Remembering the Diversity within "Indigenous"

One of the traps that I sometimes find myself falling into is using the term Indigenous when really I mean First Nations.

Here are questions I have been sitting with

• When I see "FNMI" programming, is it truly inclusive of Métis and Inuit peoples?

• When I use the term Indigenous in my teaching, am I following up in a meaningful way with First Nations, Inuit AND Métis histories, communities, cultures, and/or current realities?

• When I use the term "First Nations" am I naming the specific Nations I am referring to whenever I can, to highlight the diversity among Nations?

I was reminded of these questions this weekend, when I saw a Facebook post from the Métis Nation of Ontario, inviting educators to online information sessions in March and April. If you are interested in learning more, I have included the screen grab below!

One resource I rely on to learn about the diversity under the banner of Indigenous is the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. Click here to read my post about this AMAZING resource.

I find I still turn to each of the volumes in this Atlas as a starting point when I want to ensure I am communicating about the diversity that is encompassed by the term Indigenous. 

Teaching about The Doctrine of Discovery

This summer Pope Francis made a controversial trip to Canada to make an apology for Residential School on “Canadian soil”. This was to fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action # 58

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We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.

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One of the topics that many Indigenous activists and journalists drew attention to during the trip was the Doctrine of Discovery.

There are four Calls to Action that mention the Doctrine, specifically calling for governments and religious denominations to repudiate it - numbers 45, 46, 47 and 49.

Ontario Grade 5 educators - Note that in the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum expectation A3.3 names the Doctrine of Discovery directly.

Beyond that, I gathered some info/primary documents that you might want to teach from which were shared online around the Pope’s visit to Canada this summer.

• Click here to read the text of the message that MP Sol Mamakwa had delivered on a birch bark scroll to the Pope.

• Here is a twitter thread by @Kris_Statnyk which includes primary documents from the Supreme Court when, in 2014, the Court declined to “confirm that the Crown may no longer rely upon the doctrine of discovery in order to deny aboriginal title” Read the thread here.

• Here are articles by APTN on this issue.

• Click here to read the letter sent from the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations to Archbishop Smith on the upcoming visit. It does not mention the Doctrine of Discovery, however, it does serve as a primary document that can tell us about the official tone around the trip.

• There are many videos about the Doctrine of Discovery online. This one featuring Faithkeeper and Chief Oren Lyons and Tadodaho Sidney Hill, Spiritual Leader of the Iroquois Confederacy was brought to my attention on Twitter by Nick Bertrand. It is just under six minutes long and provides important perspectives on the Doctrine.

Have other resources to share? Send me a message!

Mapping Mining Claims linked to First Nations in Ontario and Quebec

The Yellowhead Institute has produced a “Mine Sweeper Map” which according to them is “only the publicly accessible and searchable map of mining claims linked to First Nations in Ontario and Quebec.”

The map is updated on a daily basis using publicly available information and has multiple lawyers to explore. Also note, that the map does not display treaty boundaries, only reserve boundaries.

If you are teaching geography, mapping of any sort, or are speaking about the scope of mining in either Ontario and Quebec and its impact on Indigenous Nations, this resource will be super illustrative for your students.

Click here to check out the Mine Sweeper Map!

Plan Ahead - learning about Maple Syrup in SK and Grade 1

The Anishinaabemowin Revival program at M’Chigeeng First Nation has put together two educational units about Maple Syrup for SK and Grade 1. A main goal of this program is to teach or reinforce Anishinnaabemowin, in the context of learning about Maple sap harvesting and the process of turning it into syrup.

The units include illustrated traditional stories translated both in Anishinaabemowin and English and mp3 files to hear the pronunciation in M’Chigeeng’s dialect.

Maple Syrup comes around in early Spring, but I share this in fall so that you can bookmark it in your plans for later!

Note that this site also includes other themes of Anishinaabemowin phrases to share with your students - for instance “After Summer Holidays” and “School Routines.”

Check out the link to the units here!

Upcoming Interview with Author Joanne Robertson

On February 17 at 7pm ET, the Native Knowledge 360° Teacher Workshop Series will feature author Joanne Robertson (AnishinaabeKwe). If you have read my blog or newsletter before you know I’m a HUGE fan of Joanne and her beautifully illustrated book The Water Walker.

Joanne will be interviewed by Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Owingeh), founder of American Indians in Children's Literature (a site that I visit frequently when choosing resources for my teaching).

Here’s a full description of this webinar from their website:

Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Owingeh), founder of American Indians in Children's Literature, will lead a discussion with Joanne Robertson (AnishinaabeKwe), the artist and illustrator of the award-winning children's book Water Walker. They will discuss the book as a classroom tool to deepen student knowledge of Indigenous women's roles and their contributions to environmental issues. Recommended for teachers of grades 2 and up.

This series is from the National Museum of the American Indian, which is associated with the Smithsonian in the USA.

Click here to register for this free webinar

More resources about Nokomis, Joanne, and The Water Walker:

• Here’s the recording of the webinar Dr. Restoule and I did with Joanne and Peter Cameron about the Junior Water Walkers

• Here’s a short write-up I did about The Water Walker for a contest I ran years ago.

I really love this book and the relationships students are making with bodies of water near them as a result of the Junior Water Walkers Program. I firmly believe this sort of relationship building with one another and with the world around us is the way forward.