Book Week 2020

Round the World in 5 Days

In Year 5, we are going to be thinking about text from 5 different continents

about or written by 5 different indigenous peoples.

What does indigenous mean?

What is a continent?

Can anyone name any indigenous peoples already?

First Nations people

Does anyone know anything about First Nations people?

About: First Nations people are original inhabitants of the land that is

now Canada, and were the first to encounter sustained

European contact, settlement and trade.

You may have heard first nations people being called

American Indian or Native Americans. Indigenous to Canada

are also Innuits who used to be called Eskimos

First Nations people have lived in what is now Canada for at

least 12,000 years.

Many First Nations people live on their traditional lands but

many have moved to cities.

A bit about the

history…

500 years ago, there were no European people in Canada – just indigenous people who lived from the land.

Newcomers arrived in small numbers with little knowledge of the climate, flora and fauna in North America. To survive, participate in economic activities, and engage in warfare, newcomers relied on their First Nation partners’ skills and expert knowledge of “the lands, transportation routes, food resources…[and] animals.” Initially, First Nations People were pleased to trade skins and other First Nations products with the newcomers.

Newcomers saw the land as being unused as it was not being used to make money – and they saw themselves as discovering the land and being responsible for civilizing it.

Early contact also spread European diseases to First Nations who, with little to no immunity to these foreign pathogens, were greatly harmed. In some cases, entire communities were decimated, leaving those remaining to come together to survive.

Some photos of First Nations people

First Nations children at school

First Nations leader meeting Canadian Prime Minister to discuss rights First Nations people in traditional

dress for celebration

First nations

tribe in

1800s

Find out about Indigenous and First

Nations people in Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CISeEFTsgDA

Where do First Nations people live?

Aboriginal is another way of saying Indigenous and applies to Canada as well as other peoples especially in Australia.

This map shows the pre-contact distribution of indigenous peoples over what is now Canada.

Pre-contact means before they were contacted or before Western people arrived.

Where do 1st Nations People live now?

Where is Canada in the world?

Climate of Canada

Canada is seriously big! – it’s the second biggest country in the world after Russia and many First Nations people live in the more Northerly areas which are very cold.

Because of its geographical position, winters days are very short and extremely cold and summer days are long.

It would not be unusual to experience temperatures of –20 in the winter.

Geographical Features of Canada

In Canada’s far north lies the

frozen Arctic. Here, ice, snow

and glaciers dominate the

landscape. Brrrrrr!

There are mountains and lakes in

Canada.

https://www.natgeokids.com/places/ten-facts-about-the-arctichttps://www.natgeokids.com/science-and-nature/Glaciers

Animals of Canada

Giant Canadian Goose

Grizzly Bear

Moose

Grizzly Bear

Moose

Gray Wolf

Whales

MarmotBison

What do you think traditional First Nations food is in Canada?

First nations people traditionally use

whatever wholefood is growing

around them. Such as beans, corn

and squash.

Can you match the

picture with the caption?

First nations woman making

Maple Syrup from tree sap

Traditional method of drying and

smoking pânsâwân over an open

fire.

Salmon

Bannock a type of bread

What sort of clothes do you think First

Nations people might wear?

There are many different Tribes of First nations people in Canada which means

many different types of traditional dress.

Here are some that are notable or common to lots of First nations people.

Nowadays, First Nations people wear the same type of clothes as you and me

most of the time, but would wear traditional dress for special occasions and

ceremonies.

Fur and skins

From the past to the present, First Nations people

have worn caribou and sealskin clothing. These

durable and easily available materials have

allowed First Nations people to survive in a climate

that defeated most others.

Head dress

According to the First Nation culture, the

headdress is used only for ceremony and

worn only by chiefs, leaders and warriors.

Only men were allowed to wear a Native

American warbonnet. This is changing

though.

Head dresses are given rather than bought

and are very special.

Different tribes have different head dresses.

It is considered insensitive to wear a

headdress for fun because they have

important meaning for First Nations people.

One type of traditional home is a wigwam, wickiup or wetu is a semi-permanent

domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American and First Nations tribes,

and still used for ceremonial purposes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickiuphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetu

Where do First Nations People

traditionally live?

Teepee

Teepees were the homes of the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains. A teepee was built using a number of long poles as the frame. The poles were tied together at the top and spread out at the bottom to make an upside down cone shape. Then the outside was wrapped with a large covering made of buffalo hide.

When the tribe arrived at a new spot, the woman of each family would set up and build the teepee. Building a teepee was very efficient and typically only took around 30 minutes to set up.

In the summer the covering would be raised to allow for a large gap at the bottom. This gap enabled cool air to flow through the teepee and keep the inside cooled.

Where do First Nations People live now?

Many First Nations people live on reserves,

which is often on land which has been

reclaimed by them. Unfortunately, there is

very high unemployment and extreme

poverty in many of these places. Many

reserves don’t have clean running water.

Many First Nations people now also live in

the city where there is more work. In the city

too, First Nations people experience more

illness, unemployment, shorter life span,

poorer mental health and experience

racism than the non First Nations population.

What are First Nation beliefs?

There are many different tribes, but one core belief is that we are looking after the earth for the next generation. “custodians” of the earth.

First Nations people are famous for totem poles. First Nations symbols and Crests are an important part of the culture and history of First Nations in North America. Each animal, spirit and supernatural being represents and symbolises different stories, traits, personality and values.

First Nations people traditionally are very close to nature as they got their food and everything they needed directly from their environment. They believe that everything is interconnected and that humans are part of nature.

Elders are important. They are not defined by age, but rather Elders are recognized because they have earned the respect of their community through wisdom, harmony and balance of their actions in their teachings.

Thunderbird symbol.

Thunder can be heard

when the Thunderbird

beats its wings.

What problems do First Nations people

face?

In the 1700s, a treaty was signed which gave most of First Nations people’s

land to the crown. They thought they would get other benefits and still be

able to live on their land.

Unfortunately, this was the start of many problems for First Nations people

who were looked down on for their way of life. The government even took

the children from tribes and put them in residential schools away from their

parents. This was part of the “Civilization Fund Act”

There is still massive inequality today.

This tells you more about the residential

schools.

The video goes on to say that Canada is headed in the right direction but still has a

long way to go.

What can we learn from First Nations People?

Have a think about this and then come back to this question after you

have looked at the text after break.

Do you remember what these words

mean?

Contact

Residential school

Teepee

Reserve

Elders

Our First Nations text is:

The Elders are Watching by David Bouchard and illustrated by First Nations

Artist, Roy Henry Vickers.

After Break… Read The Elders are Watching

What is the book about?

Who are the Elders taking to?

What emotion is the author feeling?

Look out for Roy Henry Vickers

illustrations. What details can you see?

What clues are there that it is written and

illustrated by First Nations people?

What does it show us about First Nations

attitudes to nature?

What do you like about the book?

When do you think the book was written?

Did you see these images in the book?

- why do you think they were included?

Salmon Salmon - Persistence, Dependability

and Renewal - A Provider

Eagle Eagle - Great Strength, courage

Leadership and Messenger of the

heavens

Thunderbird A supernatural being of power and

strength

https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/eagle-symbol.htm

Read this page

again…

And there are those whose actions show.

They see the way things could be.

They do what they can, give all that they

have

Just to save one ancient tree.

What do you think the author means by

“The way things could be”?

How would you like to see

nature in the future?

We are going to write a class book called

“The way things could be”

With your partner, write a page for our

class book.

In your jotters, write some lines about how

you would like to see nature in the future.

It could rhyme if you wanted it to.

Start with If…

Ideas for starting lines:

If governments start _______ ,

our forests will stay green.

If we stop buying plastic, our

oceans ________

If leaders …

If oil companies…

If we all…

Afternoon work

Totem Poles are part of First Nations

Peoples ancestry.

RavenFrog

Which animal do you think is your spirit/totem animal?

In the next slide is a list of animals and what they represent for

First Nations people.

Some Spirit Animals and what they represent – which one is

you or is your spirit animal something else?

Salmon Salmon - Persistence, Dependability

and Renewal - A Provider

Seal The Seal - Bright, Inquisitive,

Organized

Shark The Shark - Remorselessness,

Survival, Adaptability

Badger Badger - Bold, out-going, good

communicator

Bumblebee Bumblebee - Honesty, Pure Thinking,

Willingness and Drive

Beaver Beaver - Creative and Artistic ability,

builder, resourcefulness and

determination

Bear Bear - Strength, Solitude,

Motherhood, Teaching and to learn

Humility Meaning of Bear

Deer Deer - Healing, Gentleness, kindness

& compassion

Dog Dog - Guidance, Loyalty and trust

Dove Dove - Love, Gentleness and

Kindness

Frog Frog - Spring & New Life, Sensitivity,

Communicator, Stability Kingfisher The Kingfisher - Luck, Patience,

Speed and Agility

Turtle The Turtle - Self-Reliance, Tenacity,

Slow Progress

Wolf The Wolf - Intelligence & Leadership -

Strong Sense of Family Squirrel Squirrel - Planning and Preparation

Porcupine Porcupine - Safety and Protection

Butterfly Butterfly - Represents transformation

and the ability to accept change

https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/bear-symbol.htmhttps://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/deer-track-symbol.htmhttps://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/turtle-symbol.htmhttps://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/wolf-symbol.htmhttps://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/butterfly-symbol.htm

How have First Nations people represented spirit animals?

What changes have the artists made?

Cube Totem Pole

Cut out the net and construct it. Decide

which sides to draw on and which sides are

going to be the top and bottom.

Decide on Your Animal Guide/spirit animal.

Look carefully at the First Nations Totem

Poles. Draw your Animal guide onto the

cube in the style of the First Nations carvers.

Use the handout to help you.