Arts Midwest World Fest

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome Message

I. Background

II. Music

III. Canadian Culture

IV. Here and Now

V. Community Connections

This curriculum was written by Jeanne Paliatka and Olaf Nelson for Arts Midwest.

Part 1: Québec's Native Peoples Board Game

Introduction:
Native peoples have played an important role in the history of Canada and are an integral part of Canadian heritage. There are cultural connections between native peoples in Canada and the United States although these groups may be called by different names. This lesson introduces students to the diverse cultures of Québec's aboriginal peoples, though the focus of this lesson could easily be shifted to encompass other Canadian provinces.

Overview:
In this lesson, students will create a board game based on the culture and values of one nation of Québec's native peoples. Through their research, students will learn about the lifeways, traditions, values, and history of aboriginal peoples. Students will then play other groups' games which will introduce them to several other groups of native peoples.

Objectives:
Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the cultures of the native peoples of Canada and Québec.
Students will learn about the culture and history of one aboriginal group.
Students will create a board game that introduces their classmates to the culture and history of one aboriginal group.

Grade Level:
Elementary through high school

Time Required:
One to three class periods

Materials:
Poster board or large sheets of paper
Art supplies, such as large paper or poster board, markers, crayons, etc.
Access to Web sites that contain cultural and historical information about nine of Québec's native peoples (See Resources Section below)
Sample Cree Game [PDF Download]

Procedure:

Begin by asking students to review what they know or have learned about Native Americans, focusing on history and culture.

Then introduce them to the native peoples (often called First Nations or aboriginal peoples in Canada) of Québec. A visual resource such as a map might enhance their understanding.

Depending on time and your focus, you could approach this lesson in a variety of ways. If time is limited, students could explore one aboriginal group, such as the Cree. Students could use the sample Cree game to create their own game board, which they could enhance with images and explanations taken from the Cree Web sites listed in the Resources Section. If you have more time, another option would be to divide the class into groups and assign each group a different native people. Each group would then research and create its own board game based on their assigned peoples. (The Resources section contains Web sites that provide cultural and historical information about nine of Québec's native peoples.) It would still be useful to give students the sample game on the Cree to illustrate one option for how to approach the assignment.

If students are creating their own board games, refer them to the Web sites listed in the Resources Section that highlight their aboriginal group. Ask them to make a list of cultural activities practiced by their native peoples, such as hunting caribou, making snowshoes, and storytelling, and a list of cultural values their group possesses, such as reverence for the Earth and respect for elders. As students generate these lists, ask them to look for an element of their nation's culture that could be turned into the objective of their game. For example, the Cree move from their summer camps to winter camps and back again. This migration is an important element of their culture. This became the objective of the Cree game—to travel safely to the winter camp and prepare for the New Year's celebration.

Once groups have brainstormed a list of cultural activities and values, have them discuss how best to turn these into a game. The games can take a variety of forms or could be loosely based on an existing game. All games should contain at least a board of some sort with spaces, an objective, a set of rules and game pieces.

If time allows, students could decorate their game boards to reflect the values and activities of their aboriginal group. Even the game pieces could represent cultural objects of importance. For example, for the Cree game, pieces could be small pictures of a sturgeon, a caribou, a beaver, a moose, a bear and a goose—all animals native to the region and which comprise an important part of the Cree's diet.

Each group can play its own game or play another group's game. Playing other groups' games would allow students to learn about more than one aboriginal group.

Extensions:
Depending on time and age level, students could:

Write a brief explanation of each square on their game board

Find images from the Internet or draw images to decorate their game boards

Present an overview of their group's culture to the class

Play the games with classmates or younger students as a way to learn about the cultures

Pool the best cultural elements of each group's game into a native peoples game that includes information about many aboriginal peoples

Resources:
(Links will open in new windows.)

Wherever possible, the Web sites included are created by native peoples. All the links will take students to historical or cultural information or links to this type of information.

Maps
Excellent map of the aboriginal peoples of Québec from the Secrétariat Aux Affaires Autochtones

Another excellent map showing all First Nations peoples in Québec.

Innu Nation (formerly known as Montagnais or Naskapi)
Innu History and Culture

General First Nations Resources
Echoes from the Past is a thorough and fascinating exhibit at the Canadian Virtual Museum about pre-historic life in Canada. It focuses on many First Nations peoples.

Canada's First Nations is a “multimedia tutorial [that] focuses on the histories of Canada's First Nations peoples from ancient times to the nineteenth century. This module provides examples of creation myths and it examines scientific theories of when and how people migrated to the North American continent. This tutorial profiles the lifeways of Canada 's First Nations peoples, outlining the cultures and languages of the Native groups inhabiting the northern lands of this continent. It also examines the economic, political, and social impact of European contact. Finally, this module looks at the reasons the First Nations and the Government of Canada negotiated and signed treaties, the terms of these treaties, and how all parties reacted to them.”

The Aboriginal Cultures and Traditions Storytelling Web site includes many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit stories, and profiles of aboriginal storytellers.

The Indian and Northern Affairs Kid's Stop offers stories, lessons, history and games to teach children about Canada's native peoples.

Canada

III: Canadian Culture

Part 1: Québec's Native Peoples Board Game