The Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre is committed to helping maintain the languages and cultures of First Nations people. Their website has information on the various First Nations in Saskatchewan as well as a section on how to respect Elders. The website has information that could easily be used with students.
According to a recent media release, First Nations education is funded at 40-50% less than non-First Nations education in Saskatchewan. The discrepancy is due to First Nations education being funded by the federal government while non-First Nation education is funded by the provincial government however the gap is putting First Nations students at a huge disadvantage.
The first link is to the media release. The second link is to the report on the state of First Nations education. The second link is valuable because part of the document sets the stage for the discussion on First Nations education with a section on history including pre-contact, the mission and residential schools period, and integration. I would be tempted to use this in a high school setting on First Nations history.
Smudging is a ceremony where a braided length of sage is burnt and the smoke is used by the participants for healing. Prayer is part of the ceremony and is used as well as the cleansing with smoke.
I have had the privilege of participating in a few smudges. Two were at St. Mary’s Community School in Saskatoon, SK. where students participate in a weekly smudge. I have also participated during staff PD days. While looking for a resource that would have a good explanation of the ceremony I found The Smudging Ceremony. The website is well written and respectful of the ceremony.
During my searching, I also found this video, How to Smudge. I am including this video in this post because I feel it is a misinformed resource. At one end of the spectrum, ceremonies and stories belong to families and communities and should not be shared with outsiders. At the other end of the spectrum, stories and ceremonies belong to everyone. There is a balance where stories and ceremonies can be shared carefully however this video forgets the sacredness of the smudge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhwZQdaPdo0
This link is to a youtube video about treaties in Saskatchewan. The video gives an explanation about how and why treaties were negotiated in Saskatchewan. It is short and easy to watch. The information is presented in a respectful manner. It should be shown to every Saskatchewan student in about grade six or seven as a great intro to treaties.
A popular representation of First Nations people is that of the “noble savage.” The character of Nanook in Nanook of the North is a prime example of the noble savage who lives off the land using traditional tools against the elements of nature. The noble savage is a romanticized representation that serves to contrast First Nations peoples with modern western culture. At best, the noble savage image makes us gaze in awe at a long-gone past, at worst it is a deliberate misrepresentation that reinforces a stereotype.
There is a photo in the Canadian War Museum archives once labelled, “Unidentified Indian princess getting blessing from her chief and father to go fight in the war.” and currently, wrongly, labelled, “Mary Greyeyes being blessed by her native Chief prior to leaving for service in the CWAC” Neither is accurate. It is interesting to think of the purpose of this picture with the captions originally given it. I’m not sure that I would have questioned the second title (the first does seem far fetched) but it certainly serves to paint a rosy picture of First Nations people in the second world war. The story of this picture does not belong to me so I will let you read it from the source.
This barcode allows you to follow the Office of Treaty Commissioner with your smartphone. The picture is also linked to the Office of the Treaty Commissioner website. http://www.otc.ca/
The Treaty Essential Learnings is an initiative in Saskatchewan to teach all students, K-12, about treaties 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 which cover our province. It has been in development since 2008 and teachers throughout the province now have resource kits to help teach about treaties. The resources available are well put together however it would be beneficial for teachers and students to have as many resources at their fingertips as possible. At this moment, teachers have been finding their own supplemental resources. I would like to put together a website that would gather as many online resources as possible the support the TELs as well as about First Nations culture in general. I envision it for both teachers and students with short synopsis’s of each one and/or recommendations on how to use the resource.
I am interested in this topic because I am a grade four teacher in Saskatchewan with little experience of First Nations culture. I have been teaching the TELs for the past few years with the resources available however I have always felt I could do a better job.
Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) and Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) are four year bachelor of education degree programs that are designed for First Nations, Metis, and Non-Status Aboriginal students. The programs run along side mainstream education programs at the University of Saskatchewan and in Prince Albert, SK.
The programs provide an opportunity for First Nations and Metis students to become educators. The objectives of ITEP include:
The SUNTEP program has similar objectives although it is geared towards students of Metis ancestry. The programs are responding to the needs of First Nations and Metis students and communities by giving young educators tools to bring back to their communities.
Wapos Bay is a children’s television show that is set in a reserve community in Northern Saskatchewan. It features three Cree children who are learning to balance old tradition with modern life. The children are guided by their elders, their extended family and their curiosity for the world. The children learn through experiences and stories about courage, honesty, and other important values. The show is broadcast on APTN, SCN and can be streamed online through WaposBay.com .
Even in Northern communities in Saskatchewan there are many trappings of modern life and families in these communities today are learning how to embrace the new without forgetting the old. Wapos Bay is a television series with a gentle yet effective way of reminding us of the importance of tradition with the use of technology.
http://blog.ted.com/2012/08/16/a-ted-prize-wish-100000-posters-later/
JR is an artist whose TED wish is coming true. His wish is “that people around the globe have a chance to show the world their true face.” (TED Blog) His wish is literal with communities in more than 100 countries displaying huge posters of faces on walls. The video above is from an Australian Aboriginal group who are creating a wall with their faces on it for their town to enjoy.
Inside Out Project is a website created by JR about his project. Most fascinating is the Explore section of the website which maps every place in the world where Inside Out has been done. Armidale Australia is not the only Indigenous group that has participated in this project. In North Dakota, the Lakota Tribe printed posters of faces which were hung in New York among other places.
In the context of this class, the Inside Out project allowed (and continues to allow) Aboriginal communities to share their identity with the world. The posters are free to anyone who uploads a photograph to Inside Out. The project started out as an illegal art installation in Paris but now all around the world people are using the idea to promote their own communities.
Community Education is a concept that acknowledges that education does not stop at the school. Community Schools in Saskatchewan are schools that have been designated by the provincial government due to the high enrolment of First Nations youth. These schools are not only schools but places where other community organizations come together to support families. Part of their mandate states:
Community Education is a unique education concept that embraces these beliefs:
One of the questions that we reflected on during Module one was whether educational goals are different in First Nations communities. The goal of our educational system is to create healthy, contributing members of society and I believe that this is universal goal. I think the route to this goal is necessarily different for First Nations youth and we are learning how to acknowledge the differences. Our system isn’t perfect but schools with frameworks in place to support First Nations youth and families are starting the process of healing for First Nations Communities.