Tag Archives: cree

Module 4 – Post 3 – Honouring Indigenous Languages

This is such a great resource for honouring Indigenous languages. In this guide, educators can share some Indigenous languages such as Cree, Inuktitut, Lunaapeew, Michif, Mohawk, Ojibwe, and Oji-Cree. For each language, the guide tells you what the word or phrase is in English, then the Indigenous language, along with the pronunciation. The words and phrases that are taught in these languages are welcome, hello, goodbye, thank you, I’m sorry, how are you?, let’s play, and my name is.

This is such a great resource as it allows educators, such as myself, to help revitalize Indigenous languages that have been lost. We can have a significant role in reconciliation and it can be as simple as teaching our students how to say these words and phrases in Indigenous languages. It would also be very powerful for educators to invite Elders in to speak and share their Indigenous language.

I will definitely be implementing this tool into the classroom in the fall. Below is an example of how we can honour the Cree language.

Module 4 – Post 2 – COPA’s 10 Short Animated Films

COPA’s 10 short animated films are used to help educators start conversations with their students, other educators, and their communities. These films have been modified and adapted from COPA’s A Circle of Caring project with images and content that was guided by Indigenous educators and peoples. They are for educators, schools, and families.

The ten short films focus on a variety of subjects and are titled as cultural pride, equity and diversity in schools and communities, safe/inclusive/accepting schools, nurturing kindness and empathy, positive role modelling, believing in children’s success, a telephone call from school, storytelling and reading with our children, everyday success at home, creating a space for study, working together and learning from each other, parent-teacher meeting, joining school council, supporting and not blaming, listening carefully, problem-solving together, bullying hurts, support for a child who is being bulled, who has witnessed bullying, who is bullying others, and approaching the school.

I really appreciate how these short films are offered in 8 languages (English, Cree, Inuktitut, Michif, Mohawk, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, and Oneida). It would also be powerful to play these films in a language other than English. This would allow students to learn words in one of seven Indigenous languages that are provided. Beside each video, there is a guide for educators to use to help with follow up questions after watching each film.

I absolutely love how this film guide from COPA’s short animated films provides the cast of characters and supplies a short write up about them. Below are screenshots from the guide. I would definitely be using these short films in the classroom with my Kindergarten students. In this guide, there are all the lesson guides that go with each of the short films.

Module 3 – Post 2 – Spirit Bear and Children Make History: Learning Guide

The Spirit Bear and Children Make History: Learning Guide is a guide that focuses on telling the “story of a landmark human rights case for First Nations children at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal” (para. 1). This guide was written to cater the younger crowd and engage them in learning about human rights and to establish the influential role that younger individuals have in the reconciliation movement. On page 6 of this guide, it points out all the outcomes children will have after reading this book (PDF of this storybook in Cree and in English). I wanted to share these outcomes because even though this guide is geared towards younger students, their learning potential is huge.

It states that students will:

“• have a greater understanding of inequities facing First Nations children, which compromise their health, safety, and well-being,
• develop empathy and critical thinking,
• develop citizenship and life skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, understanding of personal and social responsibility, ethics, courage, self-confidence, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills (be able to express themselves and articulate their ideas),
• be able to describe how children can help implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action,
• recognize that their voices and ideas matters and that children have the power to influence the world around them, and
• recognize that true heroes are those who are courageous enough to stand up for what is right and not give up, even when it is hard to be brave” (p. 6).

I like this resource as it provides some school-base activities that you can do with your students to learn about reconciliation through storytelling and engaging activities. This true story book is one that I would like to buy to add to my classroom collection.