There are fifteen traditional Cree cultural values that serve as a guide for happy and healthy living. Each value is honoured in the construction of a teepee which requires 15 poles-with each pole symbolizing one value: obedience, respect, humility, happiness, love, faith, kinship, cleanliness, thankfulness, sharing, strength, good child rearing, hope, ultimate protection, control flaps from winds. Teaching students to respect and appreciate each of these qualities through activities will not only encourage creating connections between First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people but also foster children to become good individuals.
The stained glass window in Centre Block of Parliament commemorates the legacy of Indian Residential Schools and of the historic Apology delivered by the Prime Minister in 2008. This window is a symbolic representation and encourages everyone to learn about the history of Indian Residential Schools and Canada's reconciliation efforts. The window tells a story. It begins in the bottom left corner of the glass, moving upwards to the top and flowing down through the right panel. The title, "Giniigaaniimenaaning", includes the idea that we are looking ahead for the ones unborn. This significant piece serves as a great teaching tool as each section of the window can be used as a teaching point, in which to share Canada's past. Each school also has the opportunity to create a similar piece that commemorates their schools commitment to rekindling the relationship between First Nations, Metis and Inuit people.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an interactive learning experience that teaches the Indigenous rights history we’re rarely taught. Developed in response to the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples—which recommended education on Canadian-Indigenous history as one of the key steps to reconciliation, the Blanket Exercise covers over 500 years of history in a one and a half hour participatory workshop.
Blanket Exercise participants take on the roles of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Standing on blankets that represent the land, they walk through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. They are directed by facilitators representing a narrator (or narrators) and the European colonizers. Participants are drawn into the experience by reading scrolls and carrying cards which ultimately determine their outcomes. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy. Ideally, the exercise is followed by a debriefing session in which participants have the opportunity to discuss the experience as a group. This often takes the form of a talking circle. The following website also offers a video with regards to how to implement the activity.
Blanket Exercise participants take on the roles of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Standing on blankets that represent the land, they walk through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. They are directed by facilitators representing a narrator (or narrators) and the European colonizers. Participants are drawn into the experience by reading scrolls and carrying cards which ultimately determine their outcomes. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy. Ideally, the exercise is followed by a debriefing session in which participants have the opportunity to discuss the experience as a group. This often takes the form of a talking circle. The following website also offers a video with regards to how to implement the activity.
The Blanket Exercise | |
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Rock Your Moc's is a worldwide Native American & Indigenous Peoples movement held annually during November which is also National Native American Heritage Month. It’s easy to participate by wearing moccasins to school, to work or wherever your day takes you. Rock Your Mocs if a fun way to unify First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples globally through internet social media, participants post their photos for everyone to enjoy, sharing their stories and creating an “online photo album” by using any one or all of the following hastags: #RYM2015 #ROCKYOURMOCS #ROCKURMOCS
The Circle of Courage is a model of positive youth development based on the universal principle that to be emotionally healthy all youth need a sense of belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. This unique model integrates the cultural wisdom of tribal peoples, the practice wisdom of professional pioneers with troubled youth, and findings of modern youth development research. The four directions portray universal human needs for belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. These are the foundations for Psychological resilience and positive youth development.
Website created by: Kayli O'Donnell & Brittany Mahon