Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society
Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society
Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society
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• Video support is available <strong>in</strong> NFB releases:<br />
• Okimah: 51 m<strong>in</strong>. (NFB C9198039/E2000) - Focuses on the annual goose hunt <strong>in</strong> Moose Factory,<br />
Northern Ontario;<br />
• The Gift: 48 m<strong>in</strong>. (NFB C9198 057/E2000) - Explores the powerful bond <strong>and</strong> spiritual<br />
relationships that cont<strong>in</strong>ue to exist between Indigenous Americans <strong>and</strong> corn;<br />
• My Village <strong>in</strong> Nunavik: 47 m<strong>in</strong>. (NFB C9199 066/E2000) - Shows how the filmmaker Bobby<br />
Kenlajak rema<strong>in</strong>s attached to the traditional way of life <strong>and</strong> the l<strong>and</strong>.<br />
• The North American Indian Travell<strong>in</strong>g College (Akwesasne First Nation) has published good<br />
material on Iroquoian traditional teach<strong>in</strong>gs, especially Iroquois Stories by Joseph Bruchac.<br />
• Author <strong>and</strong> anthropologist Hugh Brody has published sensitive observations of Inuit <strong>and</strong> First<br />
Nations customs <strong>in</strong> his books Maps <strong>and</strong> Dreams <strong>and</strong> more recently The Other Side of Eden.<br />
• Excellent quotations are <strong>in</strong>terspersed throughout the Report of the Royal Commission on <strong>Aborig<strong>in</strong>al</strong><br />
Peoples, <strong>in</strong> which testimony was recorded verbatim.<br />
Teach<strong>in</strong>g/Learn<strong>in</strong>g Strategies<br />
1. The importance of the four seasons (spr<strong>in</strong>g, summer, fall, <strong>and</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter) should be re<strong>in</strong>forced by the<br />
teacher. Students are divided <strong>in</strong>to groups, <strong>and</strong> symbols, traditional activities, <strong>and</strong> ceremonies are<br />
listed on chart paper or an overhead.<br />
2. Us<strong>in</strong>g specific cultural groups associated with geographical regions, students identify the importance<br />
of specific symbols, traditional activities, <strong>and</strong> ceremonies that <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>and</strong> communities valued <strong>in</strong><br />
the past <strong>and</strong> value today.<br />
3. Students focus on specific objects (e.g., drums, totem poles, carv<strong>in</strong>gs, designs, regalia, dolls, birds,<br />
animals associated with clans) <strong>and</strong> explore how these objects <strong>and</strong> symbols re<strong>in</strong>force cultural<br />
achievement.<br />
4. Oral reports, supported with materials, photographs, or draw<strong>in</strong>gs, are shared with class members.<br />
5. Elders could be <strong>in</strong>vited to share stories, or stories are read, that re<strong>in</strong>force cultural beliefs <strong>and</strong><br />
practices.<br />
6. Individual research on <strong>Aborig<strong>in</strong>al</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> artists, activists, <strong>and</strong> political leaders, both male <strong>and</strong><br />
female, would enrich this lesson sequence.<br />
Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement<br />
• Journal entries from Activity 1 are assessed. Group reports represent an alternative method of<br />
assessment.<br />
• If there has been previous focus on local or regional beliefs <strong>and</strong> practices, this is an opportunity to<br />
locate resources on cultural groups beyond prov<strong>in</strong>cial or regional boundaries (e.g., Mi’kmaq of Nova<br />
Scotia, Pla<strong>in</strong>s Cree, Blackfoot, Dene on Northwest Territories, Inuit of Nunavut, Tl<strong>in</strong>git of British<br />
Columbia, Haida of British Columbia).<br />
• As students are expected to compare <strong>and</strong> contrast beliefs, symbols, <strong>and</strong> ceremonies of different<br />
cultural groups, the teacher needs to ensure that adequate resources exist to support this activity. See<br />
Appendix 4.1.1.<br />
• Worksheets assigned with videos are assessed for completeness, underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> application. See<br />
examples <strong>in</strong> Unit 2, Activity 4: Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement.<br />
Accommodations<br />
Student group<strong>in</strong>gs are established so that direct teacher support for high-needs students is available.<br />
Limited criteria <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed criteria for the collage/poster could be pre-established for selected<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>and</strong> groups. Detailed worksheets could be used to focus on key aspects of videos, if<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual research tasks are overly challeng<strong>in</strong>g for some students.<br />
Unit 4 - Page 4<br />
• <strong>Aborig<strong>in</strong>al</strong> <strong>Beliefs</strong>, <strong>Values</strong>, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Aspirations</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Society</strong> - College Preparation