Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society

ID2.05 - describe ways in which contemporary Aboriginal leaders have furthered the understanding of all
Canadians of Aboriginal values and aspirations;
ID3.01 - describe how Aboriginal communities and individuals maintain links with traditional spiritual
beliefs and practices in urban, rural, and institutional settings (e.g., grandmothers’ roles, healing circles);
ID3.02 - compare the role of beliefs and values in sustaining two different Aboriginal communities
today;
ID3.03 explain ways in which artists, healers, elders, women, and politicians define and promote
Aboriginal peoples’ aspirations (e.g., in the briefs and submissions as recorded in the Final Report of the
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996);
RE1.02 - identify examples of art, architecture, and artifacts that depict a spiritual and emotional link
between Aboriginal peoples and their traditional lands (e.g., totem pole carvings; masks; designs of
cultural centres; artwork of Daphne Odjig, Maxine Noel, and Joane Cardinal Schubert);
RE1.03 - demonstrate an understanding of traditional Aboriginal activities associated with the seasonal
cycle;
RE2.01 - describe how Aboriginal peoples can express their distinctive identity in multicultural Canada;
RE2.02 - compare harvesting behaviours and beliefs of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples (e.g., wild
rice harvesting, fishing practices on the east and west coasts of Canada);
RE3.02 - describe the importance of customs, rituals, and ceremonies within Aboriginal cultures (e.g., the
role of sweat lodges, smudging, burning sweetgrass) in strengthening Aboriginal identity in their
relationships with Canadian society;
RE3.04 - identify efforts of Aboriginal peoples towards cultural revitalization (e.g., reinstituting
ceremonial practices, providing Native language classes for adults);
SO1.02 - describe ways in which practices based on traditional beliefs and values sustain autonomy and
promote self-determination within families (e.g., parenting practices, experiential learning, sharing
responsibilities);
SO2.02 - identify places, people, and events that are associated with success in maintaining the autonomy
of Aboriginal peoples (e.g., First Nation schools, maintenance of the Confederacy Council on the Six
Nations Reserve after its “overthrow” by the RCMP in 1924);
SO3.01 - demonstrate an understanding of how Aboriginal peoples incorporate traditional beliefs and
values (e.g., the use of healing circles, sentencing circles, and birthing centres) into their lives in an
attempt to revitalize their societies;
SO3.03 - describe specific healing practices that promote individual and community renewal (e.g., sweat
lodges in prison environments, traditional uses of tobacco);
CH3.03- demonstrate an understanding of the challenges involved in sensitizing mainstream health and
social service providers to the needs and aspirations of various Aboriginal peoples (e.g., through
affirmative action, cross-cultural awareness, Aboriginal input);
CH3.05 - identify physical and spiritual survival methods practised by Aboriginal peoples to maintain
their cultural distinctiveness (e.g., vision quests, dream interpretation, naming ceremonies).
Activity Titles (Time and Sequence)
Activity 1 Relationships, Symbols, and Ceremonies 300 minutes
Activity 2 Meeting the Challenges of History and Today 300 minutes
Activity 3 Oral Traditions: Maintaining A Culture 180 minutes
Activity 4 Relationships with the Natural Environment 300 minutes
Activity 5 Traditional Cultural Practices: A Revisitation in a Contemporary Setting 400 minutes
Unit 4 - Page 2
• Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society - College Preparation