Title: Cree students at their desks with their teacher in a
classroom, All Saints Indian Residential School, Lac La Ronge,
Saskatchewan, March 1945.
Credit: Credit: Bud Glunz / National Film Board of Canada.
Photothèque / PA-134110
Additional Information About this Photo:
i) Where are the children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools. National Archives of Canada. 2002.06.18 2003.02.03 i) Exhibition Title: Residential Schools: Where are all the
Children? Curator: Jeff Thomas, Library and Archives Canada,
2002.06.21 - 2003.11.02.
Mohawk Institute
Mohawk Institute, Brantford, ON, [Mohawk Institute Residential School, Mohawk Manual Labour School, Mush Hole Indian
Residential School], 1831-1969, Diocese of Huron. Residential
School funded and administered by the New England Company.
Compiled by General Synod Archives July 24, 2008.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
7
TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS
15
OVERARCHING INQUIRY LAUNCH
31
LINE OF INQUIRY 1
35
LINE OF INQUIRY 2
45
LINE OF INQUIRY 3
67
LINE OF INQUIRY 4
99
OVERARCHING CRITICAL CHALLENGE
115
LITERATURE RESOURCE LIST
119
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In order to address the legacy of Residential Schools and begin our journey towards reconciliation,
the DSBN has created this grade 6 Social Studies unit.
It has been with much research, conversation and reflection that we created this document. The
history of Residential Schools is a sad part of history, but an important one to address in our schools.
The well-being of our children and youth will benefit from this true history being taught. We are looking to affect change in this younger generation, for them, in their lifetime, to bear witness to reconciliation and to begin to understand and honour those treaties that were agreed to so many years ago.
This unit draws upon and reflects our interpretation of key concepts, frameworks and approaches of
The Critical Thinking Consortium (www.TC2.ca). Our thanks to Maria Vamvalis, TC2 Facilitator and
Writer, for her support in the development of this unit.
WRITING TEAM
John Dickson
Sarah Farrar
Georgie Groat
Blair Janzen
Jennifer Jinks
Katherine Kubarakos
Karen Leskiw-Janvary
Sheila Maracle
Cathy Meesters
James Stewart
Jennifer Stewart
2
COMMUNITY
CONTRIBUTORS
AEAC Members
Fran Hill
Rick Hill
Woodland Cultural Centre
PILOT TEACHERS
Ryan Allington
Bryce Honsinger
Perry Neuman
Lori Pearson
Amanda Schooning
Erin Taubeneck
DESIGNER
Alyssa Dressel
MESSAGE FROM THE ELDER, FRAN HILL
We cannot build a brighter future unless we first understand how the historical treatment of Indigenous people in Canada has created unfair circumstances and harsh realities in Indigenous people's
lives today. By making changes to public school curriculum and mandatory training in Indigenous
cultural competency for Ontario's public servants,we are taking an important step on the path to
reconciliation and fulfilling The Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) action plan.
The creation of Indigenous curriculum requires many hands to make it happen.
Jennifer Stewart, Georgie Groat and Sheila Maracle, initially encouraged me as an Elder to help
guide this project through its formative stages. The cooperation and dedication of the writing team
who have contributed a lot of their time outside of school hours to do this the right way, I have the
utmost respect and passion toward this very sensitive topic.
Fran Hill
3
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR, WARREN HOSHIZAKI
The residential school system is a terrible stain on the otherwise proud history of our great nation.
Its legacy has harmed generations of First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. The horribly misguided
attempt to assimilate First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples into western culture runs contrary to the
values we now hold so dear.
As a former Principal of Central School in Sioux Lookout in the 1990s, many children of families that
experienced the Pelican Falls Residential School came to our school. We felt first-hand the impact on
these children, their parents and their grandparents. We must recognize that the issues of Residential Schools are not just to be confined to the history curriculum; we must understand and address
the ways that it still affects people and families today. These are our neighbours, our friends, our
students, our parents and our community.
As Canadians, we take great pride in the traits that have come to define our national identity: compassion, humility, responsibility and selflessness. In large part, these are values we have learned
from the teachings, culture and contributions of First Peoples. They are also the values that must
continue to guide us as we move towards reconciliation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada defines reconciliation as the ongoing process
of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships. For that to occur, the Commission states
that “there has to be awareness of the past, acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted,
atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.”
This document was created in response to the Commission’s call to develop age-appropriate curriculum about Indian Residential Schools. One of the most crucial questions posed in the document that
we must all grapple with is “how do we best respond to the legacy of Residential Schools?”
As a learning institution, the most effective way we can respond to the legacy of Residential Schools
and support reconciliation is through education. We must educate students about the historical
wrongs that were committed, but also about the proud histories, perspectives and cultures of First
Nations, Métis and Inuit people. Through our character education programs, we will also continue
to reaffirm and support the dignity and worth of all people. The kind of behaviour change called for
by the Commission demands respect and mutual understanding, which is best facilitated through a
program that honours First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices and knowledge.
Through a comprehensive education program, we hope to give our students a true understanding
of history’s wrongs, but also a common ground from which to build and maintain those respectful
relationships identified as crucial by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
I offer my sincere thanks to our staff who contributed to the program development, those who will
deliver it and to our students who will engage with the material and become ambassadors for a fair,
inclusive and equitable society.
Warren Hoshizaki
Director of Education
4
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISION
The TRC is a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Its mandate is
to inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential Schools (IRS). The Commission
documented the truth of survivors, families, communities and anyone personally affected by the
IRS experience. This includes First Nation, Inuit and Métis former Indian Residential School
students, their families, communities, the Churches, former school employees, Government and
other Canadi-ans. The Commission had a five-year mandate and presented their final report in
December of 2015. The TRC hopes to guide and inspire First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples and
Canadians in a process of reconciliation and renewed relationships that are based on mutual
understanding and respect.1
“Education holds the key to reconciliation”2 said TRC Chair Justice Murray Sinclair, noting the
recom-mendation that all children in Canadian schools should be taught the history and legacy of
Residential Schools.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR:
EDUCATION FOR RECONCILIATION3
62. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration
with Survivors, First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples, and educators, to:
i. Make age-appropriate curriculum on Residential Schools, Treaties, and First Nation, Métis and
Inuit peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education
requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.
ii. Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how
to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.
iii. Provide the necessary funding to Aboriginal schools to utilize Indigenous knowledge and
teaching methods in classrooms.
iv. Establish senior-level positions in government at the assistant deputy minister level or
higher dedicated to Aboriginal content in education.
63. We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment
to Aboriginal education issues, including:
i. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources
on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of Residential Schools.
ii. Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to Residential Schools
and Aboriginal history.
iii. Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
iv. Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.
¹ “TRC Findings - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of ...” <http://www.trc.ca>
² “Will truth bring reconciliation? Justice Murray Sinclair ... - CBC.”
<http://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/taking-the-first-steps-on-the-road-to-reconciliation>
³ “Calls to Action - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of ...” 2015. 25 Jan. 2016
<http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf>
5
UNCOVERING THE PAST:
A JOURNEY FROM RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
TOWARD RECONCILIATION
OVERARCHING INQUIRY QUESTION:
How do we best respond to the legacy of Residential Schools?
OVERARCHING CRITICAL CHALLENGE:
What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward
authentic reconciliation.
LINE OF
INQUIRY 1
LINE OF
INQUIRY 2
LINE OF
INQUIRY 3
LINE OF
INQUIRY 4
What are
the defining
characteristics of
First Nation, Métis,
and Inuit identity?
What were the key
factors motivating
the decisions to
enforce control over
First Nations and
what was the
impact on children,
families and their
community?
What was life like in
Residential Schools
and was society
unaware of the
mistreatment?
What are the
most powerful
understandings that
have emerged from
the legacy of
Residential Schools?
7
UNCOVERING THE PAST:
A JOURNEY FROM RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS TOWARD RECONCILIATION
OVERVIEW OF UNIT
BIG IDEAS (Statements that reflect the understanding or belief that you want students to
have developed by the end of the unit.)
This unit was developed in response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada (TRC)
to develop age-appropriate curriculum about Indian Residential Schools. By the end of this
unit, students will have an understanding of First Nation, Métis and Inuit perspective, Residential Schools and the experiences First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples endured as well as the
reconciliation process.
Students will understand how:
• First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities have made significant contributions to
Canada’s development.
• Different groups may experience the same development or event in different ways.
• Significant events in different communities (Non-Indigenous and Indigenous)
contribute to the development of the identity of that community and of Canada.
This unit focuses on the following concepts of social studies thinking: cause and consequence
and perspective.
Line 1 "
Background
Line 2 "
Key Factors
Line 3 "
Event (immediate impacts)
Line 4
Long term impacts
OVERARCHING INQUIRY QUESTION (The question that students will be wondering about
and grappling with throughout the unit.)
How do we best respond to the legacy of Residential Schools?
OVERARCHING CRITICAL CHALLENGE (The task, which students will communicate their
response to the overarching inquiry question.)
What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward authentic reconciliation.
OVERARCHING INQUIRY LAUNCH
In the lessons, students will become aware of the government’s apology to First Nation,
Métis, and Inuit Peoples for Residential Schools, begin building background knowledge about
the legacy of Residential Schools, and generate questions that will guide how they will
respond to the overarching question, “how do we best respond to the legacy of Residential
Schools?”
8
OVERVIEW OF LESSONS
LINE OF INQUIRY 1
LINE OF INQUIRY 2
LINE OF INQUIRY 3
LINE OF INQUIRY 4
What are the defining characteristics
of First Nation,
Métis, and Inuit
identity?
What were the key
factors motivating
the decisions to
enforce control
over First Nations
(Government, and
Church) and what
was the impact on
children, families and
their community?
What was life like in
Residential Schools
and was society
unaware of the
mistreatment?
What are the most
powerful understandings that have
emerged from the
legacy of Residential
Schools?
CC 1.0
CC 2.0
CC 3.0
CC 4.0
INTRODUCTION OF A
THINKING JOURNAL
CONNECTION TO THE
LAND
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
FEATURES
RESILIENCE
Students will be introduced to the use
of a Thinking Journal;
complete first Thinking Journal entry by
exploring the questions, “What were
Residential Schools?
What does reconciliation look like?”
“Shi-shi-etko” by
Nicola I.Campbell
“Shin-chi’s Canoe”
by Nicola I. Campbell
“Kookum’s Red
Shoes” by Peter
Eyvindson
Students will apply
their background
knowledge of First
Nations connection
to the land to predict
consequences on
First Nation children
if they are removed
from their land.
Students will identify the important
features of Residential Schools; connect
how these features
have contributed to
the loss of the First
Nation children’s
culture and
traditions.
Students will apply
their understanding
of cause and consequence to actual
residential survivors’
testimony; Understand what resilience
means and how survivors were resilient.
9
CC 1.1
CC 2.1
CC 3.1
CC 4.1
ONKWEHONWE-NEHA
POWER AND
AUTHORITY
DAILY LIFE AT INDIAN
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
TRUTH AND
RECONCILIATION
COMMISSION
OF CANADA
Onkwehonwe-Neha
by Skonaganleh:ra
(Sylvia Maracle)
Students will
become aware of
some key events in
First Nation history;
have an understanding of First Nation
way of life.
CC 1.2
MY IDENTITY
BUNDLE
Students will create
a personal identity
bundle to represent
their identity; reflect
on their feelings
when this identity
bundle is taken away.
10
“Secret of the
Dance” by Andrea
Spalding
Students will understand what “power”
and “authority”
means in a personal
context; understand
who held the power
to control the lives of
First Nations people,
and think about possible causes.
Day at Indian Residential Schools DVD
Students will compare and contrast a
day in the life of a
student attending
an Indian Residential School with
their own school
day; apply cause &
consequence and
perspective thinking
to compose an effective persuasive letter
to the Indian Agent.
Students will identify the purpose and
mandate of the Truth
and Reconciliation
Commision of Canada; have a better
understanding of the
meaning of “reconciliation” and “truth”.
CC 2.2
CC 3.2
CC 4.2
INDIAN ACT
SURVIVOR ACCOUNTS
GOVERNMENT’S
APOLOGY
Students will understand why the
Indian Act was
created; understand
what the Indian Act
orders about dance
customs and Residential Schools; think
about the Indian Act
as a key factor in
future events - as a
“cause.”
Students will learn
the stories of several
people who attended
Residential Schools;
deepen their understanding of what
happened at Residential Schools from
different perspectives that individuals
may have on their
own experiences; Reflect on the
impact these experiences would have on
families.
Students will think
about the government’s apology.
Students will also
consider what their
steps might be toward reconciliation.
CC 1.3
CC 2.3
CC 3.3
CC 4.3
What are the defining characteristics
of First Nation,
Métis, and Inuit
identity?
What were the key
factors motivating
the decisions to
enforce control
over First Nations
(Government, and
Church) and what
was the impact on
children, families and
their community?
PROPAGANDA
What are the most
powerful understandings that have
emerged from the
legacy of Residential
Schools?
Creating a personal
identity bundle that
represents their
identity.
Students will differentiate between
propaganda and
reasoned argument;
Understand the various techniques that
are used to deliver
propaganda; Understand the effects of
propaganda; Learn
what the Canadian
government told
Canadians about
Indian Residential
Schools; Understand
that most Canadians
thought they were
doing what was best
for the First Nation,
Métis and Inuit students at the time.
Thinking Journal
entry - response to,
“This is what the
government did, is
this enough? What
should be your step
toward reconciliation?”
CC 3.4
What was life like in
Residential Schools
and was society
unaware of the
mistreatment?
Propaganda poster
showing the First
Nations point of
view on Residential
Schools (choosing
from a point of view sibling, parent, community) - contrast
- raising awareness
of what is actually
happening.
11
GRADE 6 STRAND A:
HERITAGE AND IDENTITY: COMMUNITIES IN CANADA, PAST AND PRESENT
In Grade 6 social studies, students will explore the experiences and perspectives of diverse communities in historical and contemporary Canada and examine how they have contributed to the development of Canadian identity. In addition to developing their understanding of different communities in
Canada, students will explore the global community and Canada’s role in it.
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS:
A1. Application: assess contributions to Canadian identity made by various groups and by various
features of Canadian communities and regions (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Patterns and
Trends)
A2. Inquiry: use the social studies inquiry process to investigate different perspectives on the historical and/or contemporary experience of two or more distinct communities in Canada (FOCUS ON:
Perspective)
A3. Understanding Context: demonstrate an understanding of significant experiences of, and major
changes and aspects of life in, various historical and contemporary communities in Canada (FOCUS
ON: Significance; Continuity and Change)
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS:
A1.3 explain how various groups have contributed to the goal of inclusiveness in Canada (e.g., the
efforts of women’s rights, civil rights, First Nations, or labour organizations, or of advocacy organizations for immigrants, disabled people, or various religious or ethnic groups), and assess the extent to
which Canada has achieved the goal of being an inclusive society
A2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into different perspectives on the historical and/or
contemporary experience of two or more distinct communities in Canada
A2.2 gather and organize information from a variety of primary and secondary sources using various
technologies
A2.3 analyse and construct print and digital maps as part of their investigations into different perspectives on the historical and/or contemporary experience of communities in Canada
A2.5 evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about perspectives on the historical and/or contemporary experience of two or more distinct communities in Canada
A3.4 describe significant events or developments in the history of two or more communities in Canada (e.g., Residential Schools and how these events affected the communities' development and/or
identity)
A3.6 identify key differences, including social, cultural, and/or economic differences, between two or
more historical and/or contemporary communities in Canada
A3.8 identify and describe fundamental elements of Canadian identities
12
GRADE 6 – LANGUAGE EXPECTATIONS:
ORAL COMMUNICATION:
Purpose 1.1 identify a range of purposes for listening in a variety of situations, formal and
informal and set the goals related to specific listening tasks
Active Listening Strategies 1.2 demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening
behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a variety of situations, including working
in groups
Comprehension Strategies 1.3 identify a variety of listening comprehension strategies and use
them appropriately before, during, and after listening in order to understand and clarify the
meaning of increasingly complex oral texts
Demonstrating Understanding 1.4 demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas
in increasingly complex oral texts in a variety of ways
Making Inferences/interpreting texts 1.5 interpret oral texts by using stated and implied ideas
from the texts
Extending Understanding 1.6 extend understanding of oral texts by connecting, comparing,
and contrasting the ideas and information in them to their own knowledge, experience, and
insights; to other texts, including print and visual texts; and the world around them
Analyzing Texts 1.7 analyze oral texts in order to evaluate how well they communicate ideas,
opinions, themes, and information
Point of View 1.8 identify the point of view presented in oral texts, determine whether they
agree with the point of view, and suggest other possible perspectives
Clarity and Coherence 2.3 communicate orally in a clear, coherent manner, using appropriate
organizing strategies and formats to link and sequence ideas and information
Appropriate Language 2.4 use appropriate words and phrases from the full range of their
vocabulary including inclusive and non-discriminatory language, and stylistic devices appropriate
to the purpose and context to communicate their meaning accurately and engage the interest of
their intended audience
READING:
Variety of Texts 1.1 read a wide variety of texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts,
graphic texts, and informational texts
Comprehension Strategies 1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use
them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand increasingly complex texts
Demonstrating Understanding 1.4 demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex texts
by summarizing and explaining important ideas and citing relevant supporting details
Making Inferences/Interpreting Texts 1.5 develop interpretations about texts using stated and
implied ideas to support their interpretations
Extending Understanding 1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting, comparing, and
contrasting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar
texts, and to the world around them
Analyzing Texts 1.7 analyze increasingly complex texts and explain how the different elements
in them contribute to meaning
Responding to and Evaluating Texts 1.8 make judgments and draw conclusions about ideas in
the texts and cite stated or implied evidence from the text to support their views
Point of View 1.9 identify the point of view presented in texts; determine whether they can
agree with the view, in whole or in part; and suggest some other possible perspectives
Text Forms 2.1 analyze a variety of text forms and explain how their particular characteristics
help communicate meaning, with a focus on literary texts such as a myth
13
Elements of Style 2.4 identify various elements of style- including voice, word choice, and the
use of hyperbole, strong verbs, dialogue, and complex sentences- and explain how they help
communicate meaning
WRITING:
Purpose and Audience 1.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of
writing forms
Developing Ideas 1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic and identify those most
appropriate for the purpose
Classifying Ideas 1.4 sort and classify information for their writing in a variety of ways that allow
them to view information from different perspectives and make connections between ideas
Organizing Ideas 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into
units that could be used to develop a structured, multi-paragraph piece of writing, using a variety
of strategies
Voice 2.2 establish a distinctive voice in their writing appropriate to the subject and audience
Word Choice 2.3 use some vivid and/or figurative language and innovative expressions to
enhance interest
Sentence Fluency 2.4 create complex sentences by combining phrases, clauses, and/or
simple sentences
Point of View 2.5 identify their point of view and other possible points of view, determine, when
appropriate, if their own view is balanced and supported by the evidence; and adjust their
thinking and expression if appropriate
Vocabulary 3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using a variety of
resources appropriate for the purpose
Producing Finished Works 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria
based on the expectations
MEDIA:
Making Inferences/ Interpreting Messages 1.2 interpret media texts, using overt and implied
messages as evidence for their interpretations
Responding to and Evaluating Texts 1.3 evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and
treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts
Audience Responses 1.4 explain why different audiences __________________
Point of View 1.5 identify whose point of view is presented in a media text, identify missing or
alternative points of view, and, where appropriate, determine whether the chosen view achieves
a particular goal
Production Perspective 1.6 identify who produces various media texts, the reason for their
production, how they are produced, and how they are funded
Producing Media Texts 3.4 produce a variety of media texts for specific purposes and
audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques
14
TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS
1. DEALING SENSITIVELY WITH THE TOPIC OF
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
It is important to deal with the topic of Residential Schools with sensitivity. A great deal will
depend on your classroom culture, and teachers will be the best judge of how to approach
the material. For some students the topics
discussed will hit close to home, especially if
they have personal connections with Residential
School survivors. Some considerations for making sure this topic is presented with sensitivity:
• allow time to deal with students’ concerns
and questions
• try to give students the tools and skills to
discuss these topics respectfully in the
school and community
Support is available for teachers, students,
parents and community members through the
DSBN FNMI team. An example of a letter home
to the family is included in this package.
2. INDIGENOUS PEDAGOGY
Two lessons are provided in this teacher resource guide, Sharing Circle and Giving Thanks,
as a way in which you can further embed FNMI
perspectives into this unit. The Sharing Circle
provides an opportunity for students to share
and reflect on their thoughts and feelings that
may arise from these lessons. The Sharing Circle
lesson highlights the importance of respecting
everyones thoughts, feelings and opinions. As
your students listen to one another, the smudge
feather provided can be used as the object your
students use during in the sharing circle. The lesson on Giving Thanks highlights the importance
of First Nation belief in their gratitude toward
Mother Earth. This lesson encourages students
to reflect on this positive aspect in their life.
without fear of judgement. Thinking Journals are
not meant to be evaluated, however, they can
inform our instruction (assessment for learning).
4. LANGUAGE
Use language as a means to introduce mentor
texts and develop deeper understandings of
the concepts that are being taught. This unit
provides teachers with many opportunities to
assess expectations in the language curriculum
such as, demonstrating and extending understanding, applying comprehension strategies,
using text features, point of view, responding to
and evaluating texts and making inferences, etc.
NOTE: In order for students to deeply connect
with stories and concepts they are introducing,
certain books need to be read more than once.
The following books should be introduced in
your language class before reading in social
studies so that students have time to develop
an understanding of the author’s message;
recognize how text features and word choice
are used to help students understand a First
Nation perspective; as well as have the time to
analyze and respond to these texts in
meaningful ways.
• Shi-shi-etko by Nicole I. Campbell
• Secret of the Dance by Andrea Spalding
and Alfred Scow
• Shi-chi’s Canoe by Nicola I.Campbell
• Kookum’s Red Shoes by Peter Eyvindson
Also included in your package are two books:
Fatty Legs and A Stranger at Home by Christy
Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton.
These resources could be used as read alouds in
order to further support students' understanding
of the residential school experience. A list of
possible discussion topics, is included.
3. USE A THINKING JOURNAL
Thinking Journals are a great way to track students' learning. Due to the sensitive nature of
this topic, it is critical that students have a place
to express their thoughts, opinions and beliefs
15
5. MAKE CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
There are also many opportunities in this unit to
explore concepts in other content areas outside
of Social Studies such as Arts, Drama, Physical
Education. It is recommended that if you do not
teach these subject areas that you collaborate
with your colleagues to ensure that students are
exposed to a rich learning experience.
6. USE AN INQUIRY APPROACH
This unit has been designed with inquiry in mind
in order to have students take a meaningful step
towards reconciliation for themselves.
7. A RESPONSIVE UNIT
This unit will evolve as the calls to action are
implemented by the federal, provicial and municipal governments. As relationships are renewed
through the reconciliation process, students
need to be kept current as new information and
initiatives arise. As Canadian society moves forward, education will play a vital role in bringing
awareness to our youth.
16
EXAMPLE LETTER TO BE SENT HOME
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
In order to address the legacy of Residential Schools and begin our journey toward reconciliation, the
District School Board of Niagara has created a grade 6 Social Studies unit; Uncovering the Past: A
Journey from Residential Schools toward Reconciliation. This unit was developed with much research, conversation and reflection through a DBSN writing team. This writing team included curriculum consultants, the First Nation, Métis and Inuit supervisor and support teacher, a First Nation historian from Six Nations Polytechnic and a local Elder. The unit was presented to our local First Nation,
Métis and Inuit Education Advisory committee who provided valuable feedback that enhanced the
lessons.
The history of Residential Schools is a sad part of history, but an important one to address in our
schools. The well-being of our children and youth will benefit from this true history being taught. We
are looking to affect change in this younger generation, for them, in their lifetime, to bear witness to
reconciliation and to begin to understand and honour those treaties that were agreed upon so many
years ago.
This unit was developed in response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada (TRC) to
develop an age-appropriate curriculum about Residential Schools. By the end of this unit, students
will have an understanding of First Nation, Métis and Inuit perspectives, Residential Schools and the
experiences First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples endure as well as the reconciliation process.
Students will understand how:
• First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities have made significant contributions to Canada’s
development.
• Different groups may experience the same development or event in different ways.
• Significant events in different communities (Non-Indigenous and Indigenous) contribute to the
development of the identity of that community and of Canada.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this unit, please feel free to contact me
at ___________________________
Thank you,
17
GIVING THANKS - INDIGENOUS PEDAGOGY
BIG IDEAS
• Releasing and sharing good energy into the world through a positive outlook.
• Each morning is a fresh start and a new beginning.
• Learn to respect ourselves and the land we share.
• Be aware of how we are connected and interdependent.
BOOK
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
The Mohawk tradition teaches children to start each day by giving thanks to Mother Earth, in
keeping with the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift, and that the universe
represents one great family.
Read Giving Thanks and discuss what we are thankful for.
ACTIVITY:
• Write down some of the things that you are thankful for (template included).
• Illustrate something that you are thankful for.
REFLECTION:
How does being positive help you and others feel good?
Why is it important to give thanks?
NOTE:
This mentor text can be read on a daily basis to remind students of the big ideas.
18
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
I AM THANKFUL FOR
BECAUSE
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
I AM THANKFUL FOR
BECAUSE
19
CONDUCTING A SHARING CIRCLE & THE TALKING STICK
BIG IDEAS
• Sharing and reflecting on feelings, thoughts and experiences.
• Being respectful of other people’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
• Listening and responding positively to others.
• Courage to speak the truth. Speaking from the heart without interruption.
• Students create positive relationships in the classroom, establishing a strong sense
of community.
BOOK
Little Bear’s Vision Quest by Diane and Joe Silvey
This story is about Little Bear who believes he is better than everyone else in his community.
He name calls and makes fun of his other animal friends. After realizing that he is alone because no one will play with him, his grandfather encourages him to reflect on how Little Bear
became lonely and how he can correct the situation. Little Bear learns to treat his friends with
love, kindness and respect.
INDIGENOUS CONNECTION (BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS)
The circle is a very important structure in many First Nation, Métis, and Inuit cultures and their
worldviews. The circle is continuous, never-ending and all embracing. In a sharing circle (also
known as a talking circle) everyone is equal and interconnected, creating a space where communication and decision making are achieved with help from all members of the community.
The shape of a circle can always be made larger to include more people, everyone the same
distance from the centre.
Traditionally the Talking Stick is used as a tool in sharing circles. When a person is holding the
Talking Stick in a sharing circle, they can speak from the heart without being interrupted. Other
people in the circle listen to the speaker and try to understand the message. Everyone in the
circle gets a chance to hold the Talking Stick and say what he or she would like to say, though
there is always the option to pass. The Talking Stick is a very important part of some First
Nation, Métis, and Inuit cultures, most often associated with Northwest Coast cultures.
The smudge feather provided is a turkey feather with a cree beaded rosette. Smudge feathers
are used with burning sage, during prayer and cleansing. The smoke is gently fanned around
the person to purify the mind, spirit and soul; used in the home to purify and remove negative
energy and brings good, positive spirits. It is recommended that the smudge feather provided
is used as the object your students pass to one another during the sharing circle.
LESSON:
Read Little Bear’s Vision Quest (and save discussion until the Sharing Circle is formed).
Introduce the Sharing Circle by having the students sit in a circle facing one another. Ask students: What do you like about sitting in a circle? Discuss the importance of a sharing circle.
Introduce the Talking Stick. Illustrate how we can use the Talking Stick in our sharing circle.
20
Practice sharing by discussing Little Bears Vision Quest. For example, ask students: what qualities would you like in a friend? Use the talking stick to allow students to answer. For further
discussion and questions relating to the big ideas in the text see Notes to Parents and Teachers & Themes for Discussion in the back of the book.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Show pictures of Talking Sticks from various Indigenous cultures. Draw a picture of what your
own talking stick might look like.
Create your own Talking Sticks. You can decorate your Talking Sticks with things that are special to you such as feathers, beads, and colours.
REFLECTION
How did you feel while using the talking stick and listening others?
ADDITIONAL TEXT:
Gray Wolf’s Search by Bruce Swanson
Teaches the importance of believing in yourself and in others. The interconnectedness between all things (animals, environment, people in our community and ourselves) and that no
one thing is more important than another. Mentions the importance of the Talking Stick in
traditional Northwest cultures.
NOTE:
Conducting a Sharing Circle and using the Talking Stick can be used on a daily basis. Integrate
this structure into other activities and discussions to encourage students to listen to each
other.
Gray Wolf's Search is a suggested book to learn more about the use of Talking Sticks,
however, it is not included in this package.
21
USING THE TALKING STICK
UTE TALKING STICK BY AN
UNKNOWN ARTIST4
EAGLE & WOLF TALKING STICK BY
JIMMY5
c. 1880
Yelton, Squamish Nation, 2011
4
22
"Native American Indian Dance Sticks, Marking
5
"Talking Stick - Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Cen-
Sticks, Staffs," 2010. 1 April 2016 <http://www.
tre." 2011. 1 April 2016 <http://www.shop.slcc.ca/
nativeartstrading.com>.
node/402>.
USING A THINKING JOURNAL
A Thinking Journal is a tool used by students as they develop an idea, a product or a performance,
much like an artist’s sketchbook or singer’s scribble book. Its purpose is to encourage forward thinking and to support the habits of mind needed for meaningful inquiry. The Thinking Journal captures
changes in thinking as students work through creating, designing or seeking to understand an idea
more deeply. It becomes an intentional way for students to self-assess and revise and refine ideas.
WHY AND HOW TO USE A THINKING JOURNAL IN A CRITICAL THINKING UNIT
In a sustained inquiry unit, students’ thinking is framed by an overarching critical question, which is
often linked to a creative task. This task takes the form of one of six critical challenges, such as “design to specs”. As students work on the critical challenge over the span of the unit, the inquiry process becomes the way through which they gain deep understanding about content and apply their
ideas to crafting their final product. For example, in this unit students’ thinking is framed by, “How do
we best respond to the legacy of Residential Schools?” and will work towards “taking a meaningful
step towards authentic reconciliation.”
Initially, students are asked to record their early ideas in their Thinking Journal about an aspect of the
overall critical task. For example, a teacher may ask a student to respond to a prompt or question
such as, “What does reconciliation look like?” or “What three important outcomes might impact
you if you were taken from your home tomorrow?" Students will revisit their Thinking Journals at
intentional moments throughout the unit, whenever new ideas or information arises that may be
important in developing, revising or refining thinking towards the creative task. Students may revise
directly on a previous entry, such as the same prompt (they are not starting from scratch every time).
Depending on the prompt, Thinking Journal entries may be written, drawn or diagrammed; they may
be predictions, explanations, ideas, hypotheses or working theories.
Since the Thinking Journal gives students an opportunity to track their thinking throughout the unit,
it can be a tool to help teachers track students’ thinking— to judge their use of planning, processing
and creative/critical thinking processes, as explained in the Ontario curriculum. Although teachers
may not read the actual entries in the Thinking Journal in order to encourage risk-taking or to honour students’ privacy while being “messy”, they may ask students to revisit their Thinking Journals
and share evidence of how their thinking has deepened, or changed, using a reflective exit card for
example.
A Thinking Journal could take the form of a notebook, a duotang or electronic medium, depending on
its specific purpose. 6
6
Adapted from The Critical Thinking Consortium, including
http://soltreemrls3.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/solution-tree.com/media/pdf/GarfieldPresentationMaterials.pdf
23
Sample Grade 6 student Thoughtbook entries for the first entry: What were Residential Schools?
What does reconciliation look like?
24
25
A TRUE STORY: FATTY LEGS
BY CHRISTY JORDAN-FENTON & MARGARET POKIAK-FENTON
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Fatty Legs is a true story of young Margaret’s experiences at a northern residential school. Against
her father’s judgment and warnings of Residential Schools, eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has her
sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. At school, Margaret encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun who immediately dislikes the strong-willed young
girl. Intending to humiliate her, the Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls except Margaret, who
gets red ones. Although becoming the laughingstock of the entire school, Margaret refuses to be
intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. In the end, young Margaret is the one who gives
the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity.
BEFORE READING THE STORY
• Why do you go to school?
• Would you go to school if you didn’t have to?
• What does the word education mean to you?
• What kind of qualities do you think a teacher should have?
• Why do you think this book is called “Fatty Legs”?
WHILE READING THE STORY
CHAPTER 1
• Olemaun Pokiak is from Banks Island and travels to Aklavik for school. Display and use
google maps to travel Olemaun’s journey from home to school with your students. What are
your initial thoughts about the location of Olemaun’s home and the location of her school?
• What did Olemaun think was the key to the outsiders’ mysteries and who did she think
held it?
• Why do you think Rosie did not share anything about her four years at school and did not want
Olemaun to attend?
• Why do you think Oleuman’s father told the outsiders “no” the previous four summers when
they had come for her?
• Olemaun’s father used a rock to demonstrate the change that will happen to her after school.
What was his message and do you think Olemaun understood?
CHAPTER 2
• At the beginning of chapter two, Olemaun described her family’s spring migration. How did
they travel and how many days was the trip? How does Olemaun’s journey to school differ
from your own? What are the travelling conditions like in the North?
• Who owned Olemaun’s schooner and why was it significant?
• What place did Olemun feel was magical and why?
• Olemaun’s parents did not want her to leave until after the first of July for school: What event
took place during this time and why would it be important for Olemaun to attend?
• Why do you think Olemaun will not be allowed to talk to boys, even if they are her cousins?
How would this make you feel?
• Do you think that Olemaun should have changed her mind about going to school? Why? Make
a prediction about what would happen if she goes to school. Make a prediction of what would
happen if she went home.
• What do you think the outsider meant when she told Olemaun’s father that, “You certainly
can’t teach her the things she needs to know.”?
26
CHAPTER 3
• Do you like haircuts? Why or why not? Has someone ever made you get your hair cut when
you didn’t want to have one? How did this make you feel?
• How did Olemaun feel about her birth-given name being changed? How would you feel if
someone changed your name without your permission?
• What kind of education do you think the students will be receiving?
CHAPTER 4
• Have you ever been asked a question you could not answer or read from a page where you
did not recognize the words? How did this make you feel?
• Do you think it was fair what the Raven made Olemaun do in front of the class? Explain.
• Why do you think Raven has chosen to pick on Olemaun?
CHAPTER 5
• What reasons did Olemaun give to explain why the nuns were keeping the children at
the school?
• Why do you think Olemaun stopped complaining about the work?
• Olemaun said that she discovered that Rosie was right about something, what was it?
What did you think of Olemaun’s reaction?
• Olemaun wanted to write a letter home to her father. What did she want to write and what
happened to the letter instead? Why do you think the Raven did not want Olemaun writing
her own letter?
CHAPTER 6
• Do you think Olemaun’s consequences for not speaking at the station were fair?
Why or why not?
• What was different about the stockings the Raven gave to Olemaun?
Why do you think she did this?
• What do you think Olemaun will do to stop “this fatty legs business”?
• What did Olemaun do with the stockings? Do you think this was a good or bad idea? Explain.
CHAPTER 7
• How long had it been since Olemaun heard her real name?
• Olemaun was sure that her father would not let her return to school when she told him about
the Raven. Do you think she will go back?
• Why do you think Olemaun’s mother reacted to her in a particular manner when Olemaun
returned? How would this make you feel? Why do you think her parents had different
reactions?
• What do you predict will happen after Olemaun is settled in at home? Explain.
AFTER READING THE BOOK
• Why do you think Olemaun refers to Sister MacQuillan by her name but refers to the cruel nun
as the “The Raven”?
• Throughout the novel, Olemaun is wanting to learn how to read. What do you think she
learned in this story? Explain.
• Alice's curiosity led her to chase the rabbit down the hole. Olemaun thought Alice was brave
for doing so. Do you think Olemaun was brave in her decisions? Why?
27
A TRUE STORY: A STRANGER AT HOME
BY CHRISTY JORDAN-FENTON & MARGARET POKIAK-FENTON
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
A Stranger at Home, sequel to Fatty Legs, is the powerful memoir of a girl searching for her true self
when she returns from residential school. Ten-year-old Margaret Pokiak has not been home in two
years and is excited to be back with her family that she has missed so much. Her return does not go
as planned as her mother barely recognizes her and Margaret quickly realizes she is now marked as
an outsider. She has forgotten the language and stories of her people, and she can’t even stomach
the food her mother prepares. In an attempt to relearn her language and her family’s way of living,
Margaret discovers how important it is to remain true to the ways of her people—and to herself.
BEFORE READING THE STORY
Since Olemaun’s return home, what do you think her time has been like? What are some challenges
she may have faced? Do you think Olemaun is looking forward to being home? Explain.
WHILE READING THE STORY
CHAPTER 1
• What do you think will be some of Olemaun’s experiences at home? Why?
• What has been Olemaun’s reactions to home so far?
CHAPTER 2
• Why would Agnes’s mother forbid her to speak English and play with Olemaun?
• How was Olemaun beginning to see herself? Why?
CHAPTER 3
• Why do you think Olemaun was upset when she was having trouble fishing? Why do you
think this is important to her?
• Olemaun’s father thinks she is going to eat when she is hungry enough. What do you predict
will happen? Do you think Olemaun will be able to stomach her family's traditional food?
CHAPTER 4
• Olemaun says, “My tears fell in the ocean, and I wish my spirit was in those tears, because
then I could follow the current back to a place where I belong.” What does Olemaun mean by
this? Where does she think she belongs?
• Why do you think Oleamun is not afraid of the dark stranger, Dubilak, like everyone else?
CHAPTER 5
• Olemaun says, “The first time I had put my feet in outsiders’ shoes they had pinched and felt
awkward. Now they were a barrier, protection against the hard earth.” She no longer feels
comfortable in her soft kamis. What do you think this means? How do you think her mother and father would react to Olemaun's feelings toward her Kamis? Explain.
CHAPTER 6
• What does Olemaun mean when she says, “And I only had to remember how to be Olemaun
Pokiak, an Inuvialuit girl.”?
• Are there any similarities or differences between Olemaun and Dubliak?
28
CHAPTER 7
• Do you think it is important for Olemaun to reconnect with her language? Do you think it will
take a long time for her to relearn her language?
• What made Olemaun’s ‘best day of her life!’ so special? Why do you think that would be?
CHAPTER 8
• All of the daughters need to return to the school. Would you go along with your siblings or run
like Anges? Explain.
• Do you think this time will be different for Olemaun? Explain.
AFTER READING THE BOOK
• What do you think would be Olemaun’s greatest impact from her experiences at the
Residential School? Do you think she will be able to overcome these impacts?
29
30
OVERARCHING INQUIRY LAUNCH
LESSON TITLE: UNIT LAUNCH
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
Prior to this unit launch, introduce the use of Thinking Journals to your students. In the
first Thinking Journal entry students will explore the questions, “What were Residential
Schools? What does reconciliation look like?”
LESSON GOAL:
Students will have a discussion that will help them:
• Become aware of the government’s apology to First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples for
Residential Schools.
• Begin building background knowledge about the legacy of Residential Schools.
• Generate questions that will guide how they will respond to the overarching question,
“How do we best respond to the legacy of Residential School?”
Teachers will:
• Ask questions for the students to discuss.
• Capture, record and make visible students’ ideas to refer back to throughout the inquiry.
NOTE: This is an opportunity for teachers' to observe and listen to students’ conversations in
order to better understand what students actually know about this topic and their personal
connections to this topic. Teachers should avoid direct instruction and ensure that all voices
are heard.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
I can ask thought-provoking questions that will lead to an investigation about Residential
Schools.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
As a class, discuss: What is an apology? When and why do we apologize? Give examples
of times when you apologized. What happened after you apologized? Do adults apologize?
When? How is it different from kids?
31
DURING: Teacher will facilitate students’ responses to the video by listening and observing students’ questions, misconceptions and ideas. Teacher is encouraged to allow students to share
their ideas with the whole class following turn and talk. Teacher is encouraged to capture their
questions, misconceptions and ideas.
Teacher will show the following video clip highlighting Prime Minister Harper’s June 11, 2008
statement of apology to former students of Indian Residential Schools: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=xCpn1erz1y8, 4:20 - 5:59. Teacher will replay the video clip, 4:20 - 8:29, following this format:
Play 4:20 - 4:56, ask students to turn and talk. What is going on?
Play 4:56 - 5:59, ask students to turn and talk. What happened in Residential Schools?
Play 5:59 - 8:29, Mr. Harper said, “We are moving towards healing, reconciliation and resolution of the sad legacy of Residential Schools.” Why might this be important to us? What
impact might this have on us? We want our students to come to an understanding of the
importance of Residential Schools to them.
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Once students have established the personal importance to them, teacher will share the question and ask, “How do we best respond to the legacy of Residential Schools?”
TEACHER WILL ASK:
What do we need to know more about to answer this question, “How do we best respond to
the legacy of Residential Schools? What do we need to know in order to determine what the
reconciliation is going to look like? What would make it meaningful?” For example, students
might respond, “I need to know about First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples. Who are they?
What are their cultural beliefs and traditions? What even happened at the school?”
Teacher should capture, record and make visible students’ ideas to refer back to throughout
the inquiry (for example, anchor chart).
At the end of the lesson, it is recommended that teachers sort and categorize ideas in order to
explore them further through the lines of inquiry.
Have students revisit their Thinking Journals (see Teacher Notes below).
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Teacher will reflect on the discussions, participation of students, misconceptions, and depth of
understanding to determine where students are and how to best approach each line of inquiry.
Use exit card in order to see where your students are at the beginning of this unit and questions they still have.
TEACHER NOTES
In the video clip, Stephen Harper refers to reconciliation and Residential Schools. This is an opportunity to revisit the Thinking Journals and have students write down any new understandings of “what were Residential Schools and what does reconciliation look like?” As a possible
extension please use letter template, "Dear Mr. Harper".
SUPPORTING RESOURCES:
Statement of Apology – to former students of Indian Residential Schools
32
EXIT CARD
NAME:
DATE:
STEPHEN HARPER’S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS APOLOGY 2008
3
Three things I learned today about Residential Schools are…
1.
2.
3.
2
Two questions I have about Residential Schools are…
1.
2.
1
One way we might respond to the legacy of Residential Schools could be to…
1.
33
NAME:
DATE:
DEAR MR. HARPER
If you could write a letter to Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper about Residential Schools what would you say
to him? What should he know? What would you like him to do?
34
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 1): READ ALOUD “ONKWEHONWE-NEHA”
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Onkwehonwe-Neha is written by Skonaganleh:ra (Sylvia Maracle),
she is Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation.
• The book begins by explaining some of the terminology
around the words:
9Onkwehonwe, explaining that the first part of the word
SISTER VISION PRESS, 1994
references the Mohawk name for “the original people”.
9refers to the Haudenosaunee way of life, the cultural traditions and teachings, and
all life that is part of the circle of life made by Creator. Mohawk people along with
all Indigenous Peoples were provided with “Original Instructions” that outlined our
relationships to the earth and other people. These Original Instructions were kept
in this “bundle.”
• When the first Europeans arrived the Iroquois Nations made a treaty with the Dutch
traders. This first agreement is known still as the Two Row Wampum. This treaty
showed the Indigenous People and the Europeans travelling down the river (and through
life) in our own boats, always running parallel and never crossing paths. Neither group
will interfere or try to steer the other's boat, never attempt to ruin the other’s lives.
• The book is written highlighting chronological events in history:
9The impact and reasons for the Canadian government’s legislation known as the
Indian Act of 1867 and 1951.
9Other legislation aimed at First Nations - 1946 Ontario Education Act.
9Promotion of self-government.
9Control of education.
• Despite the fact that many First Nations have forgotten their Original Instructions many
communities are working to return to their original teachings and adapting these to the
21st century.
Onkwehonwe (Oh-gway-ho-way) - Mohawk word meaning “the original people”.
Onkwehonwe-neha (Oh-gway-ho-way nay-ha) refers to the Haudenosaunee way of life, the
cultural traditions and teachings, and all life that is part of the circle of life made by Creator.
Mohawk people along with all Indigenous Peoples were provided with “Original Instructions”
that outlined our relationships to the earth and other people. These Original Instructions were
kept in this “bundle.”
Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-oh-show-nee) - translates as “People of the Longhouse” and refers
to the Six Nation people: Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora.
Turtle Island - Turtle Island is the name that many Indigenous Nations use when referring to
North America. In several creation stories it is told that earth was formed on the back of a
turtle.
MATERIALS:
Copy of book Onkwehonwe-Neha
Copies of Blackline Master #1 for each student
Copies of the cards from Blackline Master #2
“What is in your bundle?” template
35
LESSON GOAL:
Students become aware of some key events in First Nation history. Students will have an
understanding of First Nation way of life.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
I can identify what is important to First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. I can identify what is
most important to me.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
Accessing background knowledge:
1. Print the words: “values”, “identity”, “culture”, and “language” on the board. Ask
students to talk with a partner and brainstorm a couple of words or phrases that
describe each of these words.
2.Invite students to share their ideas with the class, and write the words on the board.
Briefly discuss the images and feelings of these four words.
3.Print the story title on the board and ask if anyone recognizes the word or what it
might mean.
DURING:
Reading with a purpose:
Explain to students that the story starts at the beginning of time on Turtle Island.
• Give students a copy of Listening to the Story (Blackline Master #1) and explain that you
are going to read the story in sections and they are to record their thinking after each
section. Explain that their first listening task is to find out about the Onkwehonwe,
Onkwehonwe-neha, and the Original Instructions.
• Begin reading and stop at the following points:
9 “all that surrounds us.”
9 “the ways that we would live.”
9 “as the creator intended.”
9 “has everything that we need.”
• After each passage, invite students to record information about Onkwehonwe,
Onkwehonwe-neha, and the original instructions. If necessary, provide examples or
allow students to discuss the passages with a partner before recording their ideas.
• The students' second listening task is to find out about the following: Two Row
Wampum, The Indian Act, Education Act, Onkwehonwe-neha.
• Continue reading and stop at the end of each page (the following points) and invite
students to respond according to the cues on the Blackline Master:
9 “outside the community.”
9 “from the Indian Act.”
9 “our traditions - our neha.”
9 “about Onkwehonwe-naha.”
9 “changes still to be made.”
9 “guided by our teachings.”
36
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Discuss the 'big idea' of the story first, then invite students to discuss their immediate reaction
to the story. As a class, discuss the feelings the story evoked.
• Ask students: “Who are the Onkwehonwe?”, “What does it mean when we say
‘Onkwehonwe-neha’?", "What does this 'bundle' have in it?”, “Is everyone’s bundle
the same?”.
• Explain that students are going to look at the important events in the story to examine
the feelings of the characters and the situation that evolved. Discuss the difference
between most important and less important events using examples such as: Everything in
life was provided with original instructions all contained within the ‘bundle’ (important)
- Native Children went to school where they learned about “Dick and Jane”
(less important to story). Reread the story if needed.
• Develop the criteria for ranking the important events (for example, if it did not occur,
the story would be very different).
• Cut copies of Important and Unimportant Events (Blackline Master #2) into cards and
distribute one set of cards to each pair of students. Invite students to rank the cards
between events that are the most important and events that are not as important, using
the established criteria.
• As a class, discuss the order of the events in the story. Students will explain why they
chose the events in the order they did.
37
LISTENING TO THE STORY - ONKWEHONWE-NEH
(BLACKLINE MASTER#1)
Onkwehonwe…
Onkwehonwe-neha…
Original Instructions…
Two Row Wampum…
Indian Act…
Education Act…
Onkwehonwe-neha…
Thoughts…
Questions…
38
IMPORTANT AND UNIMPORTANT EVENTS
(BLACKLINE MASTER #2)
In 1867 the Indian Act was passed.
Forty years ago First Nation, Métis and Inuit
people tried to recover their neha.
Native Children went to school where they
learned about “Dick and Jane”.
The Two Row Wampum agreement was
set out between the Onkwehonwe and the
Dutch.
Haudenosaunee people call themselves
Onkwehonwe.
People are gradually remembering what their
parents and grandparents had told them
about Onkwehonwe-neha.
In the mid 1900’s the government wanted
to reduce the number of First Nation, Métis,
and Inuit people in Canada.
In 1946, Ontario revised the Education Act
so that all children would attend provincially
recognized schools.
The government outlawed traditional ceremonies and First Nation, Métis and Inuit people
were imprisoned for practicing their ways.
Everything in life was provided with Original
Instructions.
The relationship that is meant to be maintained between nature and humans is based
on mutual respect and harmony.
Elders are starting to lose the traditional
knowledge of their First Nation, Métis, and
Inuit people.
The federal government had a long standing
policy of sending First Nation, Métis, and
Inuit children to Residential Schools.
Human beings are the only form of life that
has strayed from the Original Instructions.
39
LESSON TITLE : CREATING YOUR OWN PERSONAL IDENTITY BUNDLE
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
Onkwehonwe-Neha (Nay-ha) - is a figurative “bundle” of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people
that carries all of the teachings, languages, ceremonies, values, foundation of identity, rights
and responsibilities (the ‘Original Instructions’) for the way in which these people should live.
LESSON GOAL: Students will create a personal identity bundle to represent their identity.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
I can identify the values, culture and language that are important to my identity.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
In students Thinking Journals, they created a list of things that might have been in the First
Peoples bundle. Have students discuss in groups what these items might have been and why
they are important to have in the bundle. As a group, pick 8 things that they feel are important
and rank them in order - have students create these lists on chart paper - put the chart paper
up around the room and do a gallery walk - are there any common themes (values, cultural
pieces, language, traditional lands)? Does anything up here surprise the students? Does any
group's list need clarification? Now, as a large group collaborate to make a common identity
bundle list for the First People - Ask students the different ways that they could present this
information to a group - use this as an example for students to create their own bundle.
DURING:
• On the “My Personal Identity Bundle” sheet, students make a list or use images to
show the things important to them (family, cultural practices, traditions, heritage).
• Encourage students to use images, words, symbols, phrases, maps - however the
student chooses to complete this.
• When complete - talk a bit about the process; "What things here are the most important
to each student?", "What are some common themes among students?", "Is there a
theme of a Canadian identity?".
• For differentiated instruction, use "What is in Your Bundle?" template.
REMOVING THE BUNDLE
• Have all the students put their bundles on their desk (or in front of them), without saying
anything - the teacher will go and collect the “identity bundle” from half of the students.
• The teacher will now announce that those people who have had their bundle taken away
are not to practice or follow their ways any longer - make up a different identity that they
must follow - how do they feel?
• Now collect identity bundles from a few more students- ask the same question
• There will be a few students who still have their bundles - ask how they are feeling
- are they worried that their identity is going to be taken away?
9what are they going to do?
9how will they save it? will they save it?
40
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
In Thinking Journals have students record how they felt during this exercise. Pose the question, “Knowing this new bit of information, do you have any new ideas around what reconciliation might look like?”
41
My Personal Identity Bundle
42
43
1
8
DATE:
WHAT IS IN YOUR BUNDLE?
6.
7.
8.
2.
3.
4.
Please explain how you would feel if someone tried to take your bundle away and you could no longer use it.
5.
1.
The top 8 things that would be in my bundle are…
NAME:
44
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 2, C.C. 1):
SHI-SHI-ETKO: A GIRL SENT TO SCHOOL
What values are most important to Shi-shi-etko, a First Nation girl?
What might be the impacts on Shi-shi-etko of taking her from her home for a year?
Recommendation: Introduce mentor text in language.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
The fictional Shi-shi-etko tells the story of a young First Nation girl (Shi-shi-etko) who is about
to be taken from her home to spend at a distant school. In the four days before she departs,
Shi-shi-etko makes an effort to absorb the elements of the land she loves, sometimes in the
company of her family. She gathers what she sees and feels to keep as memories, and her
grandmother gives her a bag to keep those memories. We experience Shi-shi-etko’s strong
connection to the land and the value of keeping her memories to her world.
Although the type of school Shi-shi-etko plans to attend is not mentioned, students can gather
some clues about it. An introduction explains the background of Residential Schools.
MATERIALS:
•
•
•
•
Copy of Shi-shi-etko by Nicola Campbell
SmartBoard lesson: “Shi-shi-etko” in Line of Inquiry 2
Student Thinking Journals
Group copies of Cause and Consequence organizer, on
place-mat sized paper
• Paper for exit cards (optional)
GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2005
LESSON GOAL:
• Students will apply their background knowledge of First Nation relationship to the land
to predict consequences on First Nation children if they are removed from their land.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can predict reasonable consequences (impacts) on children and their families if they
are removed from their land using evidence.
45
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1. Have students do a short anticipation guide in order to activate their thinking about
First Nations' values and perspectives. This will also lead to a purpose for listening
to the story.
a. Have students make a two-column chart in their Thinking Journals that fills one
page. Label the two columns “Me” and “My Prediction for Shi-shi-etko”.
b. Number 1-4 in each column.
ME
PREDICTION FOR
SHI-SHI-ETKO
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
c. Display the anticipation guide scenario on the SmartBoard and have students
respond to the first column. Give students sufficient think time.
ANTICIPATION GUIDE
If you were going to leave your home and family for a year, and you were leaving in four days,
how would you spend those days?
• One object from your home you would take with you.
• One conversation you’d want to have (who with? about what?).
• One place in your community you’d visit.
• One memory you’d try to make to keep with you.
• Now, show students the cover of the book and explain that Shi-shi-etko is a young
native girl whose name means “she loves to play in the water”. She lives in Canada,
and has four days left in her home before she leaves it.
• Instruct students to complete the second column as they predict how Shi-shi-etko
will answer those questions. Encourage students to apply the knowledge
developed in Line of Inquiry 1 about First Nation values to shape their predictions.
If appropriate, discuss with students: What do we know about Residential Schools right now?
What do you still want to learn?
DURING:
2.Ask students to listen to Shi-shi-etko. Purpose: Listen for evidence that confirms or
disproves your predictions about Shi-shi-etko.
46
3. Read the story aloud. Make sure the class is positioned to see the pictures, as the
images support the text and can be part of students’ evidence.
4.
Other questions that can be discussed during or after reading to deepen students’
comprehension of the text: What do we know about Shi-shi-etko’s story from the text?
Why do you think her family wants to make sure that she remembers her connection to
the land and teachings? Do you think Shi-shi-etko wanted to go?
When finished, have students judge how accurate their predictions about Shi-shi-etko
5.
were (e.g., discuss with a partner: Which of your predictions matched evidence in the
text? Which did not?)
6.
Assess quickly students’ understanding of First Nation values and who might need to
have more experience. For example, ask students to show with a private thumbs-up or
thumbs-side or thumbs-down to indicate how closely their predictions about
Shi-shi-etko matched the evidence in the text. (The teacher can have other suggested
reading or resources* available for students to visit or revisit.)
7. As a whole class, consolidate this understanding by asking what ideas definitely
belong in this sentence: What’s important to Shi-shi-etko are: _____________ and creating
a list on the SmartBoard.
8.
Invite students to now think in “cause and consequence” mode. First, give students
individual think time to generate ideas for the question: What might be the impacts on
Shi-shi-etko of taking from her home for a year? Record the question and their initial
ideas in their Thinking Journals.
Then have students share their ideas within a small group on a placemat and compile
9.
ideas onto a group Cause and Consequence organizer.
10. As a whole group, share ideas group by group, encouraging students to link the
impact to the family’s values. Display the class’ list as a reference as needed. Probe
students as needed to encourage deeper thinking. e.g., Student: “I think Shi-shi-etko will
be lonely.” Teacher: “What activity might she miss doing with her family? Why?” OR
Student: “I think Shi-shi-etko will have trouble sleeping because in a school she won’t be
out in the country like she’s used to.” Teacher: “Why would that matter to
Shi-shi-etko?”
11. Encourage active participation by giving students a clear purpose for listening:
“As you listen to each group, give a thumbs up if you had a similar prediction.” You may
want to also ask, “As you listen to each group, decide whether you agree or disagree
with this suggestion.” If students disagree, have students defend their position by using
evidence.
12. Record the compiled list of students’ predicted impacts on Shi-shi-etko in the
SmartBoard lesson for later reference.
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
13.Ask students to revisit their initial list in their Thinking Journal of possible impacts and
revise it based on the whole group’s ideas. (Grade 6 student sample:)
14.See Exit Card, "Shi-Shi-Etko: A Girl Sent to School" for reflection questions.
47
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
The teacher should reflect on the breadth and depth of students’ predicted impacts, and supplement their learning as needed.
This list of predicted impacts should be revisited as a compare/contrast in Line of Inquiry 4
when students listen to survivors’ testimonies about their impacts. In their Thinking Journals,
students can revise their thinking about impacts on children based on the new evidence.
Then the teacher can use an exit card to measure students’ change in thinking and growth in
understanding. For example, “What is one impact on children that you had confirmed by the
survivor testimonies? What is one impact you hadn’t thought of before hearing the survivor
testimony?”
TEACHER NOTES:
TC2 has a supporting student video about what cause and consequence thinking is.
48
49
1
4
SHI-SHI-ETKO: A GIRL SENT TO SCHOOL
DATE:
What might be the most overwhelming impact on Shi-shi-etko when she was taken from her home? Why?
4.
3.
2.
1.
What might the consequences be of taking Shi-shi-etko from her home for a year?
NAME:
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 2, C.C. 2):
CANADIAN AUTHORITY OVER FIRST NATIONS
How do we understand the concepts of “power” and “authority”?Who
held the power to control the lives of First Nation people?
Recommendation: Introduce mentor text in language.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Teacher should review Brief Colonization Timeline of how Canadian governance changed from
first contact to the enactment of the Indian Act.
This lesson provides an opportunity to apply the concept of disciplinary thinking of perspective. The Colonial Clash article allows students to see the way that the settlers viewed the
First Nation peoples and vice versa; they can think about why these groups viewed each
other’s rights differently and how this difference contributed to the formation of to Residential
Schools.
The Secret of the Dance is a fictional story that introduces students
to the authority held by the government (through the person of the
Indian Agent) over the First Nation communities in making and
enforcing laws against cultural practices like the potlatch. Through
the story, the students will be introduced to the laws of the Indian
Act. The Secret of the Dance also reinforces the First Nations’
connection to ceremony and traditional education, and their
relationship with the land. 7
ORCA BOOKS, 2006
MATERIALS
• SmartBoard lesson: “Canadian Authority over First Nations” in Line of Inquiry 2
• 2 group copies of sets of Decisions Cards (attached at end of file) - in two colours
(one set for the Activation, one set for the main lesson)
• Chart paper for each small group of students (optional - see lesson step 6)
• Class set of post-its
• Copy of Secret of the Dance, by Andrea Spalding and Alfred Scow
• Student Thinking Journals
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Understand what “power” and “authority” mean in a personal context.
• Understand who held the power to control the lives of First Nation people, and think
about possible causes.
50
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can explain which authority people or groups hold power in my own life.
• I can explain who held the power to control the lives of the First Nation people.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1. Lead a guided discussion with students to understand who are the people who have
power to make decisions in their lives. Start by displaying images of children in the
following situations or similar ones. For example, Who has the power to decide what
you eat for supper? Who has the power to make sure you attend school until age 16?
To choose what game to play at recess? What power do you have in your own lives?
(Could also have students share synonyms for power, such as ‘control’ or ‘dominance’
to clarify the word ‘power’)!
2.Explain that the person or group with the power is called the ‘authority’. Label the
‘authority’ on the SmartBoard lesson with another coloured pen to help students see
the definition in action. E.g.:
3.Divide the class into small groups and explain the thinking task: Your group will receive
(cut out on paper) a set of decisions that must be made in a typical Ontario Grade Six
student’s life. Your task is to sort these into groups based on “Which authority has the
power over this decision?” Encourage active, positive discussion, and model/review if
necessary how disagreement might be important, and how to respectfully disagree.
4.Hand out sets of pre-cut Decisions Cards and post-its to each group. Ask the students
to write each authority person/group on a post-it; use one post-it per authority.
5.Give the groups sufficient time to work and discuss. Encourage “not sure” responses
and listen carefully to questions that students ask or important ideas that students have,
to bring them to the group discussion after. You could also encourage students to write
down any questions on post-its to share with the group. For example, you might hear
a student say, “This decision would be different if your family is from another country/
has a different religion/has more than one child/lived many years ago“).
6.Consider taking a photo of the group’s work to assess what students’ understanding
of authority/power is at this point. Alternatively, have students glue their cards on
chart paper.
7
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
51
7.After the class has had enough think time, do a brief sharing for the purpose of making
sure they have an accurate and broad sense of who holds power in their own lives.
(E.g., list all of the authority groups that students identified on the SmartBoard). If you
see large variety in the way students sort, or groups that are missing key authority
groups, provide an opportunity to share/discuss/come to a common understanding
before proceeding, and change their group sorts and post-it headings. Leave the cards/
post-its in place for the next stage.
8.Bring the class back together. Ask each student to think about: If we did this exercise
again, but the child was Shi-shi-etko, would your sorting look different? Remind the
students that Shi-shi-etko was taken from her home to school, even though we didn’t
know too much about why from the story. Do not discuss reasons yet, but lead into
explaining:
DURING
9.Explain that you are going to read the class a story (based on a true situation) about a
child their age that tells about a specific authority called an Indian Agent and the power
he held over a group of people - the Elders of a group of the Kwakwa’ka’wakw Nation in
the land we know as British Columbia. Their purpose is to listen and look for: What text
clues can you find about the Indian Agent’s power?
10.Begin reading Secret of the Dance aloud to the class. Stop after the first page and
ensure that everyone has a common, correct understanding of “defy”. Ask the students
to predict: How might the family have defied the government? (This will activate their
personal schema about ways people ‘defy’ authorities like governments, and be able to
make connections as a comprehension strategy.)
11.Read the rest of the story, including the Historical Note at the end. Give students a
chance to respond about how they feel. (either out loud or if you feel appropriate, in
their Thinking Journals)
12.Give students a second set of Decision cards that are a different colour. Ask the
students to sort these cards again text clue evidence they heard and saw, but this time
using Watl-Kina as the child. What will stay the same? What will be different? This sort
should take a short time; again, the teacher may want to photograph each group’s, or
have students glue these categories on the chart paper they started above in step 6.
13.Ask each group to find two important differences between the two sorts i.e.: What are
two important differences between the authorities in your lives and in Watl’Kina’s life?
Record each idea on a post-it.
14.Bring the class back together. Have each group share their “important differences” in a
round robin way, (referring to their chart paper for evidence if they glued their cards), and
give them all a purpose for listening: What commonalities do you notice? (See
SmartBoard slide with Venn diagram as possible recording tool.) It is likely that the class
will notice that in Watl’kina’s life, the government controls the celebrations and religion,
whereas in your life, you or your family control these. Encourage the students to ask
wonder questions while listening. If someone asks: Why was it different in Watl’kina’s
family? or a similar question, use this to segue into the last part of the lesson. If no one
asks it, pose the question yourself: I’m wondering why the Canadian government had
the authority to stop Watl’kina’s family from celebrating the Potlatch. Who else thinks
this is an important question?
52
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
15.Focus on the question: Why did the Indian Agent have the authority to stop Watl’kina’s
family from celebrating the Potlatch? Why did the government control these families’
customs and way of life?
16.Point out to the students that we are asking a “cause and consequence” thinking
question again (hooray). Have students think of two causes (e.g., events or beliefs)
that might have happened between the government and the First Nations (Watl’kina’s
family) before the story in the book started. (e.g., the government thought that the
celebration was harmful; that the celebration was dangerous; that the celebration was
too different; the government didn’t like the people and wanted to get back at them)
17.Collect these ideas for the next lesson’s launch (Lesson 3: The Indian Act).
18.Have students record their ideas in their Thinking Journals: How would you feel if a
celebration you hold each year is taken away?
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
• Teacher observation of student participation towards the success criteria; or written exit
card based on the success criteria.
• Teacher should also reflect on whether every student had an opportunity to participate
meaningfully and respond as needed.
TEACHER NOTES:
Collate and post the students’ ideas from Consolidation to be visible for the start of Lesson 3:
The Indian Act.
53
54
WHAT HOLIDAYS YOU
CELEBRATE
WHAT TOWN YOU LIVE
IN
WHAT SUBJECTS YOU
STUDY IN SCHOOL
WHETHER YOU GO TO
SCHOOL OR NOT
WHAT TIME YOU GO TO
BED
WHAT YOUR FIRST
NAME IS
WHAT LANGUAGE YOU
SPEAK WITH YOUR
FRIENDS
HOW YOU SPEND YOUR
FRIDAY NIGHTS
WHO YOUR FAMILY
DOCTOR IS
WHAT BOOKS YOU
STUDY AT SCHOOL
WHO YOUR FRIENDS
ARE
WHAT KIND OF FOOD
YOU EAT
HOW MUCH TIME YOU
SPEND OUTSIDE
HOW MANY HOURS
A DAY YOU ATTEND
SCHOOL
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC
YOU LISTEN TO
WHAT CLOTHING YOU
WEAR
WHAT YOUR HOBBIES
ARE
WHETHER YOU EAT
MEAT OR NOT
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 2, C.C. 3): THE INDIAN ACT AND ITS IMPACTS
Why was the Indian Act created?
What impacts might these laws have had on First Nation people?
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Teacher should review Brief Colonization Timeline of how Canadian governance changed from
first contact to the enactment of the Indian Act.
MATERIALS:
• SmartBoard lesson: “Indian Act” from Line of Inquiry 2
• Student copies of Colonial Clash article (Indian Residential Schools &
Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide, p. 34) (optional)
• Student copies of Indian Act excerpts -half the class gets each (Indian Residential
Schools & Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide, p. 33)
• Student copies of Reading the Indian Act organizer (optional)
• Student copies of Thinking about Impacts Rating Scale
• Student Thinking Journals
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Understand why the Indian Act was created.
• Understand what the Indian Act orders about dance customs and Residential Schools.
• Think about the Indian Act as a key factor in future events - as a “cause”.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can explain why the Indian Act was created.
• I can correctly identify a few key laws in the Indian Act.
• I can identify plausible consequences on First Nation people of the creation of the
Indian Act.
55
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1. Before the lesson, the teacher should collate and post the students’ ideas about why the
government controlled the First Nation families’ customs - that you collected at the end
of the previous lesson. Ideas could be posted in a list on the SmartBoard or on an anchor
chart for easily visible reference.
2. Start by sharing the question that ended the previous lesson: Why did the government
control the First Nation families’ customs and ways of life? Share the students’ possible
ideas and explain that our goal is now to understand why, from history.
3. Project and read aloud together the Colonial Clash article together and summarize its key
points together. Focus on how it answers our “why” question. Encourage students to
raise and record other wonder questions.
4. Explain the goal: We are going to explore two parts of the Indian Act to better
understand how the Canadian government controlled the First Nation people.
(Remember that Mr. Harper referred to the Indian Act in his apology!) You and a peer will
study two excerpts from the Indian Act to identify a law about children, and what
happens if the law is not followed i.e. the punishment. Provide an organizer for students
who need it and post the questions on the SmartBoard as a reference. Some of these
answers will be on-the-page and others will require you to infer. (Students now have
background knowledge from Shi-shi-etko and Secret of the Dance that will help them
interpret the text clues so that they can accurately infer.) Organizer Questions: Who is
this about? What is the Act saying? What is the law? What is the punishment for
breaking the law?
5. Also briefly discuss with students what type of source this is: a primary source, unlike
the stories we have read, which are secondary sources of information. Discuss: What is
the value of using a primary source for this study?
6. Using the SmartBoard page, give students a brief background of the Indian Act and read
together parts from the Chapter 43 of Canada's Indian Act.
THE INDIAN ACT
• The Indian Act is a statute or law created by the federal government that gives rules
about First Nation people (not Métis or Inuit)
• The Indian Act was first introduced in 1876, and is still in effect today, with some
changes over the years
• Included in the Indian Act were laws about Residential Schools, as well as:
9 the government’s obligations to First Nation people, such as the creation of
reserves that restrict people to small pieces of land and take away their
traditional territories
9 making it illegal to practise religious ceremonies such as the potlatch
(1884 until 1951)
9 defining what First Nation “status” means
9 status First Nations were not allowed to vote until 1960
9 to leave the reserve, a person needed to find and get a “pass” from an
Indian agent (until 1951) 8
56
Sources: Indian Act, The Canadian Encyclopedia:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/indian-act/,
Colonial Clash from Indian Residential Schools & Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guide Grade 5 p. 27
http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PUB-LFP-IRSR-5-2015-07-WEB.pdf
DURING:
7. Give each pair a separate section of the Indian Act, either the Excerpt from 1886 (about
the dance) or Excerpt from 1894 (about Residential Schools). Provide pairs with a copy
of the Reading the Indian Act organizer or questions posted as reference. Students will
need time to read and discuss their thinking together. The teacher can circulate between
pairs to listen, and may choose to support any particular students with reading as
needed.
8.Since the Indian Act was written in 1886, the language is not the easiest to access.
Students may need to re-read or listen to the audio version. Set the students up for
success by discussing “what strategies do I use if I’m stuck” beforehand.
Understanding the text’s audience and therefore its structure will help the students
make sense of it.
9.Have students record their ideas on the organizer or in their Thinking Journal.
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
10.Bring the class together. Give students a chance to express their feelings about the
excerpts and also share any questions they have about what they read.
11.Tell the students that it’s time to think in “cause and consequence” mode again. This
time we’re starting to think about consequences. Ask: What impacts might these laws
have had on people? This is a big, broad question. Today we’re going to think about a
narrow section of the question.
12.Ask students to think about, and respond to, the following question. They will respond
on the Rating Scale page unless the teacher prefers students using Thinking Journals.
a. If every child had to go away to school (residential school), what are five possible
impacts on that child’s life? What are five ways in which the child’s life will change
in the short term or the long term?
b. Based on what you know, rate the impact that these changes will have on the
child’s life.
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
13.Collect students’ completed Rating Scale pages.
(These will be revisited in Line of Inquiry 3.)
8
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
57
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
• Check students’ Rating Scale pages to see if they are providing plausible examples that
show evidence of “cause and consequence” thinking; if not, the teacher may choose to
build students’ thinking by using the TC2 Cause and Consequence lesson.
• To measure the first and second success criteria, use a quick oral/written “entry card”
at the start of the next lesson and observe/listen for any students whose understanding
you haven’t yet gauged (e.g., “Why was the Indian Act created? Identify a couple of
laws in the Indian Act.”).
• To measure the second success criteria, check students’ ideas recorded on the Reading
the Indian Act organizer.
Throughout this Line of Inquiry, the teacher is collecting and assessing students’ thinking informally. We are also building students’ background knowledge. Students’ thinking should change
and deepen throughout the strand and the Thinking Journal will reflect their ongoing
thinking.
Students’ thinking can be formally assessed in Line 3 through the optional debate. Here, at
the end of Line 2, the teacher may choose to ask summary reflection questions based on the
overarching questions and collect students’ written responses:
• Who held the power to control the lives of First Nation people?
• How did the government disrupt First Nation society? When and why was the
Indian Act created?
• Why were First Nation children forced to attend Indian Residential Schools?
TEACHER NOTES:
In order to encourage students to take a stance as to the impact of Residential Schools on the
children, we have not included a neutral option in the rating scale.
58
READING THE INDIAN ACT ORGANIZER
NAME:
DATE:
WHO IS THIS ABOUT?
WHAT IS THE ACT SAYING?
WHAT IS THE LAW?
WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT
FOR BREAKING THE LAW?
59
THINKING ABOUT IMPACTS RATING SCALE
NAME:
DATE:
POSSIBLE IMPACT:
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
1
2
3
4
very bad
somewhat bad
somewhat good
very good
POSSIBLE IMPACT:
POSSIBLE IMPACT:
POSSIBLE IMPACT:
POSSIBLE IMPACT:
60
61
THE INDIAN ACT OF 1876
DATE:
Why were First Nation children forced to attend Indian Residential Schools?
How did the government disrupt First Nation society? When and why was the Indian Act created?
Who held the power to control the lives of First Nation people?
NAME:
CANADA'S INDIAN ACT
9
9
62
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
33
INDIAN ACT, 1886
10
INDIAN ACT, 1894
11
10
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
11
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
63
34
COLONIAL CLASH
Why were First Nation parents forced to send their children to Residential
School? To see why, we have to look into Canada’s past.
First Nation people lived in Canada for thousands of years. About 300 years
ago, people from Europe came to Canada. The new settlers believed they were
superior to First Nation. They did not understand or respect the traditional ways
of the many First Nation cultures or their beliefs. The settlers wanted First Nation
to become just like them.
One thing the newcomers didn’t understand was First Nations’ beliefs
about ownership of the land. In truth, all the land was part of the territory of one
group or another. They respected it and lived on it for many many generations.
But it was not owned by individuals. The land belonged to each group or nation
collectively.
The settlers thought the land wasn’t owned, so they built homes where
they wanted to. The new settlements were called colonies. They were controlled by the government in England or France. Europeans also set up colonies
in many other parts of the world.
At first First Nation people welcomed the settlers and helped them survive,
but soon they saw that the newcomers did not respect the rights of the First
Nation people. When Canada was made a country on its own in 1867, the new
government made a law that was only for First Nation people. It is called the
Indian Act. It took away all the power people had in their lives. The government
was the only authority, and First Nation people were treated like children.
This law is still in effect today.
The new settlers of Canada supported the government and its laws. One
way they tried to control the First Nation people was to send the children away
from their homes so their parents and grandparents could not teach them their
traditions, culture and language. That is why the Residential Schools were
12
started.
12
64
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
BRIEF COLONIZATION TIMELINE
1492: Contact with Columbus.
1534: Contact with Jacques Cartier.
1620 - 1632: European Expansion and the formation of Canada
1755: First Indian Department is created by Government as a division of the British military.
1763: A Royal Proclamation notes First Nation, Métis and Inuit claims to lands and says treaties with
Natives will be handled by the Crown.
1812: War of 1812
1831: The Mohawk Indian Residential School Opens in Brantford.
1844: Bagot Commission releases its report and recommends the establishment of manual labour
schools for First Nation, Métis and Inuit children.
1857: Gradual Civilizations Act
1860: Indian Lands Act
1867: The British North America Act gives the federal government responsibility for First Nation, Métis
and Inuit and their lands.
1870'S: Residential School System created. This is a system of industrial schools where children are
intentionally separated from their parents to reduce the influence of the “wigwam.” Their painful
legacy would stretch to today.
1876: The Indian Act is passed, essentially extinguishing any remaining self-government for natives
and making them wards of the federal government.
1885 TO 1895: Laws prohibiting First Nation, Métis and Inuit Ways of Knowing (ceremony and traditions).
1907: Dr. Bryce, Chief Medical Inspector, reports 50% mortality rate in Residential Schools.
1920: Duncan Campbell Scott, Minister of Indian Affairs, makes it mandatory for First Nation, Métis
and Inuit children to attend Residential Schools.
1958: Indian Affairs regional inspectors recommend abolishing the Residential School System.
1960: Natives are given the right to vote in federal elections.
1969: The partnership between the government and churches ends, and the federal government
takes over the Residential School System.
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1985: Changes to the Indian Act extend formal Indian status to the Métis, all enfranchised
First Nation, Métis and Inuit living off reserve land and First Nation, Métis and Inuit women who had
previously lost their status by marrying a non- First Nation, Métis and Inuit man.
1986: The United Church issues a formal apology for their participation in the Residential School
System.
1993: The Anglican Church issues a formal apology for their participation in the Residential School
System.
1994: The Presbyterian Church issues a formal apology for their participation in the Residential School
System.
1998: Statement of Reconciliation – apology to former students of Residential Schools by Jane Stewart, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
1999: Nunavut is created in the western Arctic, with lands set aside where Inuit can live, hunt and
control sub-surface resources.
2008: Prime Minister Stephen Harper offers a formal apology on behalf of Canada over Residential
Schools.
2008: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is launched.
2010: Canada signs the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of First Nation, Métis and Inuit
Peoples.
2015: The Truth and Reconciliation Report is made public, siting 94 recommendations.
66
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, C.C. 1):
INTRODUCTION TO RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
Recommendation: Introduce mentor text in language.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Shin-chi’s Canoe, the sequel to Shi-shi-etko, by Nicola Campbell
portrays the features of Residential Schools in an age-appropriate
manner through text and rich illustrations.
•
Shin-chi’s Canoe is about Shi-shi-etko’s younger brother,
Shin-chi, who is sent off to residential school with his sister.
His father gives him a toy canoe, which he holds as a reminder
of his family life during his year at school.
GROUNDWOOD BOOKS/
HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS, 2008
• Three symbols are prominent in the story. One is the canoe,
an important cultural symbol for most of First Nation communities. For Shin-chi, it is a
personal connection with his family. Another symbol is the children’s hair. To many First
Nation people, a person’s hair is considered sacred, especially when it is grown long.
The third symbol is the sockeye salmon, which for Shin-chi was a marker of time passing
before he could return home.
• The story portrays the features of Residential Schools, including:
9 travelling a great distance aboard a cattle truck
9 cutting off hair
9 regimentation of children’s lives
9 enforced use of English
9 dormitory situation for sleeping
9 enforced work by children to maintain the institution
9 poor food
9 isolation 13
MATERIALS:
• Copy of Shin-chi’s Canoe
• Thinking Journals
• Residential school photo to activate students’ thinking: two possible suggestions:
13
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
67
14
15
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Identify the important features of life at Residential Schools.
• Connect how these features have caused the loss of the First Nations children’s culture
and traditions.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can identify important features of life at Residential Schools.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION): Book: Shin-chi’s Canoe by Nicola Campbell.
1. In Thinking Journals, have students write about a time when they were away from
home. Where did you go? How long were you gone? What was something you found
hard about being away from home?
2.Have students share their experiences in a class discussion (if students choose).
Encourage students who haven’t been away from home to understand the perspective
of a student who has spent time away from home, or whose family member has been
away from home for a prolonged period.
3.In order to help students generate predictions about residential school features and
connect to previous learning, show the class a picture of children outside a residential
school (photo doesn’t need to show features, just that the school is different). Ask
students: What do you notice? Take time to let students observe carefully and capture
their responses.
Reading Strategies: Show the cover and ask students to predict what the story will be about.
from Government of Canada archives - boys playing on a fire escape at Fort Frances Indian
Residential School, ca. 1958: http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3487980&title=Indian+boys+playing+on+the+fire+escape+of+Fort+Frances+Agency+Catholic+Indian+Reservation+School++&ecopy=a185839-v8
14
from Algoma University archives - students at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Fort William,
Ontario: http://archives.algomau.ca/main/node/24062
15
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DURING:
4.Gather the class so they can see the illustrations in the story. You will read the story
twice to the class. The purpose for the first time is have students listen to comprehend
and make connections to Shi-shi-etko. Also, ensure the students are familiar with the
word “residential” - e.g., by suggesting synonyms.
5.Then, for the second time, set this purpose for listening or reading: ask students to read
or listen for as many different ways that Shin-chi’s school is different from their own
school. Encourage students to pay attention to the images, as they carry important
information. (e.g., expressions on people’s face, use of colour to convey mood)
6.After reading, have students work in pairs to record as many features of the
residential school that differ from their own school on a chart or in their Thinking journals.
By features, we mean the structures, rules, elements. (e.g., long distance from home;
run by priests and sisters; boys and girls segregated) Allow students to look at the text,
and use prompts to get them started, if necessary.
7. Ask the students to look at their completed lists and choose: Which of those features do
you think were challenging for Shin-chi and Shi-shi-etko to experience? (e.g.,
• Removed from home
• Went to school on a cattle truck
• Dormitory for sleeping
• Cutting off hair
• Enforced use of English (not allowed to speak own language)
• Must do daily chores to keep school running [not the custodian]
• No free time during day; every minute is scheduled
• Poor food (porridge and burnt toast)
• Does not go home at all until summertime; never see parents
• Teachers are priests and nuns
This question will help the students determine importance and rule out any features on their
own lists that are not important (e.g., the size of the school).
8.Bring everyone together and compile everyone’s ideas on a chart (or Smart Board).
Encourage discussion student-to-student and students asking clarification where
needed to give them opportunities to justify their selections. As a class, choose the
features that are the most significant (e.g., ask each student to choose their most
significant and record tallies). Focus on how students are providing evidence to justify
their choices. 16
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Class discussion - an opportunity to reflect together and revisit the connection to the culture
and traditions. It is suggested that the structure of a talking circle be used.
QUESTION: What has been lost by these children as a result of Residential Schools?
Why was the canoe important to Shin-chi? (Connection with his father, family and home?)
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
During the class discussions, the teacher could listen for students’ reasoning when selecting
significant features and recalling traditions and cultural identity.
16
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
69
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, C.C. 2):
A DAY AT INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
The Indian Act of 1876 made Indian people wards of the government, which gave the government control of First Nation, Métis and Inuit affairs. An amendment in 1894 made education
compulsory allowing schools to accept children from other First Nations. There were 120
Residential Schools in Canada over 185 years.
MATERIALS:
• Photo of Thomas Moore
• Video of A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada
(24 minutes but will only watch the first 7:45 here)
• Copies of Residential Schools daily schedule
• Copies of Agenda organizer
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Compare and contrast a day in the life of a student attending an Indian Residential
School with their own school day.
• Apply cause & consequence and perspective thinking to compose an effective
persuasive letter to the Indian Agent.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can explain important similarities and differences between the life of an Indigenous
person at Residential School to my own life.
• I can accurately apply the perspective of a person involved in the Residential Schools.
• I can apply cause/consequence thinking to develop good reasons in my persuasive
letter.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1. Show the class the picture of Thomas Moore before and after his entrance into Regina
Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan in 1874. Please google "Thomas Moore,
Before and After Image at Residential Schools" to view this image.
2.Ask: What do you notice? Give time for all students to share what they see.
3.Have students discuss the differences in the two photos. This will activate schema
about what the First Nation's experience at Residential Schools may have been like.
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COMPARING SCHOOL SCHEDULES
Invite students to explore the challenge: What are two important similarities and two important differences between your daily schedule and the Residential Schools daily schedule? Discuss with students as a class or in small groups/pairs about what their typical school day looks
like. Provide the agenda organizer and ask each student to create their own daily schedule.
DURING:
4.Establish the purpose for watching the video: Look for information about the Residential
School students’ typical day and think about what is different to your own day. Share the
challenge question again.
5.Show the video from the beginning, up to 7:45 min. Video focuses on Mohawk Institute
in Brantford; Mt. Elgin Industrial School and the Shingwauk Residential School.
6.Provide students with a copy of the Residential Schools daily schedule. Invite them to
compare their daily schedule to the Residential Schools daily schedule. Have them
highlight or annotate any differences they notice. They could then select their two most
important to share with the class.
7. As a class, create a Venn diagram that compares similarities and differences. Invite
participation from each student and encourage students to make inferences about
consequences from their observations.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
• Did Residential Schools live up to their purpose of educating First Nation students in
domestic, agricultural, and religious instruction?
• Did the daily tasks at Residential Schools inhibit or prohibit students from gaining the
proper education to become successful in the workplace after graduating?
• What were the impacts Residential Schools had on First Nation families?
• Venn diagram below
MY
SCHOOL
RESIDENTIAL
SCHOOL
71
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
In their Thinking Journals, students will reflect on whether or not Residential Schools did what
they intended to do and how it compares to their own school life?
TEACHER NOTES:
Teachers may wish to use the TC2 Tools for Thought lesson: Explore daily life lesson with
materials specific to Residential Schools.
TC2 also has a supporting student video about what historical perspective thinking is and
Investigating Realistic Stories - Explore Daily Life (drawing conclusions about the physical
living conditions and qualities of life of an individual or group).
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:
PERSUASIVE LETTER: students could write a letter to the Indian Agent on behalf of their child
who is attending a residential school, or from the point of view of a student enrolled at a
residential school.
DEBATE: students could debate whether or not Residential Schools should remain open or
should be closed, having students debate using historical thinking.
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COMPARING SCHOOL SCHEDULES
TIME:
SCHOOL
INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
5:00 am
Bell - day begins - wash, dress
5:30 am
Breakfast, prayers
6:00 am
Chores - boys do farmwork, girls do housework
7:00 am
8:00 am
9:00 am
School begins
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 pm
Lunch and Recreation
1:00 pm
Classes resume
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
Chores
3:30 pm
4:00 pm
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
Supper and prayers
7:00 pm
Evening School - boys chores / girls needlework
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
Bedtime
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DAILY AGENDA ORGANIZER
6:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
74
SCHOOL
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL VS SCHOOL TODAY
SCHOOL
INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
Age to begin
Student Responsibilities
Daily Schedule
Recreation or free time
Meals
Dress code
Family Involvement
75
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, C.C. 3): SURVIVOR STORIES
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of the legacy of Residential Schools.
This is partly because of the courageous individuals who have spoken out and shared their
experiences at the Residential Schools with others. The people who attended Residential
Schools are often called, ‘survivors.’
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Learn the stories of several people who attended Residential Schools
• Deepen their understanding of what happened at Residential Schools from different
perspectives that individuals may have on their experiences.
• Reflect on the impact of these experiences would have on families.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can identify the impacts of the Residential Schools passed on from one generation to
the next and on themselves.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
Class discussion - what are they learning about the people who attended Residential School
and what they experienced? What type of impact would this have on the family? Discuss with
students the complexity of the word ‘survivor.’
DURING:
Jigsaw - make them an expert of the person’s account
1.Distribute a copy of the Survivor Stories handout and one transcript per pair.
2.Hand out one of the Survivor Story transcripts to each student. Provide students time to
read their transcript and complete the handout.
3.While students are working with a pair or small group and have them discuss the
experiences of the students.
4.Place the students into a different group and discuss what is similar or different in
the transcripts.
5.Students will share with the class the most important similarities and differences.
Encourage students to discuss terms that are new to them such as the Truth and
Reconciliation.
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
• How did experiences at residential school affect how people felt about themselves and
their own identity?
• How did the experiences affect their family and home community?
• Use evidence from the sources to justify your answers.
• Do you think 'survivor' is an appropriate word to describe these people who were forced
to go to Residential School? Why or why not?
76
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Thinking Journal entry - What was the most compelling survivor story that you read? Explain.
This entry will demonstrate the students’ depth of understanding about the impact of Residential School experiences on individual students, families and communities.
TEACHER NOTES:
The information presented in this activity is emotional and may be difficult for you and your
students. Please ensure you read through all of the materials before showing them to your
students as you may select a few based on your classroom profile. Spend some time with
your students debriefing and checking-in with how they feel about the testimonies. Ask for
assistance from school or community organizations if necessary to help support yourself or
your students feelings.
77
SURVIVOR STORIES
Name:
School Attended:
Summary of Experience (what stood out for you?):
Name:
School Attended:
Summary of Experience (what stood out for you?):
Name:
School Attended:
Summary of Experience (what stood out for you?):
Name:
School Attended:
Summary of Experience (what stood out for you?):
Name:
School Attended:
Summary of Experience (what stood out for you?):
78
INGRID ARNAULT MACKAY
INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL,
DAUPHIN, MB 17
WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?
My first day, I remember getting off the bus and
I remember leaving here. I remember leaving
here and all lining up at the Indian Agent’s Office,
because we weren’t allowed off the Reserve yet.
Right. That didn’t happen until 1961. We weren’t
allowed off the Reserve but we were all taken
across the river and were lined up outside the
Indian Agent’s Office. I remember the little white
picket fence and the sterile environment of the
Indian Agent’s home and all of that. I’ll never
forget it.
And then travelling to Dauphin and my first day
there, getting off the bus I could see how institutional everything was, this massive four-storey
building and there were already people there,
people who had gone there before me. But
when our bus pulled up I think some people
from The Pas were there. I think they might
have tried to make us comfortable. I don’t know.
I don’t have any recollection of that other than
seeing how big the institution was.
I guess they finally took me off the bed somehow. I don’t know how they did that. I think I
was really, really, really sick because I wouldn’t
eat. I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to go
to school. I didn’t want to do anything. I just died
on that bed. And the food. The food, eating macaroni every day and they put maybe one or two
tomatoes in there to feed four hundred or five
hundred kids. We learned how to steal. We didn’t
know how to steal before but the government
taught us how to steal.
SO YOU COULD HAVE FOOD?
To eat. They taught us how to lie. They taught us
how to steal and they taught us how to be bad
people. Thanks to that I have to pray for forgiveness now because I did that as a child, and to be
a part of life, I guess. I don’t know. To survive. I
don’t know. But I did. I stole. I stole from people
to be full, to have food in my stomach. [Speaker
overcome with emotion.]
It’s not who I am. It’s what they turned us into
be. Now the jails are full of our people because
the government taught us how to do all this
stuff.
Then I remember crying constantly. The bed
rails back then on the little tiny army cots were
thin, but my hands were small, eh. I hung onto
both of them. [Speaker overcome with emotion.]
I wouldn’t leave that bed. I didn’t want to go
anywhere for about a month. I just about starved
to death. They couldn’t pull me off the bed to go
and eat or do anything. I hated that place from
that day. I ran away from boarding school. I stole
the Minister’s car to get away from there. I hated the food. I hated starving.
That’s the worst part, besides the second thing
of being there was not having your family, not
having anybody to hug you and tell you they
loved you. You come from a loving family to a
sterile environment. [Speaker overcome with
emotion.]
17
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
79
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
FORMER STUDENT
EDNA ELIAS 18
Approximate time - 1969 The Honourable Edna
Ekhivalak Elias Commissioner of Nunavut A
respected educator and language specialist,
Edna Elias‘s years of service to her territory have
made her an ideal choice to serve as Commissioner of Nunavut.
Ms. Elias‘s home community is Kugluktuk, Nunavut, where she has served as both a councillor
and the mayor.
I‘ll let you know right off the bat that when I appeared before the TRC in Qurluqtuq I told them
that I‘ve never called myself a survivor, because I
didn‘t think I survived anything, because I did not
view my residential as a negative, bad experience.
We never hear enough from people who view it
in that way.
When I was young, even before school age,
I lived with my parents, but for half the year I
would spend with my grandparents, because I
was so attached to them. I was with my grandparents in Byron Bay, and a plane came in. I was
all excited, we ran to the beach. A float plane
came in. I thought mom and dad were coming to
spend time with us, but when they opened the
plane, there were lots of little kids sitting on the
floor in the airplane. Some were crying, and lots
of unhappy faces. So I was really curious, I was
listening in to people talking to my grandparents,
and saying that they had come to pick me up because I going to go to school with all these other
kids. My parents had told them to go to Byron
Bay to come and pick me up. I don‘t recall anybody else going. Anyway, I didn‘t know where I
was going to go, so I ran away. I used to have a
place up the river, at Bryon Bay. Along the river
bank, there was a nice big den, so I ran up there
and hid in my den, not wanting to go. I crouched
in my little hole, and I knew they were looking
for me I could hear them calling me and I stayed
80
there until eventually I was found. I don‘t know
how long that took. Anyway, I had no choice but
to board plane.
I went to Inuvik three different times. I didn‘t go
consecutively year after year because as my parents moved from DEW line to DEW line, if there
was no community, then I was in residential
school. And my dad, having been in residential
school as well knew what it was like. He knew
the conditions were a lot better than when he
went through school. He went to Aklavik.
I think the big difference that made it a much
more positive experience is because I was in
the Anglican system. We hear so much of the
horror stories happened in the Catholic system.
You know, all the abuse, sexual abuse and those
type of stories, although I witnessed and heard
stories of mistreatment and punishment in the
Anglican system by supervisors and stuff like
that.
I never felt that I was in a scary place, I think
because when I lived on the DEW line site, there
were maybe two to four families on the site and
very few children, maybe four or five children
with me being one of the older ones. My parents
would go to one of the modules, that‘s what we
called them, where all the Qallunaat lived, we‘d
go there for dinners and whatever and all the
military men that worked there had no children,
no families, so we were kind of spoiled. So, I
didn‘t think Stringer Hall was any different.
That made a big difference for me because it
was a familiar setting. Everybody ate in this one
big dining room and stuff like that and I knew the
military had shared rooms and we had one big
dormitory for everybody to sleep in, so it was
kind of familiar.
So I was much more prepared than kids that
were plucked out of their parent‘s traditional
homelands from a very traditional life, and parents that didn‘t work for any DEW line.
That‘s why I don‘t view the experiences as
detrimental and there‘s some of us that took it
positively even when we witnessed negative
things and behaviours and attitudes and influences. I‘ve used it to carry on forward in life and not
to hold me back, because a lot of the routines in
the hostel I learned routines and the discipline
that I learned then, waking up early, sticking to a
routine, going through your daily life, learning to
be punctual, to work hard to get your household
chores done, learn to look after kids. I think the
second or third time when I went back to Inuvik
to Stringer Hall, I only went to Stringer Hall,
being an older girl, we were given the responsibility of looking after four to six younger girls, like
they were our own siblings. So, we had to look
after them. All that stuff I learned then, I think
I still use it in my life today. A lot of discipline,
work ethics, and attitudes, that prepared me for
the work I‘ve done in the past and the work I‘m
doing today.
away from the course of study with an understanding, That‘s why grandpa was like this, or,
my dad was like this or he had that attitude, stuff
like that, for things to just open up to them that
they can analyze. To start opening the stories to
be shared even within their own household or
their home. To move forward with it in life.
Life is too short to dwell on the negative. If I‘m
going to do wonderful things in society, if I‘m
going to contribute to society, I can‘t dwell on it.
My dad was the one that made sure we were
going to get through schooling as much as we
could and I think we followed his wishes. Where
mom was the nurturer of the home, and made
sure we learned what we had to learn at home,
the sewing, the cooking, making bannock, how
to skin seals, and make mipku and piffi. So, still
today, I feel, despite the few years that I went to
residential school, because I spent more schooling in the communities wherever mom and dad
lived, that I took the best of both worlds. I still
have my dignity, my Inukness, I still have my language, my respect and knowledge of my past. I
think that‘s what kept me grounded.
I think we need to make sure that the stories
the students learn are well-balanced and from all
perspectives, like, the church‘s perspective, the
government‘s perspective, parents perspective,
parents that went and parents that didn‘t send,
or refused to send their kids to school, from students themselves, children that had parents that
went to residential school.
In the closure, we want the students to come
18
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
81
ARTHUR FOURSTAR—PART 1 19
Birtle Indian Residential School, Birtle, MB,
and also the Prince Albert Indian Residence,
Lac La Ronge, SK
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST WENT TO
BIRTLE?
I was five years and ten months old.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOUR FIRST DAY WAS
LIKE?
It’s a bad memory. I was taken to residential
school on October 20th, 1944 and I’ve gotten
that date from my school records.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT DAY?
What I remember is I was at home with my
mother and she was making bannock. I was
playing on the floor. My father was in the Second
World War so there was just my mom and me.
And on that day that I mentioned, all of a sudden
the door opened and an RCMP Officer and a
man whom I came to know as […] came in. The
RCMP Officer went over to my mother and held
her from behind and Mr. […]—it could be Mr.
[…]—came to me and just grabbed me and took
me out to the car and threw me in the car.
I remember screaming. I remember my mom
doing the same thing. But the police officer held
onto her. When Mr. [. . .] threw me in the car, I
went out the other door and I ran. But he ran after me and caught me. I like to think of the word
“abducted.” After he caught me he threw me
into the back seat again and they tied me with
my hands like this [indicating]. And we drove
away. […] That’s when the darkness began. They
kept me over there for five years without coming
home for the summer, year round, because they
couldn’t find my mother. I understand that today.
[…] I remember one time during the summer
holidays, the summer holidays started, they
used to load the students from Saskatchewan
onto a big truck with canvas over it. When they
loaded that truck with Saskatchewan students
to go home I wanted to get on that truck, too. I
was about eight then. But they wouldn’t let me.
82
When the truck drove off I chased that truck but I
couldn’t catch up. Those students, they had their
hands out at the back. They were going to try to
pull me up onto the truck, I guess, if I could have
caught up, but I couldn’t.
Walking back to the residential school, a goose
crossed my path with little goslings behind it and
I was so angry I kicked that one gosling and I
killed it. [Speaker overcome with emotion.]
As a result of that Mr. [. . .] took me upstairs and
he filled a bathtub with cold water and he put
me in it. He left me there. I don’t know what my
skin looked like. He would come in and let me
get out of the water for a little while and then
would shove me back in there again. […] As a result of my residential school I had a lot of anger.
A lot of that stuff those guys are talking about, a
lot of anger, revenge, hatred. I was charged with
noncapital murder and convicted of manslaughter. I spent time in the penitentiary. That’s a
shameful part of my life. But I think it’s all a part
of my residential school.
ARTHUR FOURSTAR—PART 2
Birtle Indian Residential School, Birtle, MB,
and also the Prince Albert Indian Residence,
Lac La Ronge, SK
IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOUR ENTIRE STORY IS STILL
INSIDE OF YOU AND IT’S TRYING TO COME OUT.
AND YOU WANT TO KEEP IT THERE. YOU’VE GOT
TO LET IT COME OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE
WITH SOME OF THE OTHER SURVIVORS. YOU HAVE
TO FIND A WAY TO LET IT COME OUT BECAUSE YOU
CAN’T CARRY IT ANY MORE. NUMBER ONE, YOU
DON’T HAVE TO CARRY IT.
Yeah. I guess one of the things that I learned
over there in Birtle is how to withdraw and have
no feelings, because sometimes when I used
to get a strap it was like I was dead. No feeling.
Sometimes I withdraw into a nothing world.
ZONED OUT?
Yeah, I guess so. One of the things that was
broken over there was family bonds. Those were
severed. When my mom and my dad passed on
it was like no feeling. I heard people around me
say “you’re so strong, you stood there and you
were like a warrior, man.” But no, I wasn’t. It’s
not that. It’s something else. And it’s still over
there. Whatever it is, it’s still over there.
My brothers and sisters, I’ve got two sisters left.
You know, I don’t even know where they are
and it seems like I don’t care. My brother, he
drinks in Saskatoon on 20th Street and it’s like it
doesn’t matter. I try and pretend sometimes that
it matters when there’s other people. But it’s like
I’m dead sometimes.
[…] I’ve been through a number of relationships.
I don’t know a thing about relationships. I have
four children; three daughters and one son. They
are all from different women. I’m not proud of
that but I’m proud of my children. I have grandchildren. It feels so good to hear that word “Mosho” [phonetic]. That’s a powerful gift. I would
like to leave it there for now.
19
DO YOU MIND IF WE WRAP UP? I WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW WHAT YOUR HOPE IS, YOUR HOPE FOR YOURSELF.
My hope for myself is to be able to make peace
with myself. Right now, like I was telling my
friend, we hear a lot about that word “Survivor.”
Inside the walls, when I go to work with my
friend, we can’t always stay Survivors. We have
to move past that and become what we call it,
anyway, “seekers.”
When you talked about your son going out and
seeking a vision, he was a seeker, and I think
you’ve got so much to be proud of there.
When we’re seekers we’re seeking information, and as we gather this, in my experience,
too, as I’m gathering this information I begin to
have the tools to make peace with myself. Even
today I’ve touched something that has remained
untouched for sixty-some years, and I know
where to go. I think in seeking we get direction.
Because when I say that I know where to go,
I’m talking about that shaking tent, and when
the spirits come, Art needs to make peace with
himself and step into the world of Eldership and
become a peacemaker.
So my hope is that I’ll be a good one, a good
peacemaker because I’ve been through so
much. That stuff that I’ve been through I think
is what is going to make me strong, once I
get through it. And I’m going to get through it
because I think it’s important to the Creator. I
believe in God. I want to work for God in a good
way.
My Indian name is Neawatsakos [phonetic],
Four Spirits. I have a Dakota name. I’m a Dakota
Indian. And I have a Dakota name: Tatayopokwana [phonetic]: He Who Opens the Door. And my
hope is to live up to those names the best I can.
And I need to do some more work, but I know
where to go.
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
83
JIM SHELDON 20
Lower Post Residential School, Lower Post, BC,
and Yukon Hall, Whitehorse, YK
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YEARS YOU WERE IN
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL?
Yeah. I found out later when I had to make a
statement to the RCMP in 1995. I found out
then I went to school in 1956 at the age of eight.
I didn’t even know that until then either. It was
cool, to find out later, I mean.
HOW LONG DID YOU STAY IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL?
I stayed there for four years in Lower Post, and
four years at Codert, and part-time at Yukon Hall.
[…] I could always remember when I first came
home and not able to understand, I didn’t want
to listen to them because I was told not to
speak. So my grandmother used to ask me,
“What’s the matter with me,” you know. She
knew, my grandmother knew. She didn’t speak
good English but she used to say “government”
with an incorrect pronunciation. She used to say
“gummerment is not good.” She would say it in
Tlingit. I know what it meant.
[…] There was a while I thought one day in my
mind when I got away from there, from the
school, that maybe the government—I don’t
know. I never ever thought this would come to
the surface and get corrected. But I remember in
Teslin in grade five, and then from the reports in
1995, reading at a grade five level, I was maybe
a grade two level. So the teacher, she was the
most inspirational lady in my life. Her name was
[…]. Her maiden name was […], from Saskatchewan. Today I speak quite well of her because she
was my greatest lady educator in my life. She
turned my life around a lot, from grade five, ever,
to keep my boots shiny, as such. She taught me
that. She was a great lady and she helped me a
lot.
84
I can remember living at home and having a
great discrepancy in languages and culture
and everything. I definitely remember sitting in
grade five thinking I know I will never speak my
language again so I’m going to study English
and learn the English as much as I can, and learn
to fight people that hurt me, with their English.
I’m going to understand their words and understand their world from their language. So a lot,
I studied. Still today I read a lot, like everybody
else does.
I somehow developed a different kind of accent.
A lot of times I would get bugged about my last
name because it’s not a First Nations name, so
I would get bugged about that. How I retained
that name I found out years later again that my
father was adopted by a white prospector, hence
the Sheldon. Then I became proud of having the
name.
Speaking of my father, he was a great guy, a
great man in my life. When they took me away
from home I was completely lost. I went almost
everywhere with him, you know. But he understood a lot. He could say so many words with
just his facial expression to understand what
happened. My mom is not the same.
I don’t think I was that little guy he had when I
came back from school. It took me many years
to tell my mother and dad what happened to
me, you know. It took me a lot to get there. But
I knew if I did, I would rather tell them when
they’re here, because it would never leave my
mind and soul if I had never told them before
they went to heaven.
Even today, the short time of my life I spent with
them, they hurt more, they probably hurt more
than I did. They did. I know that. I have a child. I
know what it is now because I have children of
my own and grandchildren.
20
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
21
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
TERRY LUSTY 21
St. Joseph’s School, Cross Lake, MB So St. Joseph’s.
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST WENT IN?
Three. Three years old.
Every morning we went to church service. Every
evening was Benediction. Everyday. And with me it
got to a point where I was just saturated with religion. I turned my back on it later because it was just
overwhelming. You virtually lived, ate, and breathed
religion.
In school you had catechism. You had the Bible and
the prayers and all the Latin, learning the Latin words.
I can still spiel them off today, even though I haven’t
used it for so many years. But don’t ask me what they
mean. But as if that wasn’t enough, on top of that
because I had a singing voice, I had to be part of the
choir. I had to be an altar boy. I had to be a server, eh.
So I had all this going on.
Just to put a little icing on the cake, one of my duties
every day apart from other things like working in the
kitchen or the fields or laundry room or whatever, was
I was the one who had to dust and sweep and clean
up and mop the chapel every day. I never got away
from that religious element in the system.
One other thing that I always remember so much
too is whenever I was in there, it was like I was in
there forever because I never got to go out of there,
except for the odd time when we were allowed off
the grounds supervised, or if we snuck out on our
own. We would do that also on Halloween night. We
would sneak out of there and challenge other kids to
go to the cemetery next door. It was one of our rare
enjoyments to see other kids get the heebie-geebies
having to visit a cemetery in the middle of the night.
I’ve got to backtrack now. Where was I going with
this? I was going to talk about…
Just before I started talking about going to the cemetery. Oh, the grounds. Confinement. I was talking
about that. Especially for kids like myself, children like
myself who had nobody out there for us, as a consequence of that we never had no visitors. By the same
token we never got to get out of there. Kids could go
out maybe at Christmas or at Easter and the summer
holidays and spend time with their families outside
of the residential school. But not kids like myself. We
were always in there. Once a month the children were
allowed a visitor; a relative or guardian, whatever. They
were allowed a visitor. The front of the building where
they would drive up, it had a circular driveway like this
[indicating], and they would come in and stop there
and pick up the kids and drive out. They would come
back and it was the same routine. That would be on
a Sunday. It was always on a Sunday. It would be the
only day of the month when they would allow that.
I used to stand at the front of the playground right parallel with the front of the building and I used to hang
on that mesh fence where it was spiked at the top. I
remember one time I tried to jump out of the grounds
and I jumped up but I ripped one of my fingers open
on those stupid spikes.
I used to cling to that fence with my fingers curled
around the wire and watch these people come and
pick up other kids and wonder when is someone going to come for me. Nobody ever did, of course. That
was kind of tough.
I was very much a loner. I became a loner. When I was
growing up during my first few years there, because
my mother was non-Native and my dad was actually
Métis, French, and Cree, I never grew up with our
language. My dad apparently had understood French,
Cree and English. But nothing other than English was
used in those first years when I was born, so I never
grew up with a Native language or the culture because I was just a baby when they threw me into the
rez school. So I never had any of that. And because I
had nobody, none of my relatives to visit me or anything, I never had any of that either. That’s why later
on when I got on my own at 16 and began wondering
about myself, who I was and where I came from and
da, da, da, da, da, I couldn’t answer my questions.
I had nobody to answer them for me. I guess I just
didn’t have the presence of mind in those days…
First of all, what happened was I had become a ward
of the Childrens’ Aid Society. And they were bound
by policy to not divulge any information to you. That’s
why I couldn’t know who my mom was or where
she was or how to contact her or anything like that.
So none of this stuff was shared. I eventually had to
investigate on my own and find these things out. They
wouldn’t even open up to us, Childrens’ Aid, they
wouldn’t let us see our own files, you know, which to
me was criminal.
85
JOSEPH GERMAINE MERCREDI 22
Note: Joe passed away February 23, 2007. The
interview was done with his wife Amy, who published Joe’s stories that he had written in a book
called Adverntures of a Young Métis Boy.
WHERE DID HE GROW UP?
He was born in Fon du Lac, Saskatchewan and
raised in Fort Fitzgerald, AB and Fort Smith, NT.
WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE BEFORE HE WENT TO SCHOOL?
He was one of 17 children. He was in the middle
of the group. When it came time to go to school,
his Dad, who was a trapper, asked the bishop if
he would take some of his children to residential
school because there were too many to look
after.
WHAT SCHOOL DID HE ATTEND?
Joe went to school in Fort Resolution Mission
School for three years and finished his high
school in Fort Smith, NT.
HOW OLD WAS HE WHEN HE WENT TO SCHOOL?
He went for three years, from age 12-14
WHAT MEMORIES DID HE SHARE WITH YOU?
He talked a lot about residential school being an
adventure. He was excited to go because he got
to meet new friends and new people. He got to
go out on the land with the brothers and nuns.
He learned how to work in the garden and he
made quite a few friends. He talked about the
physical ability of the brothers and all the games
they played and of the kindness of the nuns who
did their best to make the school feel like home.
selecting a wooden airplane. He couldn’t wait
for Christmas Day. They also selected one gift
to share with a friend. He guessed the mission
must have received a bargain because it seemed
that every second boy received one of those
airplanes. As the days grew closer to Christmas
some children were missing home as it was
their first time away. It was an important time
of year in his home, lots of visiting and people
coming in off the trap lines. He talked about how
the sisters made every effort to make it feel
like home and that they knew these boys and
girls were born and raised in the bush so it was
on them to be away. He also described how,
through the sisters teachings, they got understand the meaning of Christmas as we know it
today. Practicing for the pageant was fun and it
took their mind off missing their families. The
songs were sung in four languages including
French, English, Latin and Chipewyan.
IF HE COULD GIVE STUDENTS TODAY ONE TAKE
HOME MESSAGE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
He often talked about how education is so
important and if it wasn’t for the mission schools
many of his friends and he would not have been
able to make it in the world today. His father
said, “we can’t all be trappers, there were so
many of us, some of you have to go and get an
education.”
He talked about how the three weeks leading up
to Christmas were very busy. There were plays
to be rehearsed and mass to get ready for. He
talked about how the choir was so good that he
would swear they were born angels. The whole
town would come to listen. The night before
Christmas they would be marched into the hall,
they would select presents and their names
would be marked on them. He recalled
22
86
Our Stories … Our Strength. Legacy of Hope Foundation. 2006. DVD.
EILEEN
BEV
(St. Mary’s Mission 1961-1965)
(Williams Lake Residential School)
I think that residential school had a lot of impact on
my mom in the way that she raised her kids. When I
was six, my parents separated, and we had to go live
with my dad because my mom said that she was not
able to raise her kids. She felt like residential school
was a big part in not being able to raise us kids.
Ridicule from the nuns encourage ridicule from other
kids. We really had to be careful we didn’t violate
anyone’s turf or offend someone by appearing better
than anyone else, like what happened when someone
would get new shoes.
I think for a while what I leaned at residential school
has impacted my kids too. The older kids got the most
impact, but I went through my own native spirituality.
Like when I was 18 years old or in high school, it was
almost like I was embarrassed of the native spirituality, or the superstitions of the old people was embarrassing, and I think it came from Residential Schools.
We were taught that the native beliefs were just like
superstitions or something, and when I first came out
of St. Mary’s I really believed that. I didn’t feel good
about being a native, and I think that came from being
here at St. Mary’s. It wasn’t until I started growing in
the spirituality, in the native way, that I started being
proud of myself.
If our shoes got too small for us, the nuns would
usually give us hand-me-downs from older girls. Only
when the hand-me-downs were so worn that no other
girls could wear them would the nuns break out a new
pair. This should have been a joyous occasion, but no
one wanted to get the new shoes. With new shoes
came the burden of trying not to look at your new
shoes. The kids saw this as “showing off.” If word
got around that we were too proud, we became the
target of more kids.
The message of “don’t try to be better than anyone
else” had an effect on me for years. The more invisible
I was, the better. The more mediocre I was the better.
Don’t strive to be the best, strive to be the least! And
it was seen as okay to be the least.
Barbara; Eileen: Amongst God’s Own. The Enduring
Legacy of St. Mary’s Mission. Terry Glavin and Former
Students of St. Mary’s. Mission BC: Longhouse Pub-
Bev: They Called Me Number One. Bev Sellars. Van-
lishing 2002.
BARBARA
ROBERT
(Kamloops Residential School)
I look back on my own life and I can see how my
experiences in the residential school affected me. The
way I related to my children, I was distant. I couldn’t
express myself, I couldn’t say “I love you” very well,
couldn’t hug them. Whenever they cried too much,
I couldn’t cry, I didn’t know what crying was. I was
brought up in the school, we were taught never to cry.
When I was there, there was no affection between
the supervisors and the children. There’s only rules. So
it’s not like a home situation, you don’t have the adult
in your life saying “I care about you, I love you.”
Robert: Behind Closed Doors. Stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Penticton: Theytus
23
couver: Talon Books 2013.
(St. Mary’s Mission 1945-1954)
Although my dad didn’t talk about his years at residential school, I think the things that he did or learned that
affected my life was the feeling part, like saying I love
you, or giving me that hug. I think if he hadn’t gone
there he would have those things but he didn’t.
So like myself he wasn’t able to reach out and say I
love you and I appreciate you. That is what really bothers me is we weren’t able to do that or know how to.
Now that my grandchildren are around I am able to do
that and it is a different story. I give them the love that
I wasn’t able to give to my children.
Barbara; Eileen: Amongst God’s Own. The Enduring
Legacy of St. Mary’s Mission. Terry Glavin and Former
Students of St. Mary’s. Mission BC: Longhouse Publishing 2002.
Books, 2006. p115.
23
Borrowed from FNESC and FNSA document “Indian Residential School & Reconciliation” with permission.
87
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, C.C. 4): PROPAGANDA VIDEO LESSON
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
At this point in the unit, many students may be asking themselves and teachers...why? With
everything that they have learned about the experiences of the First Nation, Métis and Inuit
students in Residential Schools, why did the Indian Residential Schools continue? Why did no
one close them?
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Differentiate between propaganda and reasoned argument
• Understand the various techniques that are used to deliver propaganda
• Understand the effects of propaganda
• Learn what the Canadian government told Canadians about Indian Residential Schools
• Understand that most Canadians thought they were doing what was best for the
First Nation, Métis and Inuit students at the time
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• What is propaganda? How is it used and to what purpose?
• What is the criteria for an effective propaganda poster? Students could co-create this
criteria which will be used to assess their own posters at the end of the lesson.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
Discuss what propaganda is all about and how it is used. Propaganda is defined as: information, often misleading in nature, that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause or
point of view. Discuss with students, who might spread propaganda and why? Do you know
any examples?
88
TC2 Lesson: Detect Propaganda - discuss propaganda using above posters
http://tc2.ca/search_results.php?keyword=propaganda&x=15&y=15
DURING:
Watch the following video: Canadian Residential School Propaganda Video 1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_V4d7sXoqU
Have students think about who would have created the video and for what purpose?
What was life like for students at the residential school shown in this video?
What would your feelings be toward this video if you watched it in 1955?
Students could use TC2 Activity Sheet: Detect Propaganda and identify propaganda techniques used in the video, with examples.
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Have students discuss their thoughts about the video.
Does this explain why most Canadians believed that Indian Residential School children
were receiving a good, formal education which would help them to join and compete in
Canadian society?
ACTIVITY: Students will create their own propaganda poster, showing the First Nation point of
view on Residential Schools (choosing from a point of view - sibling, parent, community)
- contrast - raising awareness of what is actually happening.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Create a rubric for the propaganda poster, using the co-created success criteria of an effective
propaganda poster or the one from TC2 lesson.
TEACHER NOTES:
"Broadcast Date: March 13, 1955 Orphans, convalescents and those who live too deep in the
bush for day school: these are the students of the residential school in remote Moose Factory,
Ont. For ten months a year, these native children — some taken from their homes — start
each day with a religious service before heading to classes. A CBC Television crew visits the
school to salute Education Week — and here, the education is all about how to integrate into
mainstream Canadian society."
This video was created in order to conceal the true nature and motivation behind the residential school system. In this video, bright-eyed, happy First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children play
skip rope, enjoy participating in a game of hockey and eagerly learn cursive English from an
earnest, honest teacher. Throughout this video, a calm and eloquent speaker provides a voiceover describing the various activities enjoyed by the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children,
while constantly emphasizing that enrollment in the residential school was for their own good.
He stresses that these schools allow children in remote areas of the country to receive an
education, and also how a Western education in English would allow the children to fully join
and compete in Canadian society.
89
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 3, CRITICAL CHALLENGE)
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
The Critical Challenge is introduced during the lesson on Daily Life in Residential Schools and
is a possible extension lesson.
MATERIALS:
• Sample persuasive letters to share either individually or project using document camera
• Refer to The Write Beginnings and Guide to Effective Instruction Grades 4-6 Volume
6 - Writing, pp. 36-46
LESSON GOAL:
Students will gather evidence from their activities from Lines of Inquiry 1-3 to write a persuasive letter to the Indian Agent. They will also apply cause and consequence thinking and
perspective thinking.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can write an effective persuasive letter.
• I can accurately write from the perspective of a person involved in the
Residential Schools.
• I can apply cause/consequence thinking to develop good reasons in my
persuasive letter.
BEFORE:
1. Brainstorm with the class and ask: who are all of the people that would have been
involved in the daily life of a Residential School? Record these ideas in list together. List
should include: students, teachers/nuns/clergy, principal, school board, parents.
2.To practise applying perspective thinking, share some sentences and ask the students
to think/pair/share who on their list might have said this sentence, and why they think
so. Tell the students explicitly that they are applying perspective thinking in this exercise.
SAMPLE SENTENCES:
a)Residential Schools are exactly what these children need.
b)Residential school days are too long and difficult.
c)When they grow up, the children will be glad they went to Residential School.
d)Children need discipline to grow strong.
e)Residential school is better than no school.
3.Introduce the Critical Challenge. Ask children to select one of these groups and take
on the role of a person in the group. Present the task: Write a persuasive letter to the
Indian Agent in charge of the Residential School (Mr. Thomas Paul - actual Indian Agent)
from the point of view of this person to convince the Indian Agent whether
• Child: should you continue attending this school?
• Parent: should your child continue attending this school?
• Teacher/principal: should the children continue attending this school?
• Government/school board: should the children continue attending this school?
90
DURING:
Unfold the Critical Challenge using assessment-based writing. Here are two good resources
for introducing persuasive writing and giving specific techniques to share with students at
each stage of the writing process:
•
The Write Beginnings pp. 25, 38, 42-45, 59-61
•
Guide to Effective Instruction Grades 4-6 Volume 6 - Writing pp. 36-46
Here is a sample lesson structure based on The Write Beginnings:
4.Co-construct criteria for persuasive letters by sharing two sample letters, using the
process outlined on p. 25 of The Write Beginnings: Using High-Level Exemplars. Ask the
students: what makes this a good persuasive letter? See sample criteria from The Write
Beginnings pp. 38, 59.
5.Develop this co-constructed criteria into a checkbric or rubric that you can use to give
feedback and later evaluate the finished letters.
6.Modelled and Shared Writing: Model writing a sample letter and then write a sample
persuasive letter together (pp. 42-43) before students begin writing independently.
Depending on your students’ experience with the writing process (Generating Ideas/
Draft/Revise/Edit/Publish), you may want to do a Modelled and Shared writing for each
or just for some stages of producing the letter. Make sure students are aware of each
stage of the writing process and have strategies or techniques to be successful in each.
Ensure students have access to all ideas that you have developed from Line of Inquiry 1
through 3: class anchor charts, student Thinking Journals, text and video resources.
7.
Independent Writing: Have students draft, then revise and edit and publish their letters.
During the independent writing time, make sure you are conferencing with and
providing feedback for students on their process and giving them opportunities to revise
with feedback.
FURTHER SUPPORTING REFERENCES
• Sample framework for setting up the whole writing process - Guide to Effective
Instruction, pp . 71-79
• Sample lesson for introducing persuasive writing - Guide to Effective Instruction,
pp. 103-107
• Sample persuasive letter organizer for developing ideas - The Write Beginnings, p. 60
AFTER:
8.Collect and evaluate students’ final published letters. You may want students to share
their letters with each other or with another audience to celebrate their thinking
(e.g., orally or by posting) and create a further source of ideas for Line of Inquiry 4.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Evaluate the letters using the Persuasive Letter Criteria Checklist/Rubric that you developed
after co-constructing the letter criteria.
91
From: Justin PJ Trudeau Letter to James Given
http://www.seafarers.ca/justintrudeau-letter/
92
Mr. Justin Trudeau, M.P.
Leader, Liberal Party of Canada
House of Commons
111 Wellington Street OTTAWA, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Prime Minister-designate Mr. Trudeau,
On behalf of business leaders across the country, I write to congratulate you and the Liberal Party of
Canada on your victory in this week’s national general election.
As you prepare to be sworn in as our nation’s 23rd Prime Minister, we know you face many demands. Against a backdrop of accelerating global change and disruption, Canadians are looking to
you and your team for solutions to a broad range of social and economic challenges.
Satisfying these expectations will not be easy. It will require vision, sound judgment and an approach
to governance that emphasizes consultation and consensus-building rather than partisanship and
top-down authority. On that note, I hope that you will allow me to share a few preliminary thoughts
on behalf of the men and women who lead Canada’s largest and most globally engaged enterprises.
During the campaign, you put forward a proposal to reinvigorate the economy by investing in programs and projects that will create jobs and foster productivity growth, even at the expense of modest short-term deficits. In principle, we would support such a fiscal plan, provided that the federal
government’s net debt as a share of GDP continues on its current downward path toward a goal of
25 per cent by 2021.
In our view, the principal ingredients of such a strategy include:
A national skills strategy. Canada’s education and training systems have long been among the
world’s best, but recent international assessments show that Canadian students are not keeping up
with their peers in a number of developed and emerging countries. To ensure a high quality of life for
all citizens, it is time for a new approach and an honest conversation among governments, employers and educators on ways to improve outcomes and enhance career opportunities for young Canadians. Of particular importance is the need to address the unrealized potential in Canada’s aboriginal
population, one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the country.
Together with my colleagues in all regions of the country, I offer congratulations and best wishes.
The members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives look forward to working with you and
your government in the interests of a stronger and better Canada.
Sincerely,
The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Adapted from: http://www.ceocouncil.ca/publication/letter-mr-justin-trudeau-prime-minister-designate
93
August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario
Dear Friends,
Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank
each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts.
Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.
Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner
Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have
defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people
have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about
your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in
politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our
party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to
change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming
nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective
wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you.
Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need
to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.
And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a
better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our
good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the
national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can
actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling
new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them
a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal
country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let
us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.
All my very best,
Jack Layton
Adapted from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jack-layton-s-last-letter-to-canadians-1.991992
94
Teacher Guide
TT
Detect propaganda
identifying various propaganda techniques
used by an individual or group
targeted
4
adaptable
Primary
Intermediate
Middle
Senior
Learning outcomes
• differentiate between propaganda and reasoned argument
• understand various techniques that are used to deliver propaganda
• understand the effects of propaganda
4
When to use the strategy
•
•
•
•
analyze information distributed by political parties
analyze the justification for political decisions
analyze news releases and publications
determine the role of propaganda in the rise to power or leadership role of an individual (e.g.,
fictional character, historical figure)
• identifying the greatest propagandist
How to use the strategy
Prior knowledge
• the difference between propaganda and reasoned argument
• knowledge of the individual or group using the techniques
• techniques of propaganda
Ideas to emphasize
• Powerful leaders do not necessarily possess the best leadership qualities, but may use manipulative
means to enhance their position.
• Propaganda techniques can be used in a variety of situations.
• Propaganda techniques serve specific purposes (e.g., win support, gain trust, incite fear).
Instructional suggestions
• Present students with a scenario in which they want to get their own way (e.g., persuading parents to extend a curfew, convincing a teacher to delay an examination). Invite students to work in
groups and brainstorm techniques they would use to convince their parents or teacher. Share ideas
with the class. Point out that their suggestions are strategies used to gain power.
• Distinguish between reasoned arguments and propaganda and ask students to provide an example
of each. Categorize students’ previous suggestions, from reasoned argument to propaganda.
• Brainstorm situations when propaganda techniques might be used.
• Introduce the propaganda techniques listed on the activity sheet. Invite students to work in groups
to identify situations when each technique might be useful.
• Confirm students’ understanding of each propaganda technique by providing examples and asking
students identify the technique.
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
95
Detect propaganda
Student
Guide
identifying various propaganda techniques
used by an individual or group
Purpose
This strategy helps me understand
propaganda techniques and to differentiate
between propaganda and a reasoned
argument.
Instructions
• Before you begin, make sure you understand the meaning of each propaganda technique.
• Select an individual or group that may have used propaganda to gain support (e.g., advertising agency, politician, historical figure, fictional character).
• Carefully read the information about the individual / group. Pay particular attention to the
statements used to convince the audience to believe or do something. Underline these statements.
• Refer to the list of techniques on the activity sheet. Put a check mark beside the techniques
you think the individual used.
• Read each underlined statement again and decide which technique they illustrate.
• Record a quote, reference or example for each technique you identified.
• If necessary, consult other sources of information about or by the same individual to find
other uses of propaganda techniques.
Dete
cting
prop
Iden
tify pr
opag
and
anda
prov
ide tw
te
o exam chniques
us
ples
of ea ed by the
ch.
individ
Prop
agan
da
techni
Selec
ques
tivity
: se
that
suit th lecting on
e prop
ly facts
purp
ose
agan
dists’
Repe
tit
repeat ion: if a sta
teme
ed of
nt
te
be re
memb n enough is
ered
, it wi
ll
agan
da
ual or
First
grou
p
Activ
ity
Shee
t
exam
ple
Seco
nd ex
Lies an
d halflie to
truth
gain
audie s: telling
a
nce su
ppor
t
ampl
e
Rhet
orica
l qu
that
do no estions:
qu
t
beca
use th require an estions
e answ
answ
er
er is
obvio
us
Target
ing th
a grou
e enem
p by
y:
un
ident
or im
ifying
ify
agine
d enem ing a real
y
Criteria
Asse
rtion
: makin
ment
g bold
s rath
er th
argu
state
an
ment
s to de reasoned
tion
fend
a posiBand
wago
n:
to do
or be convincing
lieve
sayin
ot
hers
so
g ever
yone mething by
else do
es
Comp
ariso
n: am
quali
plifyi
tie
ng va
comp s and/or ac
lues,
ar
tions
some ing them
by
selve
one els
s to
e
Emba
rrassm
nent
ent:
s loo
k fooli making op
able
posh or
by
unde
ing sto presentin
sirg em
ries ab
ba
rrassout th
Humo
em
ur
the go : use humo
od sid
ur to
beco
me fri e of audie get on
endly
nce or
to wi
n tru
st
Identification of techniques: correctly identifies numerous
techniques.
Supporting examples: examples clearly illustrate the technique.
Identi
fication
Supp
orting
of tec
hniqu
exam
ples:
es: co
rrectl
exam
Criter
ia
y ide
ples cle
ntifies
arly illu
strate
nume
rous
the tec
techn
iques.
hniqu
e.
© Th
e Cri
96
tical
Think
ing Co
nsortiu
m
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Detecting propaganda
Activity
Sheet
Identify propaganda techniques used by the individual or group
and provide two examples of each.
Propaganda
techniques
First example
Second example
Selectivity: selecting only facts
that suit the propagandists’
purpose
Repetition: if a statement is
repeated often enough, it will
be remembered
Lies and half-truths: telling a
lie to gain audience support
Rhetorical questions: questions
that do not require an answer
because the answer is obvious
Targeting the enemy: unifying
a group by identifying a real
or imagined enemy
Assertion: making bold statements rather than reasoned
arguments to defend a position
Bandwagon: convincing others
to do or believe something by
saying everyone else does
Comparison: amplifying values,
qualities and/or actions by
comparing themselves to
someone else
Embarrassment: making opponents look foolish or undesirable by presenting embarrassing stories about them
Humour: use humour to get on
the good side of audience or
become friendly to win trust
Criteria
Identification of techniques: correctly identifies numerous techniques.
Supporting examples: examples clearly illustrate the technique.
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
97
Assessing the techniques
Rubric
Identification of techniques
Excellent
Correctly identifies all of
the techniques
used.
Very Good
Correctly identifies some
of the techniques
used.
Competent
Correctly identifies half of
the techniques
used.
Basic
Not Yet Able
Correctly identifies very
few of the techniques
used.
Evidence:
Supporting examples
Excellent
Very Good
Competent
Illustrates each technique
with two examples,
quotes or references, and
evidence is convincing.
Illustrates most of the
techniques with two
examples, quotes or references, and most evidence
is convincing.
Illustrates some
techniques with two
examples, quotes or
references, and evidence
is somewhat convincing.
Basic
Not Yet Able
Illustrates very few
techniques with
convincing examples,
quotes or references.
Evidence:
98
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
LESSON TITLE (LINE OF INQUIRY 4, C.C. 3): KOOKUM’S RED SHOES
Recommendation: Introduce mentor text in language.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Kookum is a nurturing Elder who takes bannock across the street
to the First Nation children at their school. Every time she goes to
the school, she remembers her own painful experience at
residential school, which centres around the memories of a pair of
red shoes that her parents bought her before she was removed.
Allusions to the Wizard of Oz help students picture Kookum’s
experiences; ultimately, she was resilient and used her unfortunate
childhood experiences to share empathy and kindness with the
children at the school.
PEMMICAN PUBLICATIONS INC., 2011
Kookum - (kôhkom) means “grandmother”
Note: Illustrations in the book depict the nuns as rather mean and harsh looking, all looking
the same; it is a good book to discuss point of view.
MATERIALS:
•
•
•
•
•
Students’ Thinking Journals
Student copies of Cause and Consequence organizer
Copy of Kookum’s Red Shoes by Peter Eyvindson
A stress ball
Paper for exit cards (or students could use a writing notebook)
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Apply their understanding of cause and consequence to actual residential survivors’
testimony.
• Understand what resilience means and how survivors were resilient.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can identify short-term and long-term consequences (impacts) on First Nation's
individuals and communities from Residential Schools, based on evidence.
• I can explain what resilience means and give examples of how Kookum was resilient.
99
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
1.Invite students to re-visit their Thinking Journal ideas back from Lesson 2.1 Shi-shi-etko
where they listed possible impacts on children being taken to Residential Schools
(or consult the whole-class anchor chart).
2.Explain: Now that we’ve briefly heard from some Indian Residential School survivors
(we watched about 8 minutes of the video in Lesson 3.2 A Day at Indian Residential
Schools), how has our understanding of these impacts deepened?
3.Give students a blank Cause and Consequence organizer and ask them to put “Living at
Residential School from age 4 to 18” as the cause. Together discuss and add students’
ideas to the Consequences side of the chart based on the previous lesson and model
what the difference between short-term and long-term is.
E.g., possible consequences so far might be: children know a trade (long-term);
children lose their language (long-term); children don’t get to know their siblings
very well (long-term); children are always tired (short-term); children are always
hungry (short-term)
4.Show students the remainder of the A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada DVD
(about 17 minutes left on the video), and establish their purpose for watching: What
short-term and long-term consequences do these survivors identify?
5.When finished, discuss and add ideas to the Cause and Consequence organizer. (Either
individually first and then whole-class, or whole-class.) Here are ideas mentioned
specifically in the DVD:
SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES
• lack of food = always hungry
• poor quality of food - no meat =
undernourished
• only 2 hours of actual school =
falling behind in education
• early day, working several hours =
tired and exhausted
• not enough food so fight others for
scraps = hard to make friends
• no hugs or love = loneliness
• chopped hair = lose culture
• not allowed to speak own language =
lose culture
• overall tough living conditions =
early deaths for some children
100
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
• lonely, loss of language, insufficient
teaching/learning time = low
graduation rates [the DVD mentions
the low graduation rates and then
summarizes the causes]
• free menial labour (First Nation people
became servants because of their skills,
but due to lack of money sense, etc…
were taken advantage of)
• no hugs or love = poor parenting
skills, don’t know how to hug their
own kids
• don’t go home for summer break = lose
connection with parents
• five generations of children at
Residential Schools = five generations
of broken communities, people
without good parenting skills
• lose language, lose connection to
parents and community = culture loss
• children come home broken = misuse
of alcohol
DURING:
6.After discussing the consequences, bring the class into a community and show them a
stress ball. Tell them that (as both the 2008 apology video and the Residential Schools
video showed): We have survivors and people in our community that are strong despite
these experiences. They are resilient.
7. Squeeze the stress ball and show how it bounces back and regains its shape. This is
what resilient means: bouncing back after a bad experience; dealing with these negative
consequences and letting good prevail.
8.Encourage students to make a personal connection about resilience, e.g., by thinking
of someone they know or someone they’ve read about who overcame a terrible
experience, but bounced back. How did they do it? (e.g., maybe a family member who
suffered a serious loss or illness, and recovered and now helps others; or a Jewish
victim of the Holocaust who lost his entire family but went on to become a doctor or
someone who helped humanity). [Not everyone is resilient, of course, and to explore
why some people are resilient is a deeper study. The point here is to help students
recognize that just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean you’re ruined, and
that many survivors of Indian Residential Schools were resilient.]
9.Say: We are going to hear from Kookum (“kôhkom” - means “grandmother”).
As you listen to this story (your purpose), think about: how was she resilient?
10.Read the story together. You may also want students to think about:
• Perspective this book is being written from and how do you know?
• Why has the artist depicted the nuns in this way? Do all nuns look like this?
• What features of this residential school are similar or different to those in the DVD?
11.Ask: What do you notice about Kookum now? How did she turn her bad experiences at
Residential School into good? Re-read the last two pages if necessary to help students
understand and focus on these quotations:
•“It took Kookum a long time to grow into fitting back” i.e. it takes time to recover
•“It took her time to learn to the old ways. She even had to learn to make bannock”
i.e. she had to re-learn
•“Every day she knew she would meet a new lion that lacked courage… she would
have none of that! By giving them Kookum hugs and telling them how proud she
was of them, she would make certain these children always felt that they belonged”
i.e. she reached out to others; she was able to empathize and comfort because
she understood
101
AFTER: (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
12.Remind the students that Mr. Harper apologized on behalf of Canadians and the
Canadian government in 2008. We have only seen a short snippet of his apology. Based
on the long-term consequences you’ve identified today, and thinking about resilience,
could you predict what the Prime Minister could or should say to the First Nation
survivors?
13.As an “exit card”, have each student select one of the long-term consequences on their
organizers (e.g., five generations of broken families) and write a sentence or two as if
they were the Prime Minister apologizing to the resilient survivors in the First Nation
community depicted in the Residential Schools video (or to Kookum directly, if easier).
This will give students an opportunity:
a. to show they understand the long-term consequence
b. to show they understand the point of view of the survivors (resilience)
c. to set them to up to analyze the real apology and their possible responses
14.A basic sentence starter or framework could be: To Kookum: I apologize to you for
________________. Despite this, you have shown resilience by ________________.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
The teacher could collect the students’ apology sentences and provide feedback about their
achievement of the two success criteria.
102
CAUSES
CONSEQUENCES
SHORT-TERM
LONG-TERM
103
LESSON TITLE: LINE OF INQUIRY 4
The Truth and Reconciliation Commision of Canada
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS/BOOK SUMMARY:
Please note that this is a two part lesson. These conversations and
activities will lead your class into the overarching critical challenge,
“What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward
authentic reconciliation.”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada agreement provided: compensation for
most of the former students of Residential Schools, compensation for individuals who were
physically and sexually abused at the Residential Schools, a commemoration fund and it
created the mandate for the Trust and Reconciliation commission in Canada. It also negotiates
terms of an apology that was presented to the Residential School Survivors and to Canadians
in June 2008. The TRC’s mandate is to inform all Canadians about what happened in Residential Schools (IRS). The Commission documented the truth of survivors, families, communities,
and anyone personally affected by their experience. The Commissioner has a five-year mandate and is supported by a TRC Secretariat (federal government department). The TRC has
been running several initiatives including preparing a comprehensive historical record on the
policies and operations of the schools and producing a report that will include recommendations to the Government of Canada concerning the IRS system and its legacy. The TRC’s mandate activities will focus on both truth and reconciliation and truth will be addressed through
statement gathering, research and public education. The TRC is very important to Canadians
as the Residential Schools are a part of our shared history. Canada's relationship with First Nation, Métis and Inuit people has suffered as a result of the IRS system. Healing and repairing
that relationship will require education, awareness, and increased understanding of the legacy
and the impacts still being felt for everyone involved in that relationship. To learn more about
TRC and it's achievements, please visit this link to the TRC Website:
http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=10
LESSON GOAL:
STUDENTS WILL:
• Identify the purpose and mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commision of Canada.
• Gain a better understanding of the meaning of “reconciliation” and “truth”.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
104
• I can identify the purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
• I can provide a definition of reconciliation.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
Part One: Students will view these two short videos from the Truth and Reconciliation
Commision.
All Nations Canoe Gathering https://vimeo.com/75805827
Educating Our Youth: Vancouver Event Student Responses https://vimeo/com/75812900
DURING:
PART ONE:
1.Engage in a classroom conversation - What are your thoughts and feelings on these
videos? This would be an opportunity for students to use the sharing circle to facilitate
this conversation.
2.Guide the students into thinking about the question, “What is the TRC? What is the
purpose of the TRC?” by posing questions, like “Who was responsible for putting this
event together?” Show the beginning and end of the videos where it shows the TRC
logo and prompt the students into thinking about such questions.
3.Students will research and gather information to explore the question, “What is the
purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada?” Students will identify 5
main points about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
4.Students will complete the Truth and Reconciliation hand out to gather information and
identify their 5 main points.
5.As a class, students will develop the top 3 most important points about the Truth and
Reconciliation purpose.
PART TWO:
6.Students will discuss the meaning of “truth” and “reconciliation”
7.Read the article 'Justin Trudeau honoured by Tsuut'ina First Nation as the one who
keeps trying' and Path to 'true reconciliation': Trudeau in article 2. Ask your students:
what steps has the government taken towards reconciliation? How are these actions
being acknowledged?
8.This is an opportunity for teachers to revisit students first Thinking Journal entry
responding to the question, “What does reconciliation look like? What were Residential
Schools?”
9.Invite students to revise this question. Students will add or change their initial
response. Encourage students to think about what they have learned throughout this
journey. Have they changed their original thoughts and beliefs about residential
schools? Do we have a better understanding of reconciliation and truth?
10.Tell the students that we are going to create a class definition of reconciliation in 20
words or less. A two dollar definition with each word being 20 cents.
11.Have students turn and talk to discuss what key words need to be in this definition and
develop their own definition to share with the class. Students will write their definition
on a sticky note to place on the board.
12.Teacher will read the definitions to the class, what are some similarities and differences
about these definitions? Are there certain words we continuously hear?
13.The class will now develop a class definition of reconciliation using the opinions and
thoughts of all that were presented.
105
AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Teacher will facilitate a sharing circle - reflecting on our journey throughout this unit (i.e., what
we have learned, feelings and emotions we experienced, as well as the meaning of truth and
reconciliation. Teacher will invite the students to think about these topics and reflect. What
does reconciliation look like?
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Exit card - In your own words, what does reconciliation mean?
TEACHER NOTES:
This lesson leads our students into exploring the overarching critical challenge, “What does
reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward authentic reconciliation.
106
After gathering your information and evaluating the evidence, what are the top 5 important points about the
Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s role?
Here is a place for you to gather your information about the Truth and Reconciliation:
What are your 5 important points about the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s role?
Point 1:
Point 2:
Point 3:
Point 4:
Point 5:
107
JUSTIN TRUDEAU HONOURED BY TSUUT'INA
FIRST NATION AS 'THE ONE THAT KEEPS TRYING'
Prime minister granted honorary headdress and aboriginal name on First Nation just southwest of Calgary
CBC News Posted: Mar 04, 2016 6:43 AM MT Last Updated: Mar 04, 2016 4: 37 PM MT
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses after receiving a ceremonial headdress while visiting the Tsuut'ina First Nation near
Calgary. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received thanks for his commitment to indigenous issues during an
elaborate ceremony on the Tsuut'ina First Nation near Calgary Friday, where he was bestowed with
a traditional headdress and an aboriginal name, Gumistiyi, which translates to "the one that keeps
trying."
Trudeau received the red carpet treatment as he arrived at Tsuut'ina for private meetings with First
Nations leaders before he and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde were presented with the honorary headdresses.
Once the public ceremony began, Trudeau received applause and shouts of approval as he spoke of
how important it is, in his view, to renew Canada's "nation-to-nation relationship" with its indigenous
people.
"I commit to you that the Government of Canada will walk with you on a path of true reconciliation, in
partnership and in friendship. I will not lose sight of that goal," Trudeau told the gathered crowd.
"I will remember the responsibility of the great honour you bestow on me today."
In his opening remarks, Tsuut'ina Chief Roy Whitney-Onespot thanked Trudeau and his government
for committing to a national inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women.
"Our women are central in our community and give you thanks for recognizing the importance of
justice for our women," Whitney-Onespot said.
Trudeau had accepted an invitation from Tsuut'ina to formally meet with band leaders and be briefed
on First Nations issues including missing and murdered women, adequate water, social programming
and economic development.
108
Bellegarde told the crowd he welcomed Trudeau's decision to lift the previous two-per-cent cap on
federal funding increases to First Nations, and said he looked forward to greater investment in education for aboriginals.
"That cap was a cap on growth, a cap on potential," the national chief said. "You have to start investing
in the fastest growing segment of Canada's population, which is our young men and women."
Following the remarks from Trudeau and Bellegarde, both were presented with a variety of gifts before the official headdress transfer took place.
The honorees then joined Tsuut'ina leaders in a celebratory dance.
The headdress, or war bonnet, symbolizes accomplishment, respect, bravery and peace building.
Tsuut'ina member Hal Eagletail, who acted as the master of ceremony, said the headdresses are
only bestowed upon recipients the band believes will be warriors for them.
"We have the right to give this headdress to who we feel is worthy," Eagletail said. "In our Tsuut'ina
culture, when you're elected a leader, you've earned that right to receive the headdress, because you
need to go do battle for us."
Among those in attendance at the ceremony was Isaac Crane, 18, who was pleased to see Trudeau
visit the First Nation to speak with aboriginal leaders.
"It's better than the previous prime minister," he said.
While Crane said he cast a ballot for the NDP when he voted for the first time in a federal election
last October, he was impressed by what Trudeau had to say about First Nations issues.
"He's straight, direct, about his goals," Crane said.
"I do hope he changes a lot of things."
The Tsuut'ina First Nation rarely bestows ceremonial headdresses upon sitting prime ministers,
though other Canadian leaders have received similar honours from other bands.
In 2011, the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta named then-prime minister Stephen Harper the band's
honorary chief and gave him a headdress of eagle feathers.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION CHAIR SAYS
FINAL REPORT MARKS START OF 'NEW ERA'
Justin Trudeau says commission's final report will chart path to 'true reconciliation'
By Susana Mas, CBC News Posted: Dec 15, 2015 11:49 AM ET
Justice Murray Sinclair, the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, says today marks the
beginning of a new chapter in relations between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians.
"I stand before you here, hopeful that we are at a threshold of a new era in this country, said Sinclair
109
to an emotionally charged room filled with many residential school survivors and their families, moments before he unveiled the commission's final report in Ottawa.
The final report is a detailed account, spanning nearly 4,000 pages, of what happened to indigenous
children who were physically and sexually abused in government boarding schools.
Two chairs at the front of the room were left empty to symbolize the more than 3,200 indigenous
children who died in residential schools — a number Sinclair estimates to be much higher.
Sinclair along with commissioners chief Wilton Littlechild and Marie Wilson, spent the past six years
hearing heartbreaking testimony from more than 6,000 residential school survivors who were abused
and lived to tell their stories.
"Each and every one of us who listened to them would go home at the end of each day," Sinclair said,
his voice choked with emotion, "and we would hold our children, our grandchildren, closer as we
proceeded.
"Not so much to protect them from some invisible force, but to gain the strength that we would need
each day to go forth and to listen once again."
Sinclair, Manitoba's first Aboriginal judge, spoke of the impact the commission's work had on his
health and his family.
"I have a wife and a family, who need me, and whose love and support have carried me to this point.
They have supported me in this work but at great loss to the relationships we could have had and
which we will now try to recapture," said a visibly moved Sinclair.
While the release of the final report marks the end of the commission's mandate, Sinclair said it also
turns the page on a new chapter in reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
"A period of change is beginning," said Sinclair, "that if sustained by the will of the people, will forever
realign the shared history of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in Canada."
"Change, of course, will not be immediate. It will take years, perhaps generations."
'STOLEN CHILDHOODS'
Commissioner Wilson, a former journalist who worked at CBC for 25 years, spoke of the commission's efforts to record the deaths of the thousands of children who died in residential schools.
Wilson spoke of the "Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Project" which found that many government and school officials did not record the names, gender or cause of death of indigenous students.
"Much work lies ahead on the path to reconciliation including the reclamation of your names and the
reconsecration of your resting places."
Turning to Trudeau, Wilson said, "in the absence of any direct involvement by the previous prime minister in any of our Truth and Reconciliation hearings or national events, today will mark the first time
that we hear an official response to our work from the prime minister of Canada on behalf of all the
people of Canada."
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Wilson's remarks were met with loud cheers and thunderous applause as the crowd gave Trudeau a
standing ovation.
Sitting in the front row, Trudeau was seen wiping away his tears.
Wilson concluded her remarks by thanking the survivors who pushed to have their voices heard.
"It is the survivors' telling of their stolen childhoods that has shaken us all awake," she said.
PATH TO 'TRUE RECONCILIATION': TRUDEAU
Trudeau remained seated at the front of the room where he went on to listen to the pleas for reconciliation from a number of residential school survivors until it was his turn to speak.
"John highlighted something for me," Trudeau said of the survivor who had just spoken before him.
"I went to some very good schools as a child and throughout this experience I can only — feel guilty,
but at least very aware of the contrast between my schooling and the experiences some others went
through."
John Banksland is an Inuvialuit elder who spent 15 years as a resident of the Immaculate Conception
Residential School in Aklavik, NWT.
Trudeau was conciliatory in his remarks, giving a nod to Stephen Harper's Conservatives for the 2008
apology to residential school survivors.
"The previous government expressed this so well when it said in its formal apology that your courage
'is a testament to your resilience as individuals and to the strength of your cultures... the burden of
this experience has been on your shoulders for far too long. The burden is properly ours as a government, and as a country.'"
"Our goal, as we move forward toward together, is clear," Trudeau said. "It is to lift this burden from
your shoulders, from those of your families and communities. It is to accept fully our responsibilities
and our failings, as a government and as a country," the prime minister said to loud applause.
"Seven years later, the apology is no less true, and no less timely."
Trudeau apologized to indigenous people on behalf of the Canadian government quoting directly from
the 2008 residential schools apology.
"The government of Canada sincerely apologizes, and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal peoples
of this country for failing them so profoundly," said Trudeau.
The prime minister, who has committed to implementing all 94 calls to action, said a more "formal
response" would be forthcoming in an effort to renew the federal government's relationship with
Canada's indigenous people.
"Let me say once again: I give you my word that we will renew and respect that relationship."
"We will remember that reconciliation is not an Aboriginal issue, it is a Canadian issue," he said.
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RECONCILIATION HAS 'NO FINISH LINE'
Littlechild, who spent over a decade in residential schools in Alberta, went on to work as a lawyer and
served as a member of Parliament from 1988 to 1993.
In his remarks, Littlechild said reconciliation was a "non-partisan" responsibility and "great national
opportunity."
Littlechild, who described himself as a "lifelong competitive athlete" said that sports allowed him to
escape the pain and suffering of residential schools.
"We need to work together as a team, as a country, in living up to the principles of reconciliation."
"I think we are off to a very strong start," the former coach said.
"I hope there will be no finish line for reconciliation."
Justice Murray Sinclair, centre, and Commissioners Chief Wilton Littlechild, left, and Marie Wilson pull back a blanket to unveil
the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada on the history of Canada's residential school system.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is being published in seven languages:
English, French, Mi'kmaq, Ojibwa, Inuktitut, Cree and Dené.
The commission was established on June 1, 2008, as part of the court-approved Indian Residential
Schools Settlement Agreement with the mandate to inform all Canadians of what really happened to
indigenous children in residential schools.
Trudeau will meet for the first time on Wednesday with the leaders of five national aboriginal organizations.
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News Release - May 30, 2016 9:30 am
ONTARIO APOLOGIZES FOR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
Government Releases Action Plan for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
Office of the Premier
Premier Kathleen Wynne apologized today on behalf of the Government of Ontario for the brutalities
committed for generations at residential schools and the continued harm this abuse has caused to
Indigenous cultures, communities, families and individuals.
The Premier made her Statement of Ontario's Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous
Peoples in the Legislative Assembly, with residential school survivors and First Nation, Métis and
Inuit leaders in attendance. She apologized for the policies and practices supported by past Ontario
governments, and the harm they caused; for the province's silence in the face of abuse and death at
residential schools; and for residential schools being only one example of systemic intergenerational
abuses and injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities throughout Canada.
In recognition of this historic event and Ontario's nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples, the Legislature voted unanimously to open the floor to speeches from Opposition party leaders,
Indigenous leaders -- and from Andrew Wesley, a residential school survivor who attended St. Anne's
Indian Residential School in Fort Albany in his youth.
The Premier's apology is part of the government's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Final Report, released one year ago. Ontario is taking action to acknowledge one
of the most shameful chapters in Canadian history and teach a new generation the truth about our
shared history. The province released an action plan today -- developed working closely with Indigenous partners -- that will help Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples move forward in a spirit of
reconciliation.
The Journey Together: Ontario's Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples plans to
invest more than $250 million over three years in new initiatives in five areas:
Understanding the legacy of residential schools: The province will ensure that Ontarians
develop a shared understanding of our histories and address the overt and systemic racism
that Indigenous people continue to face
Closing gaps and removing barriers: Ontario will address the social and economic
challenges that face Indigenous communities after centuries of colonization and discrimination
Creating a culturally relevant and responsive justice system: The province will improve the
justice system for Indigenous people by closing service gaps and ensuring the development and
availability of community-led restorative justice programs
Supporting Indigenous culture: Ontario will celebrate and promote Indigenous languages and
cultures that were affected after generations of Indigenous children were sent to residential
schools
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Reconciling relationships with Indigenous Peoples: The province will support the rebuilding
of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through trust, mutual respect
and shared benefits.
These commitments are just some of many steps on Ontario's journey of healing and reconciliation
with Indigenous Peoples. They reflect the government's commitment to work with Indigenous partners to build a better future for everyone in the province.
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UNCOVERING THE PAST:
A JOURNEY FROM RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS TOWARD RECONCILIATION
“What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward authentic reconciliation.”
OVERARCHING CRITICAL CHALLENGE
What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward authentic reconciliation.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS:
This overarching critical challenge is open ended to ensure student voice is heard in
responding to, “What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward authentic
reconciliation.”
LESSON GOAL: STUDENTS WILL:
• Create a response to the question, “What does reconciliation look like? Take a
meaningful step toward reconciliation.”
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
My meaningful step to reconciliation reflects my learning over all four lines of inquiry:
• Connects effectively to the values of First Nation people.
• Demonstrates a good understanding of the impacts on First Nation people of
Residential Schools (i.e., cause and consequence thinking).
• Addresses all aspects of our definition of reconciliation.
• Communicates thoughtfully to my audience.
LESSON PLAN
BEFORE (ACTIVATION):
Conduct a sharing circle and invite students to reflect on their learning throughout this unit.
Develop a question based on where your students' learning has grown. For example, you may
want to ask, "What does responsibility mean? Who should be responsible for the positive
steps we should take forward with Indigenous peoples? The government? Canadians? Indigenous youth?" You may want to also ask, "What are the most powerful understandings that have
emerged from the legacy of Residential Schools?"
DURING:
Share with students Trudeau's acknowledgement (video clip) of his own school experiences
compared to those of Residential Schools. Continue your discussion about the governments'
response to Residential Schools and where we are now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQhYvtl8UY Trudeaus response
Pose the statement, “What does reconciliation look like? Take a meaningful step toward
authentic reconciliation.“
As a class, you will need to brainstorm possible ideas and develop success criteria for an effective response to the question, “What does reconciliation looke life? Take a meaningful step
toward authentic reconciliation.“ Examples of success criteria are shown above.
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AFTER (CONSOLIDATING LEARNING):
Provide students an opportunity reflect in their Thinking Journals.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:
Their step toward reconciliation needs to reflect their understanding of the definition of
rec-onciliation, the big ideas from each line of inquiry, and the impacts on First Nation
peoples (cause and consequence).
TEACHER NOTES:
Possible examples of responses to the overarching critical challenge:
• Inviting an Elder into the school
• Awareness Assembly
• Letter writing campaign
• Persuasive letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, template included.
If there are any questions, please contact a member from the First Nation, Métis and Inuit
team.
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Name: __________________________
Date: _____________________________
DEAR PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU
Write a persuasive letter to Prime Minister Trudeau explaining to him why he needs to continue to work hard to
make a genuine reconciliation to Canada’s First Nation People for the Canadian Government’s role in the
Residential Schools. In your letter, you need to explain three reasons why he should continue to support the
Canadian Governments reconciliation with First Nation Peoples. Be as creative as possible in the development of
your letter and remember that you need to explain your ideas and perspectives clearly to your reader. Use the
organization chart below to help you develop your persuasive letter.
Introductory Paragraph:
Why are you writing this letter to Prime
Minister Trudeau?
What are the main reasons why you feel it is
important for him to continue to work towards
reconciliation?
Body Paragraphs:
Why should Prime Minister Trudeau continue to support reconciliation with the First Nation. Remember to include
details / proof / evidence to help convince your reader that you solutions will work.
Reasons why he should
continue to support reconciliation
Details / Proof / Evidence
1. ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Concluding Paragraph:
Conclude your persuasive letter with a short paragraph that sums up your main arguments.
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LITERATURE RESOURCE LIST
A STRANGER AT HOME by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret
Pokiak-Fenton. Annick Press, 2011
A Stranger at Home, sequel to Fatty Legs, is the powerful memoir of a
girl searching for her true self when she returns from residential school.
Ten-year-old Margaret Pokiak has not been home in two years and is
excited to be back with her family that she has missed so much. Her
return does not go as planned as her mother barely recognizes her and
Margaret quickly realizes she is now marked as an outsider. She has
forgotten the language and stories of her people, and she can’t even
stomach the food her mother prepares. In an attempt to relearn her language and her family’s way of living, Margaret discovers how important
it is to remain true to the ways of her people—and to herself.
FATTY LEGS by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton.
Annick Press, 2010
Fatty Legs is a true story of young Margaret’s experiences at a northern
residential school. Against her father’s judgment and warnings of Residential Schools, eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic.
At school, Margaret encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun who
immediately dislikes the strong-willed young girl. Intending to humiliate
her, the Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls except Margaret,
who gets red ones. Although becoming the laughingstock of the entire
school, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the
stockings. In the end, young Margaret is the one who gives the Raven a
lesson in the power of human dignity.
GIVING THANKS: A NATIVE AMERICAN GOOD MORNING
MESSAGE
Lee and Low Books, 2002.
Giving Thanks is a children's version on the Thanksgiving Address. This
tradition teaches children to start each day by giving thanks to Mother
Earth.
KOOKUM’S RED SHOES by Peter Eyvindson. Pemmican Publications
Inc, 2011.
Kookum’s Red Shoes is a story of one women’s experience at Residential School. Kookum which means grandmother is now an elderly
women and shares her story of being taken away from her home at a
young age.
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ONKWEHONWE-NEHA by Skonaganleh:ra (Sylvia Maracle). Sister Vision
Press, 1994.
Onkwehonwe-neha translates into Mohawk as “all parts of life”. This includes, as Maracle writes, “earth, water, plants, vegetables, trees, animals,
rocks, winds, sun, moon, stars, and spirit world are all part of the circle. We
are all part of life that the Creator made”. In this story the author talks about
how in the beginning of time the First People were provided with Original
Instructions of how to live. Over time we human beings have strayed from
these instructions. The story takes a walk through our history and outlines
the impact of colonialism on First Nation identity. The story ends positively
with Maracle writing “Onkwehonwe-neha is our way. It was the truth thousands of years ago, it is the truth today, and it will be the truth in thousands
of years from now.” This leaves the readers with the question, how do we
get back to our Original Instructions?
SHI-SHI-ETKO by Nicola I. Campbell. Groundwood, 2005
This story recounts the importance of holding on to one’s cultural identity.
Shi-shi-etko is a young girl who will be leaving her family and all that she
knows to attend a residential school in four days. Each in turn, her mother,
father, and grandmother use the remaining days at home to share valuable
cultural teachings that they want her to remember. Shi-shi-etko carefully
gathers her memories of the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny
rock, and her grandfather’s paddle song for safekeeping.
SHIN-CHI’S CANOE by Nicola I. Campbell. Groundwood Books/House of
Anansi Press 2008
Drawn from interviews with family and elders who are survivors of Indian
Residential Schools,
Shin-chi’s Canoe is a written story of two children’s experience at a residential school. Shi-shi-etko is returning for her second year, but this time her
younger brother, Shin-chi, is going too. The months at school are filled with
lessons and hard work as well as going to mass. Shin-chi is always hungry
and lonely, but finds solace in a tiny cedar canoe, a symbolic gift from their
father representing everything Shin-chi must keep hidden. Both children
wait for the long and much anticipated return of the sock-eye salmon swimming up the river – an indication of them returning to their family, culture,
and tradition for the summer months.
THE SECRET OF THE DANCE by Andrea Spalding and Alfred Scow. Orca
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Books, 2006
The Secret of the Dance is a fictional story based on Judge Alfred Scow’s,
a Kwakwa’ka’wakw Nations elder, boyhood story. The narrator, Watl’kina
tells us that in 1935, an Indian Agent warned his parents that the Potlatch
and the dancing that were a part of a Potlatch ceremony were illegal. With
Potlatch being an essential part of their cultural identity, Watl’kina’s family
uses a fishing trip to disguise a visit to family in a nearby village hosting a
Potlatch. Due to the fear of having their children taken away, Watl’kina and
his siblings were kept in the dark about the Potlatch Ceremony. Curiosity
and the beating of drums from the long house called Watl’kina him from
his room where he witnessed not only the unforgettable ceremony, but a
familiar figure dancing – his father.