take it with me when I go camping.
Cooking with your children is a great way to explore science and math. How so? Well children need to learn to read a recipe and measure ingredients. Knowing how to use a measuring spoon and measuring cup accurately relates to measurement in math. Watching how ingredients interact relates to science. The bottom line is cooking is fun. Learning how to cook and how to do it safely is a good life skill.
So which recipe to use. My preference is fried bannock. My husband likes it the best too. The chef's at Surrey School District make the very best baked bannock. Knowing which recipe to use is not just about preference but it can also tie into lifestyle preferences. There is a lovely book called, The Bannock Book In it, the young boy learns that his grandfather is a type 2 diabetic so a healthier choice for him is a recipe that is baked and use whole wheat flour.
Whatever your choice, enjoy! Remember, before you start cooking, wash your hands. Make sure you cook with an adult. Hint: when I make my bannock, I always use warm liquids and I let my dough rest for ten minutes after I mix it. I think this makes a difference. There are tons of videos on Youtube on how to make bannock. My aunty makes bannock and it is so good. She doesn't use measuring cups or measuring spoons though. She has made it so often, she just knows. Happy cooking!
Cooking with your children is a great way to explore science and math. How so? Well children need to learn to read a recipe and measure ingredients. Knowing how to use a measuring spoon and measuring cup accurately relates to measurement in math. Watching how ingredients interact relates to science. The bottom line is cooking is fun. Learning how to cook and how to do it safely is a good life skill.
So which recipe to use. My preference is fried bannock. My husband likes it the best too. The chef's at Surrey School District make the very best baked bannock. Knowing which recipe to use is not just about preference but it can also tie into lifestyle preferences. There is a lovely book called, The Bannock Book In it, the young boy learns that his grandfather is a type 2 diabetic so a healthier choice for him is a recipe that is baked and use whole wheat flour.
Whatever your choice, enjoy! Remember, before you start cooking, wash your hands. Make sure you cook with an adult. Hint: when I make my bannock, I always use warm liquids and I let my dough rest for ten minutes after I mix it. I think this makes a difference. There are tons of videos on Youtube on how to make bannock. My aunty makes bannock and it is so good. She doesn't use measuring cups or measuring spoons though. She has made it so often, she just knows. Happy cooking!
Fried Bannock
Ingredients:
500 ml flour (2 cups)
10 ml baking powder (2 tsp)
salt (about 5 ml) (1 tsp)
150 ml warm water (2/3 cup)
Instructions:
Some Book Titles
What to know more about bannock? Visit this CBC website Don't have baking powder? Google how to make a substitute using cream of tartar and baking soda. Cooking is a science.
Ingredients:
500 ml flour (2 cups)
10 ml baking powder (2 tsp)
salt (about 5 ml) (1 tsp)
150 ml warm water (2/3 cup)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, measure and pour your dry ingredients into a bowl
- Mix your dry ingredients together using a whisk.
- Add your water and mix using a spoon.
- Use your hands to thoroughly mix your dough. It helps to spread a little flour on your hands first.
- Do not over mix or your bannock will be tough.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Heat your oil as you wait.
- Shape your bannock into round shapes. Try and make them as flat as possible. This will ensure your bannock gets cooked all the way through.
- Fry until brown on each side.
Some Book Titles
- Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt - see his translation video on Youtube. His book includes a recipe!
- The Bannock Book by Linda Ducharme
- Bannock Surprise by Terri Mack (Strong Readers title)
What to know more about bannock? Visit this CBC website Don't have baking powder? Google how to make a substitute using cream of tartar and baking soda. Cooking is a science.
April 9 - Medicines All Around Us
Although we are limited in the kinds of walks we can do in our parks now, I bet in your travels, you have walked by many kinds on medicines that you didn't even see. Indigenous peoples used plants and trees as medicines and even today, there are many that still count on these medicines to maintain good health. Many of our elders have lots of knowledge about harvesting practices. They know when to harvest, where to harvest and how to harvest our medicines in a sustainable way. This is important Indigenous knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation.
There are lots of good books about plant medicines. I really like the Pacific Northwest Plant Knowledge Cards. Surrey teachers, you may have purchased a set of these cards already in a recent cost share. So how do we use them?
The cards come with a legend. The legend tells what the symbols on the bottom of each card means. What part of the plant is harvested, what season, and what is it used for. Most importantly, it gives us warnings. Some plants can be toxic and some plants have look a likes. So it is always important never to taste any plant/berry unless you are with someone who really knows about medicines.
So I am including a picture of the legend and four of the cards that show plants that you might have in your backyard. When I do this with students, we talk about plants as medicines, sustainable harvesting practices and the importance of Indigenous knowledge. Then we make a tally sheet. Click here for the tally sheet
Have students use the plant cards to make their own mini version of a plant card. Have them illustrate the plant. Label the plant indicating what part of the plant is used for medicine and then describe what the medicinal uses.
My apologies for the qualities of the photos. Teachers and parents, you can order these cards from StrongNations.com I understand that there are plant cards developed for the interior of BC too. They are Secwepemc plant cards and Aboriginal Learning hopes to get a copy of them soon!
There are lots of good books about plant medicines. I really like the Pacific Northwest Plant Knowledge Cards. Surrey teachers, you may have purchased a set of these cards already in a recent cost share. So how do we use them?
The cards come with a legend. The legend tells what the symbols on the bottom of each card means. What part of the plant is harvested, what season, and what is it used for. Most importantly, it gives us warnings. Some plants can be toxic and some plants have look a likes. So it is always important never to taste any plant/berry unless you are with someone who really knows about medicines.
So I am including a picture of the legend and four of the cards that show plants that you might have in your backyard. When I do this with students, we talk about plants as medicines, sustainable harvesting practices and the importance of Indigenous knowledge. Then we make a tally sheet. Click here for the tally sheet
Have students use the plant cards to make their own mini version of a plant card. Have them illustrate the plant. Label the plant indicating what part of the plant is used for medicine and then describe what the medicinal uses.
My apologies for the qualities of the photos. Teachers and parents, you can order these cards from StrongNations.com I understand that there are plant cards developed for the interior of BC too. They are Secwepemc plant cards and Aboriginal Learning hopes to get a copy of them soon!
April 8 - Looking at First Nation art through colouring sheets
There are amazing colouring resources available online. Many Indigenous artists from all over Canada are donating some of their art to support student learning. These are fabulous BUT there are a couple of things we need to make explicit to students.
- Who is the artist and what nation does he/she come from. This matters. It matters because we need to recognize and acknowledge the artist and his/her skill. It also provides us information on the style or design form found in their work. For example, if you look at the work of Christi Belcourt - a very well know Métis artist, her style is distinctively Métis. Her work features beautiful floral patterns. If you look at the work of Gordon White (see below), his style is distinctively in the style of Northwest Coast art.
Indigenous styles vary because we, as Indigenous Peoples are diverse. Did you know there are over 630 First Nation communities in Canada and that there are over 203 in British Columbia. It wouldn't sense that all our art would be done in the same style.
This part is for teachers. We get lots of questions about what appropriation. This is a really good question. I have added a link to a draft protocol handout that our district has created that I hope will answer some of your questions. Here are a couple of links for you to build your understanding between Northwest Coast art and the art we see in the Vancouver area: article one, article two on formline art
Key point for me, know why you are having students doing any kind of Indigenous art. Make an explicit connection. On some of the colouring sheets below, particularly those in the Northwest Coast style, ask students to look for shapes (ovoids, crescents, trigons, circles). Pick two coloring sheets and ask students to look for differences in style. To see a handout we created for a workshop related to formline, click here.
Some guiding questions:
Explore positive/negative space; explore shapes found in FN art - how are they the same/different? What themes are present in FN art?
First Nation Colouring sheets - these have been shared on FB pages
- Hummingbird by Gordon White, Haida - from Native Northwest
- Christie Belcourt - "It’s from my painting called “Joy” and I got it turned into a colouring page by Mariah Meawasige." (Hint - if you go to Christie Belcourt's Facebook page and look for an April 4 entry, she has posted numerous colouring sheets from a variety of artists.)
- Download this Tlingit Colouring book - Form line design with Lingít (Tlingit) names. Shared with permission - Dalton Signature
- Download First Nation Colouring sheets by ronniedeanharis
- Colouring Sheets from various Indigenous artists in Canada
- Download a beautiful dragon fly by Michelle Stoney , Gitxsan artist and share it with her on FB when you are done. In fact, go to her FB page and see all the pages she has shared. It's part of a colouring contest.
- Download these two heart pictures. Have your students colour them in with sharpe markers then rub them lightly with vegetable oil. This gives a lovely stained glass look! Post them in your windows. Heart 1. Heart 2. A big thank you to Swalklanexw/Dallas Guss Q for allowing me to share these on our website.
- Download colouring pages relating to the Inuit. https://www.qia.ca/colouring-book-pages/. Look under the news tab on this page for some beautiful videos!
These two photos below show how we used die cut machines and 3D printers to make some of the form line shapes. Then we drew a picture of our foot and had students use the shapes to make their own version of their foot. These shapes can also be used to exploring patterning and sorting in math.
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April 7 - Place Names
Have you ever thought about how cities or streets get their names? In many instances they are named after a person. Take Vancouver for example. It is named after Captain Vancouver. Victoria was named after Queen Victoria.
More and more First Nation communities are reclaiming their traditional names for their territories. If you have ever driven the Sea To Sky highway, you will have noticed numerous signs in Indigenous languages.
Whiterock sits on the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation. Where do you think the city gots its name? Maybe you've been down to Whiterock and seen the big bolder that sits on the beach. Click here to download the story of this rock. This story was shared by the late Grand Chief Bernard Charles and was downloaded from this website
Here are two more websites to explore that talk about place names:
Have you noticed that some place names tend to describe a resource that is harvested in that area or it describes an event that happens at that location? We are going to use this form of naming to rename the places in and around your school. Maybe we can rename the playground to "place of games". How would you rename things so they described what happened or what was stored?
Library
Gym
Staffroom:
Your classroom:
Photocopier room
Office
Music room
LST room
First Aid room
Playground
Covered area
Principal's office
Art room
Try this at home. Draw a map of your community. Include features like stores, parks, apartment blocks, streets, libraries, fire halls, and hospitals. How might you re-name these things to reflect what happens at each location.
More and more First Nation communities are reclaiming their traditional names for their territories. If you have ever driven the Sea To Sky highway, you will have noticed numerous signs in Indigenous languages.
Whiterock sits on the traditional territory of the Semiahmoo First Nation. Where do you think the city gots its name? Maybe you've been down to Whiterock and seen the big bolder that sits on the beach. Click here to download the story of this rock. This story was shared by the late Grand Chief Bernard Charles and was downloaded from this website
Here are two more websites to explore that talk about place names:
- Look at some of the interesting place name examples on this website and learn why place names matter: Click here
- Explore some local place names: Click here
Have you noticed that some place names tend to describe a resource that is harvested in that area or it describes an event that happens at that location? We are going to use this form of naming to rename the places in and around your school. Maybe we can rename the playground to "place of games". How would you rename things so they described what happened or what was stored?
Library
Gym
Staffroom:
Your classroom:
Photocopier room
Office
Music room
LST room
First Aid room
Playground
Covered area
Principal's office
Art room
Try this at home. Draw a map of your community. Include features like stores, parks, apartment blocks, streets, libraries, fire halls, and hospitals. How might you re-name these things to reflect what happens at each location.
April 6 - We Can Bead!
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