FNMI Cultural Awareness

1. Cultural Awareness
First Nations Perspectives of History

2. Introduction
• The creatures of the earth don’t
need us; if we all left the earth
today, they would all survive.

3. Prior to Contact in North America
• Circles have significant meaning in First Nations
cultures. Safe and comfortable environments.
• Diverse culture prior to contact. 50 to 60
languages spoken prior to colonization
• Indian is the least politically correct term used to
describe First Nations People
• The term “native” is vague. Anyone born in
Canada is a Native.
• Aboriginal is a term used in the constitution. AB=
not ORIGINAL.

4. Pre-Contact
• Indigenous Peoples have been living in Canada for
thousands of years before contact with Europeans.
• They thrived and lived in harmony and balance with
the environment (Avoid the word survive).
• Europeans came here for 4 reasons: Fish,
(Europeans were hungry back home and saw a
bountiful of fish), Furs (European furtrade and
explorers), Exploration, and Evangelization
(Spreading the word of God…new people to talk to).

5. The Possibilities
• Without the help of First Nations People, None of
the four reasons the Europeans came to Canada
for would not be possible. Do we have
agreement?
• Europeans were vastly outnumbered, making
their continued presence entirely at the mercy of
the First Nations Peoples. Mutual benefit
relationship. This is the foundation of what
happens next.

6. Four Categories of Focus
• Land
• Government
• Family
• Spirituality

7. Land Usage
• All of Creation is equally sacred
• All of Creation were given gifts
• Human gifts came with a responsibility to
the land
• We are the stewards of Mother Earth
• Ownership denotes relationships
• We are all family

8. Clan System 7 Clans
• Loon—Chiefs of Internal Affairs. Like the mayor.
• Crane—Chiefs of External Affairs. Like international
affairs.
• Fish—Teachers, Intellectuals
• Bird—Spiritual Leaders.
• Bear—Medicine People and Police As they are searching
for medicine they are also patrolling the borders.
• Marten—Warriors and Strategies. Find the most
resourceful way to get things done.
• Deer—Caregivers. Good, kind, gentle. If someone is
sick, they would go to the deer clan. They would take care
of those in need.

9. Family Structure
• Infants—Love
• Toddlers—Safety, teach them how to be safe.
• Children—Learning
• Youth—Questioning
• Young adults—Child Rearing
• Adults—Providing
• Grandparents—Teaching
• Elders—Wisdom

10. Infants Love
Toddlers
Safety
Children
Learning
Youth
Questioning
Young Adults
Child Rearing
Adults
Providing
Grandparents
Teaching

11. Spirituality

12. The Anishinabek Medicine Wheel – What
does it Mean?
• Medicine wheels consist of many different
aspects which connect humans and all living
things to Earth. All of these things are contained
in one small package that exemplifies and
reminds us of our earthly ties and responsibilities.
• The Medicine Wheel is round to represent the
Circle of Life. Human beings like many
organisms, enter their existence dependent on
others as babies, grow and discover during their
youth, experience life and learn while adults, and
age and pass on their knowledge as elders.

13. Symbolism
• The central cross represents how all things in the natural
world come in fours.
• This includes four winds, the four seasons, the four
directions, the four grandfathers (teachers), and the four
stages of life.
• The plan and animal symbols are useful to us as
medicines and guardians and also act to fulfill our spiritual
and personal well-being.
• The reason this object is called a “Medicine Wheel is due
to the strong spiritual healing present when all of the
representative symbols are in balance and are united.

14. Contact
• The Royal Proclamation of1763 outline the British Crown's
vision of relations with the First Peoples.
• This outlined the need for Nation to Nation relationship.
• Compensation for the land
• Population Reversal due to new diseases. These
diseases spread quickly. The first peoples’ population was
decimated (up to 90% of the population—small pox,
influenza, and other new diseases). However, the
European population grew from 750000 to 2.3 millions
from 1821 to 1851.

15. Colonization
• Representational Government takes over from the Crown.
• The government is going to assimilate the Indians in order
to wipe out the population.
• First Peoples no longer beneficial but obstructive
• The Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 first identified who
was an Indian to count them to eliminate them.
• The Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869 saw the
government take control of who was and who wasn’t an
Indian.

16. Continued Colonization
• 1920’s see revisions to the Indian Act that further hamper
Aboriginal efforts.
• Residential School System create to “educate the Indian out of
the child”
• Chief Phil Fontaine admitted to sexual abuse.
• The 60s Scoop sees a further erosion of family and community.
Numerous children were taken and placed into foster homes.
70% were placed in non-native homes and 70% of the
placements were broke down.
• 1969 White Paper (Pierre Trudeau was PM) Assimilation is
complete. However the community started to push back
politically. 1970 Red Paper was a response to the government.

17. Resulting Conditions
• Poor Physical Health
• Social and Economic Challenges abound
• 5-6 times addiction rates
• 5-6 times suicide rates
• 3% of population, up to 30% currently incarcerated.
• 80% of Aboriginal women have faced family violence.
• Aboriginal women are testing more frequently for HIV in
Canada today

18. What are we to do?
• How are you going to differentiate yourself from this history?
Be aware that the history of First Nations exists.
• We have to educate our kids based on the curriculum but some
of the First Nations kids have specific needs.
• Encourage plurality in our classrooms; not everyone has the
same experiences as you do.
• Ask ourselves, “Does this still hold true?” Always question
traditional teachings of the education curriculum.
• Here is what I was taught about this culture…
• Be careful to offer students authentic Aboriginal material and
experiences.
• Stop separating history from aboriginal history.
• Demand that your educational needs are met. Request for
more PD in this area.