Traditional First Nations And European Worldviews

Traditional First Nations and European Worldviews Social Studies 9

Identify each statement as reflecting either First Nations (FN) or European (E) worldview.

_____ 1. All life and nature is sacred.

_____ 2. People who are skilled at writing are valued.

_____ 3. Cooperation and sharing is highly valued and needed for survival. _____ 4 Spoken agreements are binding and must be honoured.

_____ 5. It is important for people to own things individually.

_____ 6. Religion is practiced in special places on special days.

_____ 7. Only parents are truly responsible for raising children.

_____ 8. Individual achievements are more important than the success of the group. _____ 9. Written information is the best way to record important data. _____ 10. An entire community is responsible for raising children well. _____ 11. Humans are just part of nature, like the animals and plants. _____ 12. Decisions for a group should be made by agreement of the whole group. _____ 13. Individuals must be free to pursue their own goals regardless of the effect on the group. _____ 14. Religion is part of every day life and every interaction. _____ 15. History is passed on through storytelling. Complete the following chart by finding evidence for each statement.

Contact was beneficial for First Nations. Contact was beneficial for Europeans.

Contact was harmful to First Nations. Contact was harmful to Europeans. When the World Began...: Video Guide Canada: A People’s History Social Studies 9

Episode Intro

1. What does the story of Shawdithit tell us about the relationship between European colonizers and the First Nations who inhabited Canada?

The Crossing

2. Describe the “land bridge” theory for the migration of early First Nations people.

Women and Men

3. What did the Blackfoot believe about the creation of men and women?

4. What roles did men and women have in traditional First Nations cultures?

Vision Quest

5. What was the purpose of a vision quest?

6. Why was dance important for many First Nations cultures?

7. What role did war play in First Nations cultures?

Into the Unknown 1. What inspired the Europeans to explore? 2. Why did the Vikings leave Newfoundland? What did they think of the Aboriginal peoples who already lived there?

3. Where did Europe’s wealth come from? What affected this wealth?

New Lands 4. How long did it take for European explorers to reach all 3 shores of Canada? Why?

5. Describe John Cabot’s voyage to North American.

6. At first, what was the draw for Europeans to come to Newfoundland?

7. What did the Portuguese merchants plan to do with the Beothuk they captured? What happened in the end The Royal Saskatchewan Museum Field Trip Team Members: Social Studies 9

In teams of 2 or 3, tour each gallery and find the answers to the following questions. Hand in to your teacher in tomorrow’s class.

Earth Sciences Gallery 1. Why does Saskatchewan have significant deposits of uranium?

2. Why did the Devonian Elk Point Sea have little or no life? What mineral deposits result from this sea?

3. How did Saskatchewan get significant coal deposits?

4. The ancestors of the Mastodon entered North America 14 million years ago from Asia. How did they get here?

Life Sciences Gallery 5. Why does the Northern Hawk Owl have “hawk” in its name?

6. After reading about Consumers in the Obtaining Energy, name 4 second-level consumers from the Mixed Woods diorama?

7. What is a keystone species?

8. What animal in the Mixed Grassland diorama has the most predators?

First Nations Gallery 9. Why do you think the artist of “Re-creating Turtle Island” place Wi-sa-ke-cahk on the back of the turtle?

10. Why were the 1700s a time of change for First Nations?

11. What does the role of women seem to be? (look at the tipi display) 12. There are 13 poles used to construct a tipi, each representing a moral principle. Name five.

13. What is the traditional Indian culture worldview?

14. What is the purpose of the sweat lodge ceremony?

15. What are some clues an ethnologist uses to tell what Nation a set of moccasins belong to?

16. What marks a truly great person, according to First Nations worldview?

17. What was considered the most prestigious war honour among warriors?

18. What purpose do stories serve in First Nations culture?

19. Why do many First Nations dance in a circle?

20. What purpose did toys serve?

21. What does the head dress in the pow wow outfit represent? What about the eagle feather?

22. What is a grandfather rock?

23. When Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in Europe, what was happening in Saskatchewan?

24. Look at the display of the First Nations man and women. How did life change due to colonization?

25. If you look at the wall which contains the pottery displays, you will notice the wall changes at each display. What do the changes at each section of the wall represent?

26. What impact did the fur trade have? 27. What were the reasons for the British Crown and First Nations people to enter into treaties?

28. The Indian Act was passed in 1876, which made First Nations wards of the Government. This meant that they didn’t have the right to vote. When did they finally get the vote? Residential Schools History 30

1. Pre-Viewing Film ‘Where the Spirit Lives’: a) Discussion of time when students have spent time away from their families or parents. Have students write down the responses to the questions quietly/individually.  Did you ever spend time away from your parents when you were younger?  If yes, Where?  For how long?  What was it like – food, overnight, evening rituals (ie. bed time stories, kisses goodnight, etc)?  What was it like to see your parents again? b) Share responses with class c) Imagine being taken away from your parents for 10 months a year as a child. How would you cope? How would you survive? What would it be like at summer when you went back home?

2. View Film: ‘Where the Spirit Lives’ Complete viewing guide while watching.

3. Go over viewing guide and discuss the ways the “European’ Culture put down the First Nations culture.

4. Steps of Colonization See handout. Where the Spirit Lives (1989) Canadian Studies 30 In 1937, a young girl named Ashtecome is kidnapped along with several other children from a village as part of a deliberate Canadian policy to force Native American children to abandon their culture in order to conform with the white Christian one. She is taken to a residential/boarding school where she is forced to endure racist brutality trying to break her spirit. Only one sympathetic white teacher who is more and more repelled by this bigotry offers her any help from among the staff. With her force of will, Ashtecome (forced to take the name Amelia) is determined to hold on to her identity.

1. The Indian Agent, Taggart, arrives by plane. How does he get the List examples children to go with him? throughout the film where the Indian children’s culture and identities are destroyed.

-“gobbledygook”

2. What does Taggart say to the mother of the children (what law does he quote)?

3. What happens to the children upon their arrival at the residential school?

4. What is the attitude of Miss Willenberry regarding her teaching assignment? 5. What were some of the punishments imposed on the children, and what were these punishments for?

6. Detail the “analogy” used by Father Buckley when addressing Miss Willenberry’s concerns over the education of the children.

List examples throughout the film 7. Why does Amelia receive a beating and put in isolation? where the Indian children’s culture and identities are destroyed.

8. Why, do you suppose, Amelia is lied to about her parents’ death?

9. Does the community see the “real” residential school? Explain. 10. What changes do you see in Amelia?

11. Why does the Priest lie to Amelia’s father?

12. What happens to Rachel? How is her death handled?

13. Why does Amelia like the arranged adoption?

14. What is Taggart’s attitude throughout most of the film?

Assimilation: