Module 4 Post 2 (Long post, but wanted to keep things together.)
I have posted before about the importance of integrating elders as a classroom resource, and I have the good fortune to have Crystal Manyfingers as our Indigenization Coach and colleague and recent author of “A’pistotooki and the Ihkitsik Kaawa’pomaahkaa: Creator and the Seven Animals, why are we Here? (Links to an external site.)“, a beautifully simple, hope-filled story that aims to support the revitalization of Blackfoot language and culture.
In my class I can merge the Indigenous teachings with my number study, focusing on the importance of various numbers – this post will focus on the number 7, and the 7 Sacred Laws reflected in First Nation beliefs. Students can connect with the material through an exploration of number systems.
Other resources have been shared before, but I will include them here for easy reference.
TurtleLodge.Org has
- this print version of “A Story of the Seven Sacred Laws” and
- this video series, “The Seven Sacred Laws Animated Web Series”.
From Tribal Trade Co., which I present in a separate post, includes the following video that is also related:
In looking further I also found one more by Etienna Moostoos-Lafferty,
Etienna is a member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory in the province of Alberta. She has worked provincially as an Indigenous Education Consultant and is now the Indigenous Education Coach for Evergreen Catholic Schools in Edmonton, Alberta. She also has also contributed to Telling Tales a website resource that focuses on developing early literacy and has Indigenous materials, such as a 37 minute Land and Water virtual program that includes an Indigenous reading of Water Walker (9:15) with Cree vocabulary and is recorded on the shores of Slave Lake, within the Treaty 8 region.
References
Calgary Public Library. (2020, August 3). A’pistotooki and the Ihkitsik Kaawa’pomaahkaa: Creator and the seven animals, why are we here? (Links to an external site.) YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyrhLwzHRU
Etienna Moostoos-Lafferty. (2020, June 9). A Reading of the 7 Sacred Teachings [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnAT4LGkfKo
Telling Tales https://tellingtales.org/presenters/etienna-moostoos-lafferty/
Tribal Trade Co. (2020, June 10). Animal Meanings to Indigenous People of the Native American Culture [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQRglH9BK94&list=PLUCbxL7irwXOFVDWUyhxpJsvCvc9vY3pP
Turtle Lodge. ( n.d.). A Story of the Seven Sacred Laws. https://mailchi.mp/28d6ebb11e6a/a-story-of-the-seven-sacred-laws
Turtle Lodge. (n.d. ). The Seven Sacred Laws Animated Web Series. http://www.turtlelodge.org/the-seven-sacred-laws/
Brenda, these videos are amazing! They are short enough to hold student interest and at the same time are long enough to give a thorough message. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Allison,
I agree – short and sweet will be important to my approach as my project is working on Indigenizing my course, and initially I am looking at making small changes since there are many constraints in my setting. I think these short videos can be integrated quite nicely.