SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachings InterdisciplinaryArts

AnEco-Jus<ceandWellnessIndigenousArtsEduca<onProjectwithEstherOsche(Ojibwastoryteller)+AllyciaUccello+CharmaineLurch(visualar<sts)Grades4to6

TheFirstNa,ons,Mé,sandInuitpeoplesofNorthAmericaweregivensevensacredTeachingsoftheSevenSacredGrandfathers that formthe founda,onof theirspirituality.Thetradi,onalconceptsof respectandsharing that form the founda,on of the Aboriginal way of life are built around these teachings. Eachteaching honours one of the basic virtues to a full and healthy life. All other feelings, thoughts andac,onsarederivedfromtheseteachings.EachScaredTeaching isrepresentedbyananimalbecauseanimals live close to the land and therefore serve to remind us of our connec,on to nature andrespectforallthings.

Indigenous peoples spent thousands of years evolving with these close connec,ons. SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachingsblendsOjibwastorytellingwithnarra,vepain,ngs.Storyteller isEstherOsche.Visualar,stsareCharmaineLurchandAllyciaUccello.

Idealforjuniorgradesbutmaybeadaptedforprimaries.

LearningOutcomes

•AwarenessofCanada’sFirstNa,onsbeliefsonhumanityandourinterconnectednessthroughstorytellingandgroupvisualartinstalla,on

•Exploresevensacredteachingsinallegory(giNofanimalcreatures)thatbeginwiththeEagle (love) andalsodiscern truth fromhonestyand includehumility,wisdom,respectandcourage

• Programsupportsaposi,vepsychologymodelofteachingthroughtheartswithoutcomes designed to build these virtues in us all understanding that this leads to self-understanding, love for humanity,

interdependenceandsocialintelligence

• All of the above supports individual resilience, op,mism, hope and faith in ourselves and others, necessary for coping with life’svicissitudes,whilealsoencouragingapurposefullife

Animalcreature Visualelements Virtues(SacredTeaching)

EAGLE Air,land,mountains,terrain LOVE

TURTLELand,water TRUTH

BEAVERLand,water WISDOM

WOLF Land,(highplacesandcrevasses) HUMILITY

MEESHOO Water(lakes) HONESTY

(specifictoOjibwaisaserpentratherthanaSasquatch)

BUFFALO Land RESPECT

BEAR Land,traveller,highplaces COURAGE

Ar<s<cProcess

• StorytellerEstherOschevisitseachclassroomtwice

• First visit is the telling of the CREATOR’SGIFT exploring themes of our interconnectedness to all living things and our universaldiversityincludingthatofNorthAmerica’sFirstNa,ons

• SecondvisitwithEsthercon,nuestheSEVENGRANDFATHERSSACREDTEACHINGS

• StoriesprovideallegoryofanimalstohumanityandourvirtueswiththeEagleatthecentre,thusourSEVENsacredteachingsalignwiththeTDSBcharactertraits

• Visualar,stpar,cipatesinthestorytellingsessions

• Storytellingmayincludevisualsofeachanimalwithprojec,onscreen

• Storiesarereinterpretedvisuallyinthenarra,vemural

• Ar,stvisitswitheachclassfour,mesincluding2classroomvisitsforresearchanddrawingsand2visitstotransposeillustra,onsandpain,ngsonthewall~allguidedbyEsther

TeachingResources

• WoodlandCulturalCentrehYp://www.woodland-centre.on.ca/

• TheMishomisBook:TheVoiceofthePeoplebyEdwardBental-Banai(forstudents)

• HistoryoftheOjibwayPeoplebyWilliamWarren• OjibwayHeritagebyBasilJohnson

Video• SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachings(InnerCityAngels+

MariposaInTheSchools)https://youtu.be/ELk-4r6q8bw

ExtensionIdeas• Howdoweknowit’sthereifwecan’tseeit?• Allofuswillexperienceanimbalanceinlife(whatdoesthismean?)• HowdowerestoreourbalanceaNerloss• Arethesevirtuesfoundinothercultures?Whatdotheylooklike?• EarlynaturalhistoryandFNhistoryofyourneighbourhood(wherewe

stand)• Broadenperspec,veandknowledgeofFNpeoples(diversity)• Interconnectednessofbeingsandnature,personalwellbeing,and

communitywellbeing

Allycia Uccello with Esther Osche