Monday, December 10, 2018

IBBY Canada - From Sea to Sea to Sea:

Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books

"IBBY Canada is pleased to present From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books, a digital catalogue of 100 picture books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit authors and illustrators. The catalogue is available for download here."

===============

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Walking on the Lands of Our Ancestors - Lesson

An experiential approach to Indigenous people's history

The following module consists of learning material that is delivered through an Indigenous pedagogical approach. There is extensive context-setting in the form of introductory activities (talking circles, guest speakers, a field-trip to a museum) to front-load the main activity, which is literally, walking (and learning) on the lands of Indigenous people's ancestors. The location of this "learning on the land" is situated in the Victoria School District, British Columbia, but the module can be applied in any territory in Canada provided proper protocols with respect to working with the Indigenous nation on whose land the school is situated, are established first. Anne Tenning models how teachers can use an Indigenous approach to teaching social studies. .

Aboriginal Arts & Stories

Uplifting the stories and visions of indigenous youth - Canada's History
"In this webinar Bronwyn and Rebecca discuss the history of the Aboriginal Arts & Stories contest and how they have consistently managed to encourage growth in the contest each year. They will share some of their strategies for engaging First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists and writers, discuss the impact of the contest on the lives of their participants and finalists, and they will share some of the work of their past winners."

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

"Discovering Our Story" TV - indigenous elders, storytellers and cultural leaders

Wisdom of the Elders
http://discoveringourstory.wisdomoftheelders.org/dostv

"Wisdom of the Elders (WISDOM) created this television series in response to misrepresentation of Native Americans and our history in the media. Hollywood, including popular Disney films like Pocahontas and Peter Pan, perpetuates images of Indians as threatening aggressors, alcoholics, a dying or 'vanishing' culture, or as passive, wise sages. Rarely are Native people portrayed within healthy and resilient multi-generational families. This generates confusing, negative impressions in the minds of Native Americans and others.

"WISDOM produces Discovering Our Story at Portland Community Media. And with funding provided by Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission, the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, as well as the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), promotes opportunities for intergenerational Native teams to train as volunteers in videography, post-production editing, and studio production. Each episode features video segments of local and regional storytellers and cultural leaders, and discussion with special guests from the Native community.


=========


Michif Tools - The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture

A variety of Michif resources 

"Michif is the endangered orally-based language of the Métis people. Perhaps only 5-10% of the population are able to speak the language, with the majority being elders. The Gabriel Dumont Institute's mandate is to promote and preserve Métis culture, and therefore has been developing resources that allow people to hear and read the language. Since Michif is an oral language, no standard orthography exists. As a result, the Institute recognizes the spelling conventions of Michif experts, such as Norman Fleury."

=============

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Indigenous Knowledge Portal

First Nations Child & Family Caring Society

https://fncaringsociety.com/ikp



"Indigenous Knowledge Portal (IKP) is a searchable database and related links that provides access to a variety of annotated literature reviews, reports, guides, films, booklets, studies, journal articles and presentations all related to Aboriginal children and families in Canada and similar countries." 


============

 

 

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Indigenous cinema at the NFB

Indigenous perspectives on Canadian realities
https://www.nfb.ca/indigenous-cinema/

"In creating this online destination, our goal was to make it easier for audiences to find films that present Indigenous perspectives on Canadian realities. The site includes biographies for each of the directors and allows users to search for films by the nation/people of the director or the nation/people depicted in the film. Our educational team has also created curated playlists for different age levels."

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Legacy of Hope Foundation Resources

Activity Guides from Legacy of Hope



The LHF has many bilingual resources available to educators, students, and researchers. as well as a full suite of workshop guides providing culturally-infused activities relating to aspects of the Residential School System. See links below.

 

Hope and Healing

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Hope-Healing-2014_web.pdf

Espoir et guérison

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/e-g-2014-min.pdf

 

We Were so Far Away

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WWSFA-Guide-Digital.compressed.pdf

Nous étions si loin

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NESL-Guide-Digital.compressed.pdf

 

Bi-Giwen: Coming Home: Truth-Telling from the Sixties Scoop

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Bi-Giwen-Coming-Home-V1.5-LR.compressed.pdf

 

Forgotten: The Métis Residential School Experience

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Forgotten-booklet_web.pdf

Les oubliés: L'expérience des Métis dans les pensionnats

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/les-oublies-guide-d-l-atelier-2-min.pdf

 

Tebatchimowin (Eng)

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tebatchomowin_Guide_2014_web.pdf

Tebatchimowin (FR)

http://legacyofhope.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tebatchimowin_Guide_dactivities_web.pdf

 

=============

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Information relating to the study of SENCOTEN

Straight Salish Language study
http://web.uvic.ca/~werle/str/181/

Looking to learn more about the traditional language spoken by Straight Salish people? This page points to resources developed for "Linguistics 181: Introductory Linguistics for Language Revitalization, with a focus on the SENĆOŦEN (Saanich) language" out of UVic.

============

Monday, November 5, 2018

Anthropology students dig deep in the pursuit of knowledge near Mount Currie


An interesting article that underlines the historic presence of First Peoples here in the Pemberton region. Compare this dig with the 5,500-year-old Berkshire site that is one of the earliest known examples of monument-building in Britain. The timeline is the same.(https://dailym.ai/2JICSSY)

"A group of Douglas College Anthropology students uncovered a love for archeology last summer through a unique field trip that provided valuable evidence to support the oral history of the Lil'wat Nation.

"Organized by Douglas Anthropology instructor and archeologist Bill Angelbeck, the hands-on project saw three Douglas students visit the site of an ancient village of the Lil'wat people in the Pemberton and Mount Currie region.

A traditional winter village, the site contains the remnants of at least 13 pithouses and numerous cache pits, which were smaller pits used for storing smoked and dried salmon. The pithouses were round homes built partially underground to reserve heat during the Winter. Because of this, they leave a prominent circular depression eight to 15 metres across that is noticeable to archeologists. The village is estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old, though samples from a base camp in the area indicate the territory was home to the Lil'wat Nation for much longer – more than 5,500 years....

==============


Monday, October 29, 2018

Wildfire destruction leads to re-discovery of ancient Indigenous sites in B.C.

Found artifacts conclusively dated to 6,500 to 7,000 years ago
"The Skeetchestn Indian Band, a First Nation whose traditional territory is located west of Kamloops has had parts of their territory near Cache Creek burned in the massive fire. As a result of sites uncovered by the fire, the search has yielded artifacts conclusively dated to 6,500 to 7,000 years ago and some might be as old as 10,000 years old which are a valuable part of Skeetchestn's cultural heritage."

===========

Monday, October 15, 2018

The Sto:lo Year

Months and Seasons in Halq'emeylem
http://www.coqualeetza.com/



Read about the names for months and seasons :
"The Sto:lo year follows the lunar year.  The dates change from year to year.  Before the coming of the white man the Sto:lo people of the Fraser Valley had names for the months and the seasons.  In Upper Sto:lo dialects of the Halq'emeylem Language the year, syilolem, began around the month of October.  Fall was called temhilalxw, winter was temxeytl' - cold time, spring was temqw'iles -  time for things to come up, and summer was temkw'okw'es - hot time...."

============

Daily Organizer - to support your wellness journey

Support to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle
"As a Health and Wellness Partner to First Nations individuals, families and communities in BC, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) has created this Daily Organizer, to support community members to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We are all on an individual wellness journey. On your journey, keep health and wellness in mind as you plan your daily, weekly and monthly activities. ... What Goals would you like to achieve this year in terms of your personal health and wellness? ...  A great way to set goals in these areas is to ask yourself what you would like to achieve this year in terms of your physical activity, healthy eating, nurturing spirit, and respectful tobacco use? ... use the journal pages every day to monitor your goals and reflect on any changes you need to make in order to further support your success."

===========

Saturday, September 29, 2018

"What is Orange Shirt Day?" via CBC Kids

OSD explained for kids
https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/what-is-orange-shirt-day
CBC Kids creates a page to explain Orange Shirt Day and introduce residential schools.

================

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Architecture of the Salish Sea

"How the people lived."

A fascinating overview of the architecture of Coast Salish peoples.

"The Salish ... constructed and lived in what were once the largest structures in North America. These Native peoples inhabited this Pacific Northwest location since the end of the Ice Age, and relied on the bounty of natural resources to sustain their relatively peaceful lives. The Salish Sea was home to thousands of Natives, identified as tribes in the United States, and as First Nations in Canada. They thrived due to the existence and abundance of two primary resources: salmon for food, and cedar trees for shelter. This shelter consisted of immense houses, constructed entirely out of wood. It was a simple structure, with a rectangular floor plan, plank walls and a shed roof. This shed roof, plank house structure was the most prevalent shelter constructed by the Natives in the entire Salish Sea area, and existed in every village."

=========

 

THE COAST SALISH: CONNECTING ART, ENVIRONMENT AND TRADITIONS

The traditional way of life of the Coast Salish people

"This educator's package presents the traditional way of life of the Coast Salish people. The information encourages students to examine artifacts from the Glenbow Museum's collection and connects them to other cultures, communities and environments from within Canada."

Included in this guide are:
  • Information on the Coast Salish people including high-resolution photographs artifacts, archival photographs and essays.
  • Lesson plans including discussions for looking at primary sources, curriculum connections and lesson plans for a variety of ages and abilities.
  • Detailed listing of vocabulary and concepts.
  • Suggested sources for further research and other information.
==========

Friday, September 14, 2018

The Northwest’s Earliest “Garden” Discovered in British Columbia

"According to Geordon Omand of the Canadian Press, road building crews near Pitt Meadows, about 20 miles from Vancouver, came upon a 450-square-foot platform made of flat stones packed tightly into single and double layers. Archeologists called in to assess the site determined that it was a wetland wapato garden. In the past, the area was covered in shallow water and silt. The stone platform was constructed to prevent the tubers from rooting too deep, making it easier to pull them out of the muck.

"Lizzie Wade at Science reports that researchers pulled up 4,000 wapato tubers from the platform, as well as pieces of 150 wooden digging tools, carved into shapes similar to a trowel. Those materials were dated to around 1,800 BC making the site roughly 3,800 years old and the oldest evidence of people cultivating wild foods in that area of North America.


By the way, this is at about the same time as Amenemhet III was Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. His reign is regarded as the golden age of the Middle Kingdom. It is also around the time that the horse was domesticated. And the beginning of alphabetic writing (as opposed to hieroglyphs), 
============

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Coyote Science on APTN

​Explore
 the fascinating world of science – from an Indigenous perspective

http://aptn.ca/coyotescience/
http://coyotescience.com/en/episodes/



​Short video segments that feature science and Indigenous ways of knowing.​


​"​
Coyote's Crazy Smart Science Show is an adventures-in-science series that encourages youth to explore the fascinating world of science – from an Indigenous perspective. Explore and find out more alongside our Science Questors, who learn how cool science is as they observe, ask questions, and learn from Indigenous scientists and other role models. This is FUN scientific investigation that brings our beautiful and complex universe alive. With humour and curiosity, dive into sky, water, dirt and cosmos with all kinds of brilliant Indigenous role models as guides. Contemplate the big concepts, like the science of music, math concepts, sustainability, and how the rocks are our Grandfathers. And don't forget Coyote! Our favourite trickster is there to ask questions, challenge, and help to see things in different ways.

​==========​


First Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers

​Building 
understanding between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal communities


Worth reading for newcomers and those born here
.
 ​
​"​
First Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers aims to fill the need for clear information in simple language about the First Peoples in Vancouver. It introduces newcomers to three important topics: who are Aboriginal people (or First Peoples) in Vancouver and Canada; a brief overview of the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Peoples; and current initiatives and ways for newcomers to learn more about Aboriginal people in the community.

​============​

Monday, July 9, 2018

Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada - The Métis People

​L​
earn more about the
​Métis
 history of Canada



"​
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society has boldly taken a step to address the truth with the creation of this atlas, which will help balance the historical record with other perspectives and missing pieces of history. The atlas will be a powerful educational tool for all Canadians, affirming the Métis Nation, the Inuit and the First Nations, while helping Canadians and the world learn more about the true history of Canada.

​"​
The remarkable resiliency of the Métis Nation is a testament to the strength and determination of our ancestors. We honour their strength with the pride and tenacity with which we hold on to our culture, our values and our rights as a founding people of Canada. Here, more of our story is told
​...​

=
​===========​

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Political Evolution of the Metis Nation

​Informative video from MNC Channel​
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa3SCNFoUjI&feature=youtu.be



T
​his video provides an overview of the political growth and prominence of the Métis Nation. For viewers needing more background on Métis rights.​
S

=============

SOCIAL STUDIES — B.C. First Peoples

​No longer a draft!​
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/curriculum/social-studies/en_social-studies_12_bc-first-peoples_elab.pdf



C​
heck out these "Big Ideas"

  • The identities, world
    ​ ​
    views, and languages of B.C. First Peoples are renewed, sustained, and transformed through their connection to the land. 
  • The impact of contact and colonialism continues to affect the political, social, and economic lives of B.C. First Peoples.
  • Cultural expressions convey the richness, diversity, and resiliency of B.C. First Peoples.
  • Through self-governance, leadership, and self-determination, B.C. First Peoples challenge and resist Canada's ongoing colonialism. 
=
​===========​

Our home on native land

Mapping​
territories, languages, and treaties respectfully

https://native-land.ca/#


​Victor's
 project highlights the many overlapping identities and cultures that have co-existed in North America for thousands of years. He admits that while there is always room for tweaking and improvement, this resource gives a new perspective on the role of mapping and how we draw boundaries.

​"
Native-Land.ca started in early 2015, during a time of a lot of resource development projects in British Columbia.
​...
The map has gotten a reasonable amount of attention over the years, and it typically spikes in popularity around Thanksgiving, "Columbus Day", and National Aboriginal Day.
​...
There are over 630 different First Nations in Canada (and many more globally)
​... 
​ 
 Western maps of Indigenous nations are very often inherently colonial, in that they delegate power according to imposed borders that don't really exist in many nations throughout history. 
​"​

​============​

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Drumbeats & Dreams

Films​
 highlighting BC's Aboriginal youth in action

http://carswellfilm.ca/showreel/


​Visit this site to see films that celebrate local culture and ​school district initiatives.

​"​
Ed Carswell has been directing educational films for almost 30 years. 

​"​
For the past 5 years Carswellfilm has worked closely with School District 48, 58 and 10 to create a variety of films for their Aboriginal Education programs. (K'omoks, Squamish, Lil'wat, Nlaka'pamux, Sinixt Nations)

​=================​



Friday, June 29, 2018

Year in Review 2018-19 Surrey AbEd

​"So many good things happening!"​


​This year we spent some time at our final staff meeting reviewing the many initiatives the department was engaged in. This slide show ​reminded us of all the good work that has been accomplished.



==========

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Engaging Aboriginal Youth Toolkit

The Fourth R - Strategies for Healthy Youth Relationships
https://youthrelationships.org/engaging-aboriginal-youth-toolkit

"​
This Toolkit presents a wide range of guidelines, strategies, templates, and case studies for those who work with Aboriginal youth. A mix of conceptual guidelines and practical strategies are provided throughout the Toolkit. In addition to the four key sections of the first edition – Background and Overview, Guiding Principles, Working with Schools,and Research and Evaluation – the second edition has been updated to include an additional section on assessment, which provides a series of assessment tools to assist with identifying a starting point for change. 

Engaging and Empowering Aboriginal Youth (Second Edition) can be downloaded in English or French. To purchase a copy of the toolkit, click here. [Link to toolkit in online store]

=
​=============​

Friday, June 22, 2018

Life in Residential School

​Question and Answer format​

​Sometimes our cultural presenters are called on to present material about Indian Residential Schools. This can be a difficult topic to cover, particularly with Elementary-aged students. This slide show uses a Q&A format to help students consider the contrast between "school" for students attending an IRS and the educational experience of students today. Presenters can choose to deepen any one of the elements depending on the audience. There are resources listed in the notes attached to each slide.
=====



========



Friday, June 15, 2018

Truth and Reconciliation, K-12





​"​
So what is at the core of Truth and Reconciliation in K to 12? What does it actually look like in the day-to-day classroom activities of our children, youth and young adults? This article offers a glimpse of the possibilities for relationship building, curriculum connections and personal growth.
​"​

=
​===========​

Monday, June 4, 2018

Beyond Bilingualism

A
​ thoughtful article on Indigenous languages.

​"​
The Indigenous-languages act has to provide hope—but not false hope. If you thought bilingualism was tricky, welcome to our globalized, Indigenous future.
​"​


==================



Friday, June 1, 2018

Principles that Guide BC’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples

Renewing​
​a
 relationship with Indigenous peoples



​"​
The Province wants to renew its relationship with Indigenous peoples in B.C., and affirms its desire to achieve a government-to-government relationship based on respect, recognition and exercise of Aboriginal title and rights and to the reconciliation of Aboriginal and Crown titles and jurisdictions. We agree to work with Indigenous peoples to jointly design, construct and implement principled, pragmatic and organized approaches informed by the Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot'in decision and other established law, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action.
​"

================​

Mapping Indigenous languages in Canada

The languages of the land beneath your feet.
https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/mapping-indigenous-languages-canada


See where 60 languages belonging to 12 language families are being used right now.

=============

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

5 cultural competency video modules for ECE

Videos and Teacher's Guide

A series of five cultural competency video modules for Early Childhood Educators was created in a partnership between the Musqueam Nation, BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, City of Vancouver, Collingwood Neighbourhood House, and other community partners.


​==============​

Friday, April 27, 2018

Submission call for Indigenous writers and artists

​Let your voice be heard!​

http://www.rebelmountainpress.com/ 



​Rebel Mountain Press has put out
 a submission call for Indigenous writers and artists for
​their
 new​
book- In Our Own Aboriginal Voice 2. This is open to Aboriginal- status, non-status, Inuit, Métis writers in Canada aged 15 to adult. The not-for-profit book, to be released Nov 2018, is a vehicle to feature writers who might not otherwise be heard. 
Deadline for submission of short stories, poetry, memoirs and artwork is June 30, 2018.


​==============​

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Completing the Circle - (ONLC - Ontario Native Literacy Coalition)

T
​he Medicine Wheel as an organizing principle

​"​
The Completing the Circle: Teaching Our First Teachers program is a flexible course designed for Aboriginal adults who want to help their children's literacy development and who are interested in talking about their parenting strategies. The program consists of eight sessions which include detailed Facilitator's Notes and a full set of handouts that can be copied and used with the participants.
​"​


​==========​