Nov 26: Today we started off in circle, and we used cards to ask questions and give answers. I loved it! We then discussed the Jan Hare article and journal entry as a class, as some of us were having trouble. Here's what I put on the board:
Try to have your Jan Hare journal entries done by tomorrow; they were due today, after all. :) Remember that you should finish up your website work by tomorrow, so that we have Wednesday and Thursday to work together on your field journals. Remember to tell me if you need any out of the ordinary art supplies (I'll do my best). Third thing to remember: all work is due by 4:00 on November 30, no later. I have to do the report cards on the weekend. :)
Nov 22: Today we had a great circle and talked all about the Dean of Law in Thunder Bay who left her position due to lack of support from administration. We then talked extensively about "National Riches" and how we should answer those questions in the booklet. Many of you handed in your Natural Riches booklet for marking and your four regions of BC, thank you for that. We spent the rest of the day working and discussing our schedule for the next week. :)
Nov 21: We continued working today, and some of you handed in some work for me to mark (which I did, and handed back to you). Today was the due date for the "Four Regions of BC" worksheet, and tomorrow is the due date for the "Natural Riches" notes and questions. Monday the Jan Hare journal entry is due, and Tuesday your website work should be completed. You may have to work a bit on your holiday Friday to make sure everything is done. The website work, for example, is going to take you a couple of hours to complete.
I'm going to give you the 28th and 29th to work in class on your journals. Make sure you bring all of the materials that you need to do your journals on those two days. If you haven't finished your journal by the end of class on the 29th, you can come in on makeup day (Nov 30) and finish it in my classroom, as I stated in the November 19 webpage entry. :)
I'm going to give you the 28th and 29th to work in class on your journals. Make sure you bring all of the materials that you need to do your journals on those two days. If you haven't finished your journal by the end of class on the 29th, you can come in on makeup day (Nov 30) and finish it in my classroom, as I stated in the November 19 webpage entry. :)
November 19: We had circle and discussed our weekend, then came up with a schedule for when everything is due:
Nov 20 - pp. 32-33 of textbook (for optional marks)
Nov 21 - four regions of BC worksheet (for marks)
Nov 22 - Natural Riches questions (for marks)
Nov 26 - Dr. Jan Hare journal entry due (for marks)
Nov 27 - website question booklet due (for marks)
Nov 28 and 29 - you should be finishing up your field journals
Nov 30: Make up day. If you haven't handed in your journal, you can do one of the two following things:
a) come into my classroom (I'll be there from 8:30 until 4:00pm)
b) work at home but hand your journal in to me by 4:00pm. I won't be accepting them after that, as I have to do report cards.
We continued working on our research for our Jan Hare journal entry, and our Kwakwaka'wakw Nation field journals. :)
Nov 20 - pp. 32-33 of textbook (for optional marks)
Nov 21 - four regions of BC worksheet (for marks)
Nov 22 - Natural Riches questions (for marks)
Nov 26 - Dr. Jan Hare journal entry due (for marks)
Nov 27 - website question booklet due (for marks)
Nov 28 and 29 - you should be finishing up your field journals
Nov 30: Make up day. If you haven't handed in your journal, you can do one of the two following things:
a) come into my classroom (I'll be there from 8:30 until 4:00pm)
b) work at home but hand your journal in to me by 4:00pm. I won't be accepting them after that, as I have to do report cards.
We continued working on our research for our Jan Hare journal entry, and our Kwakwaka'wakw Nation field journals. :)
November 16: We started off the class by watching a few minutes of "First Contact", which is the story of a group of six non-Indigenous people who, despite the fact that they've never studied Indigenous history, met any Indigenous people, or informed themselves about Indigenous issues, have very negative and stereotypical opinions about Indigenous nations. We summarized the points they made in the first few minutes on the board:
The views in First Contact will be very useful to you when you're writing your journal entry about Dr. Hare's MOOC course, especially in the area of reconciliation: what is standing in the way of reconciliation? I think the ignorant attitudes represented by the six non-Indigenous people in the videos are a good place to start answering that question.
We spent the rest of the block working on our various chores:
-making notes on the template I gave you from Dr. Hare's MOOC;
-reading in our textbook about the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation;
-reading and answering the questions in the "Nature's Riches" handout;
-looking at the two websites listed in your Kwakwaka'wakw Nation project booklet (we'll be using laptops for this on Monday);
-starting your Kwakwaka'wakw Nation field journal (you may not be at this stage yet).
Have a great weekend! :)
We spent the rest of the block working on our various chores:
-making notes on the template I gave you from Dr. Hare's MOOC;
-reading in our textbook about the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation;
-reading and answering the questions in the "Nature's Riches" handout;
-looking at the two websites listed in your Kwakwaka'wakw Nation project booklet (we'll be using laptops for this on Monday);
-starting your Kwakwaka'wakw Nation field journal (you may not be at this stage yet).
Have a great weekend! :)
November 15: Today we sat in circle and talked about whether non-Indigenous people should wear clothing with Indigenous designs on them. We had a variety of opinions on the matter. I then gave you a work booklet to use with the Jan Hare video and told you how you might use the structure of the questions in the booklet to help you with the journal entry you need to do for this video. I also listed some suggestions as to how you might begin and end your journal entry.
I also listed off all of the things that we're working on right now, which will lead you to being able to construct your field journal about the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. Have a good evening!
I also listed off all of the things that we're working on right now, which will lead you to being able to construct your field journal about the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. Have a good evening!
November 13: We had a surprise quiz today on pages 18-20 (from the textbook) and took it up. Not much time for anything else. :)
November 9: Today I showed you some more examples of field journals, then we talked a bit about National Indigenous Veteran's Day, which was yesterday. I then gave you time to finish up your worksheet for pages 18-20 in the textbook, then I collected them. I'm hoping that on Wednesday of next week you'll be able to hand in your comparison sheets of the people and resources of the four regions of BC.
Toward the end of the class we watched a bit more of Dr. Jan Hare from her reconciliation video, and she talked about the views of the author and activist Taikiae Alfred's view of reconciliation. We'll watch the rest on Tuesday, and I'll give you a transcript of Dr. Hare's video. Remember that you're to write in your journal about the video, specifically what points Dr. Hare makes, and what you think about those points from either the point of view of an Indigneous person, or from the point of view of a non-Indigenous person who is taking a course about Indigenous history and issues. Have a great weekend! :)
Toward the end of the class we watched a bit more of Dr. Jan Hare from her reconciliation video, and she talked about the views of the author and activist Taikiae Alfred's view of reconciliation. We'll watch the rest on Tuesday, and I'll give you a transcript of Dr. Hare's video. Remember that you're to write in your journal about the video, specifically what points Dr. Hare makes, and what you think about those points from either the point of view of an Indigneous person, or from the point of view of a non-Indigenous person who is taking a course about Indigenous history and issues. Have a great weekend! :)
November 8: Today we had a lovely breakfast together, then we talked a bit about reconciliation and watched part of a video put out by UBC about what reconciliation is, what it isn't, and what we're doing wrong. We didn't finish it; at around 9:30 we decided to continue working on our Kwakwaka'wakw Nation worksheets. Remember that the worksheet associated with pages 18-20 of our textbook is due tomorrow. :)
November 7: Today I gave you an outline map of BC and a reference sheet for filling in information about the people and the resources of BC (page 20 onward in the textbook). We took the whole block just to work, and it was great.
We decided that your notes on pages 18-20 in the textbook will be handed in to be marked on Friday, and the reference sheet about the four regions will be due on Tuesday. :)
We decided that your notes on pages 18-20 in the textbook will be handed in to be marked on Friday, and the reference sheet about the four regions will be due on Tuesday. :)
November 6: We talked a bit more today about the field journal you're doing for the Kwakwaka'wakw nation. We went over what goes on the title page, when you should do the table of contents, and how important it is to situate yourself in your research right at the beginning of your field journal. I thought we'd have a bit of time to work on pages 18-20 in the book, but we only had a couple of minutes left after that. :)
November 5: We read an article by Wab Kinew about "conflict resolution, aboriginal style" and compared it to what we had learned from our textbook. I had your marks posted today, and we talked about how our marks can be improved (or kept up at their high level). I gave you your portfolios and discussed the GBS letter in detail, as many of us didn't do well on that assignment. We decided that if you want to redo the letter, you can do so and hand it in, using this webpage as your resource material (as well as your notes and handouts, of course).
We also talked about what sort of ways you'd like to show me your learning in the next month. You came up with some great ideas, including tests, posters, conversations, and weekly check-ins. I'll try to have lots of opportunity for you to boost your mark before the end of the trimester. :)
We also talked about what sort of ways you'd like to show me your learning in the next month. You came up with some great ideas, including tests, posters, conversations, and weekly check-ins. I'll try to have lots of opportunity for you to boost your mark before the end of the trimester. :)
November 2: Today we began our work on the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. I handed out some sheets, and we talked about what we're going to do:
-we'll start off with looking at the four regions of BC, the people and the resources there;
-then we'll centre in on the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation and use resources such as the textbook, an article I've printed out for you, and the internet;
-you'll create a field journal to show your learning about the nation.
We talked a great deal about what a field journal is. We'll get started tomorrow.
-we'll start off with looking at the four regions of BC, the people and the resources there;
-then we'll centre in on the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation and use resources such as the textbook, an article I've printed out for you, and the internet;
-you'll create a field journal to show your learning about the nation.
We talked a great deal about what a field journal is. We'll get started tomorrow.
November 1: We were supposed to celebrate the end of our lit reviews by having Mme GZ treat you to breakfast at McDonalds, but you all thought the weather wasn't right for walking there, so we cancelled. The lit reviews were due today at the beginning of class, as per the extension that Mr. Laychuk brokered for you, but I'll take your work at any point today, up until 3:16. You need to let me know if you want to do an oral component so that we can arrange it (you don't have to do an oral component if you want to just be marked on your written work).
October 31: Happy Hallowe'en! Today is the last day we're working on our literature reviews. Tomorrow you book a time to talk to me about them to show your learning (if that's what you want to do); as well, you need to show me your written work, either for your full mark if you're not presenting, or for partial marks if you are presenting. After I see everyone's work, we're going to head off and celebrate all of our hard work. :)
October 30: Today we talked a bit more about our literature reviews, and we discussed the idea that some of us might want to do them orally. I worked with a couple of groups to make sure you were on track, and Ms. Offett and I did some role play to help you out. I gave you the rest of the block to work.
Tomorrow will be our last work day for the literature reviews, then on Thursday I'll take you out to celebrate. In order to celebrate with us, you'll need to hand something in, that'll be the deal. It can just be your notes that you'll use for your oral lit review, but you have to give me something! :)
Tomorrow will be our last work day for the literature reviews, then on Thursday I'll take you out to celebrate. In order to celebrate with us, you'll need to hand something in, that'll be the deal. It can just be your notes that you'll use for your oral lit review, but you have to give me something! :)
October 29: We continued working on our literature reviews today. I made it clear that you absolutely must have your guiding thought done by today; you will not be able to properly do your review unless you know how you're shaping it, and it's the guiding thought that shapes it. Take a look at some of the past posts on this webpage in order to clarify your ideas.
We'll work on the lit review tomorrow and Wednesday, then you must hand it in on Thursday morning, as we'll be beginning something new.
We'll work on the lit review tomorrow and Wednesday, then you must hand it in on Thursday morning, as we'll be beginning something new.
October 26: We continued on with our literature reviews today, and I gave you a marking rubric that I'm going to use when I mark your finished project. At the advice of our class mascot, Mr. Laychuk, we are changing the due date to Thursday, November 1, and we'll be working on them every day in class in groups (concentrating on who needs what in order to finish up their lit review).
Here's the marking rubric (you can get a paper copy in class if you missed today); it's two pages:
Here's the marking rubric (you can get a paper copy in class if you missed today); it's two pages:
Please notice that on page two, you have the option of getting full marks for successfully reviewing five resources, but if you only review four, you get less marks, three resources is less marks, etc. Thus, if you decide that five resources are too much for you to review, you could still get a good mark on your lit review, and you'll know how many marks are taken off for each resource left off. :)
October 24: Today we watched the rest of the powerpoint about literary reviews, and we talked about them quite a bit. Here's a photo of the board to remind you:
An idea that we had for a "guiding thought" is Indigenous Resistance, if you're having trouble coming up with the guiding thought. It's really important that you come up with a thought as soon as possible.
We also said that when you're discussing the actual resources, you don't have to use paragraphs, but you could put the info into shapes instead. I like clouds, as you can see on the board. You could use squares, circles, etc (like I used squares on the worksheet I gave you for governance, spirituality, etc on October 2).
Remember that you have to put the following into your introduction: who you are, why you're doing the lit review, the likes and dislikes, previous knowledge, or any biases that you have going into the research, your guiding thought, and the five themes you're judging your literature by.
I'll look at your lit reviews at the end of class on Friday to make sure you're on the right track. Monday we'll start in on something else, and you can hand in your lit review on Tuesday. I'm giving you an extra day because we talked for most of the block today rather than have quiet worktime. Worth it! :)
We also said that when you're discussing the actual resources, you don't have to use paragraphs, but you could put the info into shapes instead. I like clouds, as you can see on the board. You could use squares, circles, etc (like I used squares on the worksheet I gave you for governance, spirituality, etc on October 2).
Remember that you have to put the following into your introduction: who you are, why you're doing the lit review, the likes and dislikes, previous knowledge, or any biases that you have going into the research, your guiding thought, and the five themes you're judging your literature by.
I'll look at your lit reviews at the end of class on Friday to make sure you're on the right track. Monday we'll start in on something else, and you can hand in your lit review on Tuesday. I'm giving you an extra day because we talked for most of the block today rather than have quiet worktime. Worth it! :)
October 23: Today we went to the computer lab and worked on our lit reviews. I gave you the following website suggestions:
firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc1.html
firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc1.html
moa.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SchoolProgram-BackgroundInfo.pdf
www.knowbc.com/ (when you get there, search "BC First Nations Studies 12"
I gave you an analogy today in order to help you better understand your literature review, if you're still having trouble with the concept:
Pretend that you are a restaurant reviewer, and you've been asked to find the best pizza in Vancouver.
our guiding question would be, "Where is the best pizza in Vancouver"?
Your intro would show the limitations of the review, and any biases you bring into it, and would define the terms.
Finally,you're going to sum it up in the conclusion, or ending paragraph: You might say something like how you enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) the experience and why, and what you're now going to do with your newfound knowledge about the pizza. You may say that you're going to recommend a particular restaurant to a friend, or go to that restaurant a lot, etc. You could finish up your conclusion with referring back to something you said in your intro. For example, perhaps you said in the intro, "I don't think finding a great pizza restaurant in Vancouver can be done!" then in your conclusion, you say, "I was wrong! Tony's Pizzaria is the best!" You get the idea.
Remember that I'm really hoping that you'll be quite far along on your literature review by the end of class on Friday. The lit review is due on Monday October 29, as you know. :)
firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc1.html
firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc1.html
moa.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SchoolProgram-BackgroundInfo.pdf
www.knowbc.com/ (when you get there, search "BC First Nations Studies 12"
I gave you an analogy today in order to help you better understand your literature review, if you're still having trouble with the concept:
Pretend that you are a restaurant reviewer, and you've been asked to find the best pizza in Vancouver.
our guiding question would be, "Where is the best pizza in Vancouver"?
Your intro would show the limitations of the review, and any biases you bring into it, and would define the terms.
Finally,you're going to sum it up in the conclusion, or ending paragraph: You might say something like how you enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) the experience and why, and what you're now going to do with your newfound knowledge about the pizza. You may say that you're going to recommend a particular restaurant to a friend, or go to that restaurant a lot, etc. You could finish up your conclusion with referring back to something you said in your intro. For example, perhaps you said in the intro, "I don't think finding a great pizza restaurant in Vancouver can be done!" then in your conclusion, you say, "I was wrong! Tony's Pizzaria is the best!" You get the idea.
Remember that I'm really hoping that you'll be quite far along on your literature review by the end of class on Friday. The lit review is due on Monday October 29, as you know. :)
October 22: We had a talk today about lateness, and decided that we will start class at 9:00am to accommodate students who are having trouble getting here on time, but once 9:00 comes along, we begin 45 minutes of focused, targeted work.
We then worked a bit on our literature review. Tomorrow we'll go to the lab (come to class first, please) to get some online sources. Wednesday we'll work in class, and Thursday we'll go back to the lab. I'd like to see what you have accomplished for Friday. If you need the weekend, you can hand in your literature review on Monday. :)
We then worked a bit on our literature review. Tomorrow we'll go to the lab (come to class first, please) to get some online sources. Wednesday we'll work in class, and Thursday we'll go back to the lab. I'd like to see what you have accomplished for Friday. If you need the weekend, you can hand in your literature review on Monday. :)
october 18: We had a short block today. First I gave you a little sheet indicating what you have and haven't handed in yet; don't worry about handing in things today, you can catch up over the weekend and give me materials on Monday.
I brought in a bunch of books to help you with your lit review; some of you worked, and some of you came to the front of the class with Mr. Laychuk and myself and we went over how to find a guiding thought for your lit review. Mr. Laychuk thought up an idea: "Food is culture". He thought that if he is doing a lit review, he would have the "food is culture" thought running like a thread throughout all five of our sub-categories.
I told you today that your lit review should be done by Friday October 26, so please budget your time accordingly.
I brought in a bunch of books to help you with your lit review; some of you worked, and some of you came to the front of the class with Mr. Laychuk and myself and we went over how to find a guiding thought for your lit review. Mr. Laychuk thought up an idea: "Food is culture". He thought that if he is doing a lit review, he would have the "food is culture" thought running like a thread throughout all five of our sub-categories.
I told you today that your lit review should be done by Friday October 26, so please budget your time accordingly.
October 16: After we learned about an important Nisga'a dance from Miranda and watched a video, we went to the library today and received some information from Mr. Turner about the resources available to you for your literature review. You signed out some books and brought them back to class.
October 15: Today we worked more on our literature review learning, and talked a great deal about guiding thoughts, and how you might set up your review. Tomorrow we head over to the library for a tour with Mr. Turner, and after that you can begin your research.
october 12: Today we had a lengthy circle, as I needed to know what everyone was doing this weekend (why? Who knows). We had tea, muffins, and yogurt. Yum! Then we resumed our powerpoint about literature reviews, and talked about what "literature" can include:
Book • Textbook, comics, non-fictional stories, novels, poetry • Internet • People • Journals • Magazines • Cultural event
We also discussed that you have to understand why you're doing a lit review before you start one. The answer to that question is never "because the teacher is forcing me to". If that's the only reason, your lit review won't be as good as it could be.
Here are some possible reasons why someone might be doing a lit review:
- what factors contribute to bullying on the playground, and contribute to the number and severity of the bullying experiences?
-how are people with chronic illnesses treated by their families after their diagnosis?
-how has the change in curriculum to include SOGI affected the number of students who are openly transexual, gender fluid, etc?
Your reasons don't have to be a question, but they shouldn't be a "conclusion", either:
-"infusing Indigenous content into the core French classroom" is a reason to do a lit review; it could also be posed as a question ("how can I infuse Indigenous content..." etc), but notice that it doesn't give any conclusive information: for example, "Infusing Indigenous content into the core French classroom will improve student appreciation and respect of local culture" is a conclusion, not a guiding question or thought.
More on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Book • Textbook, comics, non-fictional stories, novels, poetry • Internet • People • Journals • Magazines • Cultural event
We also discussed that you have to understand why you're doing a lit review before you start one. The answer to that question is never "because the teacher is forcing me to". If that's the only reason, your lit review won't be as good as it could be.
Here are some possible reasons why someone might be doing a lit review:
- what factors contribute to bullying on the playground, and contribute to the number and severity of the bullying experiences?
-how are people with chronic illnesses treated by their families after their diagnosis?
-how has the change in curriculum to include SOGI affected the number of students who are openly transexual, gender fluid, etc?
Your reasons don't have to be a question, but they shouldn't be a "conclusion", either:
-"infusing Indigenous content into the core French classroom" is a reason to do a lit review; it could also be posed as a question ("how can I infuse Indigenous content..." etc), but notice that it doesn't give any conclusive information: for example, "Infusing Indigenous content into the core French classroom will improve student appreciation and respect of local culture" is a conclusion, not a guiding question or thought.
More on Monday. Have a great weekend!
October 11: Today I unveiled my idea about showing your learning: you're going to do a literature review. You took notes as I showed you a powerpoint about it, and we began (very briefly) looking at a sample lit review that I did in 2016:
lit_review_ppt_for.pdf
We'll continue with this work tomorrow. :)
lit_review_ppt_for.pdf
We'll continue with this work tomorrow. :)
October 10: Today we finished up the 5 flipchart sheets about our 5 topics, and we put them on the board. We discussed how you were going to show your learning, and didn't get very far. Tomorrow I'll show you an idea I have about it.
October 9: Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Today we talked about the concept of Thanksgiving as it might be interpreted by Indigenous nations, then we got into our groups from last week and continued on with filling out the flipcharts. We should finish up tomorrow.
October 5: I was away Wednesday and Thursday at the Vancouver Film Festival watching Sgaawaay K'uuna (Edge of the Knife), a film created by Haida, starring Haida, in the Haida dialects. I told you all about it today; it was really a wonderful, inspiring experience, and quite an honour to be invited down.
We then went over the answers to the questions from your sheet about what it means to be Indigenous, except for the five "squares" of information from the reading. We got into groups of four, and using flipchart paper, we began working in groups to write down what we thought about the five categories talked about in the article: spirituality, conflict resolution, governance, cross-cultural procotols, and stewardship of the land. We didn't get very far today; we'll continue on Tuesday. Have a great Thanksgiving! :)
We then went over the answers to the questions from your sheet about what it means to be Indigenous, except for the five "squares" of information from the reading. We got into groups of four, and using flipchart paper, we began working in groups to write down what we thought about the five categories talked about in the article: spirituality, conflict resolution, governance, cross-cultural procotols, and stewardship of the land. We didn't get very far today; we'll continue on Tuesday. Have a great Thanksgiving! :)
October 2: Today we talked a bit more about worldview; what it is, how you get a worldview, and whether or not it can be changed. It was quite a good discussion. I then handed out your activity sheet for the "The Voice of the Land is Our Language" reading assignment. Tomorrow you'll work in class on that sheet, and probably Thursday, as well. I'd like to see the sheet completed when I get back to class on Friday. If you're interested in what I'm seeing in Vancouver, take a look at this link:
youtu.be/CzVwX7SgicA
I'll tell you all about it when I get back. :)
youtu.be/CzVwX7SgicA
I'll tell you all about it when I get back. :)
October 1: Today I collected your letters in your journal which relate to the Great Bear Sea. If you didn't get your letter done, you have to come and talk to me after school to let me know why you didn't get it done, and what your plan is to get it completed. If you don't come in after school, I'll have to assume that you don't plan on handing in the letter.
We sat in a circle and talked about our weekends, then we went over an outline of the interview with Doug Neasloss. This is what we came up with:
-He started with situating himself as was appropriate for the audience
-He then continued with talking about pre-contact (before the Europeans came over): the nomadic life of the Indigenous peoples, which led to information about seasonal rounds, trade, and the importance of aquatic resources; he then talked about family structure
-he continued by talking about government intervention: disease, banning ofo the potlach, the reserve system, Indian Agents, and residential schools.
-he continued with a discussion of decline of resources
-he finished up with the results of government interventions: loss of culture, traditional stories, and heredity chieftianship;
-loss of resource management
-loss of land
-loss of the ability to have arranged marriages to extend territories and solidify power in the Indigenous nations
-the attempted assimilation of Indigenous peoples.
I let you know that Mr. Neasloss' interview pretty much outlines what BDFN12 is all about. So if you look above, you'll see a basic course outline, beginning with pre-contact.
I handed out "The Voice of the Land is Our Language" and a sheet about what "worldview" is. I read the sheet out to you and we discussed how people might have different worldviews, and how worldviews can change. Tomorrow we'll start in with how and why worldviews can change, then start in on our reading.
We sat in a circle and talked about our weekends, then we went over an outline of the interview with Doug Neasloss. This is what we came up with:
-He started with situating himself as was appropriate for the audience
-He then continued with talking about pre-contact (before the Europeans came over): the nomadic life of the Indigenous peoples, which led to information about seasonal rounds, trade, and the importance of aquatic resources; he then talked about family structure
-he continued by talking about government intervention: disease, banning ofo the potlach, the reserve system, Indian Agents, and residential schools.
-he continued with a discussion of decline of resources
-he finished up with the results of government interventions: loss of culture, traditional stories, and heredity chieftianship;
-loss of resource management
-loss of land
-loss of the ability to have arranged marriages to extend territories and solidify power in the Indigenous nations
-the attempted assimilation of Indigenous peoples.
I let you know that Mr. Neasloss' interview pretty much outlines what BDFN12 is all about. So if you look above, you'll see a basic course outline, beginning with pre-contact.
I handed out "The Voice of the Land is Our Language" and a sheet about what "worldview" is. I read the sheet out to you and we discussed how people might have different worldviews, and how worldviews can change. Tomorrow we'll start in with how and why worldviews can change, then start in on our reading.
September 27: Today we had a circle, and shared how we are, our plans for the weekend, and how we're doing on the GBS assignment. We then went back to our tables to work for the rest of the block. Some of us went to the library, and some to hallways. All good. I received some really good questions and feedback from you on the assignment, thank you. Because I'm away tomorrow and all weekend, there's really no point in me having the assignment due tomorrow; so let's say that you spend tomorrow's class working, and hand it in to me at the beginning of class on Monday. Have a good weekend!
September 26: Today we spent the class working on our journal letters. First, I gave you a blue sheet which explained what to do, and what my expectations are. Your first task was to underline the important, relevant sections of Doug Neasloss' speech (from the transcript; pink booklet); I'm not sure many of us were finished with that by the end of the class. Here's what appeared on the blue sheet:
________________________________________________________________________________________
BCFN12: The Great Bear Rainforest Name: _____________________
Doug Neasloss Interview: Organizational Sheet
You will be writing a letter to an imaginary acquaintance in your journal based on your knowledge so far of the Great Bear Sea (GBS). The letter should be a minimum of one page long, single-spaced. You can write more, if you like.
In the first part of the letter, you’ll be talking about the who, what, when, where, how and why of the GBS. After all, your acquaintance may never have heard of it. You should also mention in this part of the letter why you’re writing; what do the issues surrounding the GBS mean to you? You might not know how to word this part until you finish the letter; that’s why you should do a DRAFT VERSION before you write your good copy in your journal.
The next part of your letter will be a summary of Doug Neasloss’ talk, which we watched yesterday in class. When you’re summarizing his words, remember to keep the following thought in mind: what is the relationship between Indigenous people and the land? What did Indigenous people do to respect the land, take care of it, and access its resources, and what did the land give back? What interrupted this relationship, and how? How were the Indigenous peoples affected, and how was the land affected?
Here's what you're going to do:
Hints:
To be more clear, I wrote a sample letter:
September 26, 2018
Dear Mother:
It was really nice to talk to you on the phone yesterday. We should probably talk more than once a month, don’t you think? It’s nice to hear about the family.
You asked me some questions about the courses I’m teaching, and I thought I would write you a letter to explain what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it.
Right now in my BC First Nations 12 class, we’re learning about the Great Bear Sea. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, it’s a section of the Pacific Ocean by the coast that was given that new name (unofficially!) in 2015. The Great Bear Sea, or GBS, stretches from the southern border of Alaska to the tip of Vancouver Island, includes all the inlets and fiords of the coastline, and includes the waters around Haida Gwaii (which you still call the Queen Charlotte Islands).
(In this paragraph I would explain the MaPP: what it is, and who is involved).
(In the next paragraph I would summarize the points that Doug Neasloss made, emphasizing the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land, and how the lifestyles of Indigenous peoples supported and respected the land, and the land provided for the people. I would go into what interrupted that reciprocal relationship, and how it damaged both the people and the land)
(Next paragraph would be saying that the MaPP would manage all the threats and opportunities offered by the marine environment, and that understanding why the MaPP is necessary is directly tied into the relationship between settlers, Indigenous people, and the land. It’s everybody’s business).
(Last paragraph would be to hope that my point was made, and the goodbyes).
Remember when you're writing your letter, KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, and write in a way that they'll understand and appreciate. "Write like a reader, not a writer", I was once told. Good advice!
Your journal entry (good copy) is due at the end of class on Friday. Please make sure that you have it done by then and can hand it in. You'll get tomorrow's class and Friday's class to work on it. :)
________________________________________________________________________________________
BCFN12: The Great Bear Rainforest Name: _____________________
Doug Neasloss Interview: Organizational Sheet
You will be writing a letter to an imaginary acquaintance in your journal based on your knowledge so far of the Great Bear Sea (GBS). The letter should be a minimum of one page long, single-spaced. You can write more, if you like.
In the first part of the letter, you’ll be talking about the who, what, when, where, how and why of the GBS. After all, your acquaintance may never have heard of it. You should also mention in this part of the letter why you’re writing; what do the issues surrounding the GBS mean to you? You might not know how to word this part until you finish the letter; that’s why you should do a DRAFT VERSION before you write your good copy in your journal.
The next part of your letter will be a summary of Doug Neasloss’ talk, which we watched yesterday in class. When you’re summarizing his words, remember to keep the following thought in mind: what is the relationship between Indigenous people and the land? What did Indigenous people do to respect the land, take care of it, and access its resources, and what did the land give back? What interrupted this relationship, and how? How were the Indigenous peoples affected, and how was the land affected?
Here's what you're going to do:
- Start off by reading the transcript of Mr. Neasloss’ speech, and underlining the sections which you feel are the most important in order to write your letter.
- Do a rough draft of your letter and have a friend in class read it to see if it makes the points that you want to be making. Correct spelling and grammar errors, if you find any.
- Write your good copy in your journal.
Hints:
- Start off your letter with a general greeting, then say what you’d like to talk about and why.
- Continue with a description of the GBS and how it relates to you.
- Continue by talking about Mr. Neasloss’ message.
- End with a paragraph which sums up why you wrote, and perhaps what you’d like your friend to do with this information.
To be more clear, I wrote a sample letter:
September 26, 2018
Dear Mother:
It was really nice to talk to you on the phone yesterday. We should probably talk more than once a month, don’t you think? It’s nice to hear about the family.
You asked me some questions about the courses I’m teaching, and I thought I would write you a letter to explain what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it.
Right now in my BC First Nations 12 class, we’re learning about the Great Bear Sea. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, it’s a section of the Pacific Ocean by the coast that was given that new name (unofficially!) in 2015. The Great Bear Sea, or GBS, stretches from the southern border of Alaska to the tip of Vancouver Island, includes all the inlets and fiords of the coastline, and includes the waters around Haida Gwaii (which you still call the Queen Charlotte Islands).
(In this paragraph I would explain the MaPP: what it is, and who is involved).
(In the next paragraph I would summarize the points that Doug Neasloss made, emphasizing the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land, and how the lifestyles of Indigenous peoples supported and respected the land, and the land provided for the people. I would go into what interrupted that reciprocal relationship, and how it damaged both the people and the land)
(Next paragraph would be saying that the MaPP would manage all the threats and opportunities offered by the marine environment, and that understanding why the MaPP is necessary is directly tied into the relationship between settlers, Indigenous people, and the land. It’s everybody’s business).
(Last paragraph would be to hope that my point was made, and the goodbyes).
Remember when you're writing your letter, KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, and write in a way that they'll understand and appreciate. "Write like a reader, not a writer", I was once told. Good advice!
Your journal entry (good copy) is due at the end of class on Friday. Please make sure that you have it done by then and can hand it in. You'll get tomorrow's class and Friday's class to work on it. :)
September 25: Today we finished up the pink review booklet about the GBS, then we watched a video with Doug Neasloss (see the link in Sept 24's entry below). I gave you a transcript of his talk, then we discussed what the talk was about and how it relates to the GBR. Here's a graphic I drew on the board to explain:
The main message of the talk revolves around the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land: the land sustains the people, and everything that the people do helps to sustain the land. What interrupted this cycle? And what happened to Indigenous peoples and the land because of it?
We'll be writing a letter to an imaginary stranger in our journals tomorrow, outlining the who, what, when, where and why of the GBS, then explaining the role of Indigenous peoples historically and currently in the area of land stewardship, and what happens when that role is disrupted.
We'll be writing a letter to an imaginary stranger in our journals tomorrow, outlining the who, what, when, where and why of the GBS, then explaining the role of Indigenous peoples historically and currently in the area of land stewardship, and what happens when that role is disrupted.
September 24: I collected the last of our art circles; I'll give them to Madame Lihou and she'll send them off to Ocean Bridge. I then put you into groups (based on M&M colours), and gave you a review sheet to fill out with your group. We got about halfway done before we ran out of time. We'll finish it up tomorrow, then continue on with the Great Bear Sea by watching an interview with Doug Neasloss, Chief Councillor of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais Band Council. This interview can be found at greatbearsea.net/environmental-science/lesson-1/, if you're not going to be in class tomorrow.
September 20: I gave you 15 minutes to work on your art, and some of you are doing an amazing job but aren't ready to hand it in today. You can hand it in on Monday, but that will be our final day to complete the project. I'll collect the project at the beginning of the block.
We continued on with learning about the Great Bear Sea: we determined all of the threats and opportunities which might motivate people to have a management plan for the sea:
Great Bear Sea: Why would planning the future of the Great Bear Sea be necessary?
Threats
Pollution
Endangered Species Management
Resource management
Pipelines
Global warming
Opportunities
Pipeline and tanker management
Indigenous fishing/gathering rights
Eco-tourism
Aquaculture (salmon enhancement programs)
We watched a video which gave an overview of the Great Bear Sea project, and a couple of statistics. Much of the information is in the video transcription handout I gave you earlier (or today).
Your homework for the weekend is to think of how you would like to show me your learning about the Great Bear Sea. Remember if you want something like individual interviews, that will take a lot of time (perhaps more time than we have). Group oral tests don't work too well, as members of the group can hang back and not fully participate. Perhaps a project? If you can't come up with ideas, we'll just have a quiz when we're ready. Have a good weekend!
We continued on with learning about the Great Bear Sea: we determined all of the threats and opportunities which might motivate people to have a management plan for the sea:
Great Bear Sea: Why would planning the future of the Great Bear Sea be necessary?
Threats
Pollution
Endangered Species Management
Resource management
Pipelines
Global warming
Opportunities
Pipeline and tanker management
Indigenous fishing/gathering rights
Eco-tourism
Aquaculture (salmon enhancement programs)
We watched a video which gave an overview of the Great Bear Sea project, and a couple of statistics. Much of the information is in the video transcription handout I gave you earlier (or today).
Your homework for the weekend is to think of how you would like to show me your learning about the Great Bear Sea. Remember if you want something like individual interviews, that will take a lot of time (perhaps more time than we have). Group oral tests don't work too well, as members of the group can hang back and not fully participate. Perhaps a project? If you can't come up with ideas, we'll just have a quiz when we're ready. Have a good weekend!
September 19: Today I showed you a PowerPoint presentation of pictures of the map that I have in my dining room which shows the traditional Haida names on the islands, and what the translations are in English. We looked at these in order to further understand Mr. Sterritt's words about how important language is to having a connection to the land. We then began our work on the Great Bear Sea, and I gave out several handouts. We learned that the ocean surrounding the Great Bear Rainforest is called the Great Bear Sea, and that it's protected and managed by First Nations groups, the government, environmental groups, and the private sector (all in a partnership). We brainstormed some of the reasons why a coastline and surrounding waters might need to be protected; I mentioned that the reasons we came up with could probably be categorized into two groups, but we didn't get that far:
Great Bear Sea: Why would planning the future of the Great Bear Sea be necessary?
We'll continue with that tomorrow.
Great Bear Sea: Why would planning the future of the Great Bear Sea be necessary?
- Pollution (plastics)
- Commercial fishing management
- Indigenous fishing/gathering rights
We'll continue with that tomorrow.
September 18: We had circle time today with tea and banana bread, then we worked on our art circles for a bit, then finished up the green Art Sterritt question sheets. You handed in the green sheets, as they were due today. It was a short block, so we left it at that. :)
September 17: Today we worked a bit on our art circles. If you're having trouble thinking of what or how to draw an ocean scene, feel free to take a look online tonight for inspiration. We then brainstormed on the information which we learned from Mr. Sterritt on Friday. I gave you a question sheet which we discussed, and which is due tomorrow (for marks). Have a good evening!
September 14: We had a great day today, as we went to Art Sterritt's house to listen to him talk about his art, and his involvement in politics. I was very happy with how everyone behaved, thank you very much! On Monday, as well as working on our Ocean Bridge art circle, we'll brainstorm as to the content of Mr. Sterritt's talk with us, and I'll give you a list of questions about his talk to answer and hand back into me for a mark. I'm thinking that you could hand it in to me on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
September 13: Today we were honoured by having Mr. Campbell come and talk to us about what the ocean means to him personally and culturally. You all were very attentive and respectful, and I'm very grateful to you for that. Mr. Campbell spoke for the entire block, so we didn't get the chance to start our art. We'll start it on Monday.
Remember that we're going to see Mr. Sterritt at his home tomorrow, so please come to class for attendance, then we'll all walk over together. Take a look at the questions we came up with (in yesterday's post). See you tomorrow!
Remember that we're going to see Mr. Sterritt at his home tomorrow, so please come to class for attendance, then we'll all walk over together. Take a look at the questions we came up with (in yesterday's post). See you tomorrow!
September 12: Today we talked about Mr. Campbell's visit tomorrow, and how important it is to pay respect, listen carefully, and do our best on the Ocean Bridge art project that he's helping us with. I also let you know that we're going to be visiting Art Sterritt's home on Friday, and he's going to talk to us about the crest pole which he's making. We watched a video about Mr. Sterritt and his role in forming the Great Bear Rainforest (https://youtu.be/JMZtjwqA5ks) then came up with the following questions to ask him on Friday:
Questions for Mr. Sterritt
See you tomorrow! No homework.
Questions for Mr. Sterritt
- How can we be more effective in cleaning the ocean?
- Are the current efforts to clean plastics out of the ocean effective, or are they doing more harm than good?
- What inspired him to get into his artwork?
- How many hours go into making some of the masks you make?
- For how many years were people given a “licence to kill” in the Great Bear Rainforest?
- What is the Bright Award, and were there a lot of contenders for it?
- What was the Bright Award ceremony like? Was it an Indigenous or European style ceremony? Was your culture honoured?
- How did you create and establish the Great Bear Rainforest?
- Did you receive law training at Stanford?
- When did you first realize the relationship you had with art?
See you tomorrow! No homework.
September 10: Today we started with tea and breakfast, then wrote in our journals from this prompt:
The Indigenous population in Canada has increased by 42.5% since 2006. One reason is that in recent years, Indigenous peoples are more likely to self-identify as Indigenous. Why?
We discussed the prompt afterward, then talked about what it means to be Indigenous. Here's what we got so far: being Indigenous involves cultural events and knowledge (including feasts), and being taught by members of your family (grandmothers were given as an example). Indigenous peoples are resilient survivors. Indigeniety involves spirituality. and the Indigenous identity revolves around the land.
We'll continue with this tomorrow. No homework.
The Indigenous population in Canada has increased by 42.5% since 2006. One reason is that in recent years, Indigenous peoples are more likely to self-identify as Indigenous. Why?
We discussed the prompt afterward, then talked about what it means to be Indigenous. Here's what we got so far: being Indigenous involves cultural events and knowledge (including feasts), and being taught by members of your family (grandmothers were given as an example). Indigenous peoples are resilient survivors. Indigeniety involves spirituality. and the Indigenous identity revolves around the land.
We'll continue with this tomorrow. No homework.
September 7: Today we had some circle time and drank some nice hot tea and talked. We then continued working on our graphic of the five terms from our terminology booklet. We also watched a video on terminology (How to Talk about Indigenous People, https://youtu.be/XEzjA5RoLv0), and we copied down the following information from that video:
-there are 370 million Indigenous people living in 70 countries
-there are 1.4 million Indigenous people living in Canada: First Nations (largest group, living coast to coast to coast), the Inuit (who live in the Inovialuit region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiarux. Inuit means "people" in the Inuktituk language, whereas Inuk means "person". No need to say "the Inuit people", as people is already built into the word Inuit).
-using the word "aboroginal" constantly is like referring to Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese (etc) people as "Asian", rather than identifying their cultures. It's a bit disrespectful to do all the time. Better to use the word "Indigenous" rather than "aboriginal", as the word aboriginal can be so broad and non-specific as to be a bit insulting.
No weekend homework. Enjoy yourselves! :)
-there are 370 million Indigenous people living in 70 countries
-there are 1.4 million Indigenous people living in Canada: First Nations (largest group, living coast to coast to coast), the Inuit (who live in the Inovialuit region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiarux. Inuit means "people" in the Inuktituk language, whereas Inuk means "person". No need to say "the Inuit people", as people is already built into the word Inuit).
-using the word "aboroginal" constantly is like referring to Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese (etc) people as "Asian", rather than identifying their cultures. It's a bit disrespectful to do all the time. Better to use the word "Indigenous" rather than "aboriginal", as the word aboriginal can be so broad and non-specific as to be a bit insulting.
No weekend homework. Enjoy yourselves! :)
September 6: We went over what "terminology" means in relation to Indigenous peoples, and why it matters. I then handed out a booklet published by UBC called "Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines" and asked you to make a graphic on a piece of paper with five shapes on it (fairly large shapes; they could be circles, squares, clouds, etc), and put one category heading in each shape: Indigenous, Native, Indian, First Nations Aboriginal (as per pages 6 and 7 of the booklet), and write down which terms are appropriate in which situations (and which are never appropriate). We'll spend a bit more time on it tomorrow. No homework.
September 5: I made some tea, then we talked about rules in the classroom again, and I handed out a little survey about BDFN12. We did the "Smarties" game whereby you chose 3-5 smarties, then told me 3-5 facts according to the colour chart on the board. No homework.
September 4: Welcome to your first day of class! We only had a short block, so we went over the course outline and I asked you to think of some situations in the classroom which might occur over the course of a block, and whether we should make rules about them. We already know that we're allowed to eat as long as we clean up our mess, we aren't allowed to have cell phones in the class, where to get school supplies if we forgot ours at home, and what to do if we miss a class. But certainly there are other situations that might arise that we need to discuss? Such as what should the rules be for students who disrupt the class, for example? Please think of a couple of situations and the rules you think would be fair.
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