Aboriginal
Environmental Perspectives
Program
Area
This activity
is designed for the Grade 9 Self and Society program, and best
fits into the unit of study on the Multicultural nature of Canada.
This lesson should be done after an introduction to the indigenous
peoples of Canada.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the student's ability to:
- Articulate
an understanding of an aboriginal perspective on our environment;
- Compare
aboriginal philosophy to one's own philosophical backgrounds;
- Create
symbols that would represent concepts in aboriginal philosophy.
Classroom
Development
- Have
students read the interview with Danny Beaton.
- Assign
a partner for each student to draw and label a chart that would
visually represent Danny Beaton's perspective on our environment.
The chart should have symbols, drawings and colour done with
an aboriginal artistic style. (S=10 marks A=10 marks)
- Have
the partners write ten questions to ask Danny Beaton. You could
pick an assortment of questions from the class and:
a) invite Danny Beaton to speak to your class;
b) interview him over the telephone;
c) invite another native leader to speak to your class.
Bibliography
Black, Scot
ed. Earthkeeper Magazine. Jan/Feb 1992. Vol 11, Issue 111.
An issue on aboriginal Canadians and our environment.
Berry,
Thomas. The Dream of the Earth. San Francisco: Sierra,
1988.
Van Matre,
Steve. The Earth Speaks. Warrenville Illinois: Institute
For Earth Education, 1983.
Henley,
Thom. Rediscovery. Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
Vancouver 1989.
Verrall,
Catherine, Patricia McDowell, and Lenore Keeshig-Tobias. Resource
Reading List 1990: Annotated Bibliography of Resources By and
About Native People. Update coming in 1995. Canadian Alliance
in Solidarity with Native Peoples, 1991. P.O. Box 574 Stn. P,
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2T1. Available from Longhouse Bookshop (416)
921-9995, or NASNP (416) 972-1753.
Timing
- 10 min
to read the interview
- 40 min
to design and draw the chart
- 25 min
to write the ten questions
Additional
Suggestions
As a teacher you can present a native perspective
on our environment for many of your disciplines. Here are a few
suggestions:
- assign
a research project;
- invite
a native person to be a guest speaker;
- have
a class debate that would illustrate a native perspective;
- study
native poetry;
- study
native art and print making;
- research
the biography of Grey Owl (a European who lived an aboriginal
lifestyle) or an aboriginal character.
Contacts
- Danny
Beaton, Executive Director Artists Environment Forum 296 Brunswick
Avenue (Poor Alex Theater) Toronto, Ontario M5S 2M7 voice: (416)
921-0014 fax: (416) 921-7925.
- Danny
Beaton is available to speak to your students on a number of
topics including: native perspective on our environment; native
spirituality; drug and alcohol abuse; his visits to speak with
indigenous people of the Amazon, Labrador, James Bay, Hudson
Bay and many other areas; his personal photographic library
of indigenous people
- Fred
Plain Chiefs of Ontario 22 College Street 2nd Floor Toronto,
Ontario M5G 1K2 (416) 972-0212 Ĩ Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat
(416) 326-4740
- Canadian
Alliance in Solidarity with Native Peoples (416) 972-1573
An
Interview with Danny Beaton
Danny Beaton
is a Six Nations Mohawk Indian from the Turtle Clan who has been
raising the awareness of newer Canadians about indigenous people
and Mother Earth. His presentations and speaking engagements are
supported by the World Council of Indigenous People, the Mohawk
Nation, the University of Toronto, and O.I.S.E.
I feel that
it is very important for students to understand the connection
between the indigenous people of Canada and our environment. We
have a very spiritual, psychic, and mystical connection. Our ancestors
lived in harmony with their environment for thousands of years.
They gave great reverence to the animals, plants, rivers, lakes,
forests and soil. They became very knowledgeable about their environment
and their responsibility to take care of it.
We Have
Two Mothers
You see
we have two mothers. The second mother is our Mother Earth who
takes care of us forever. When we get older and begin to explore,
we eventually discover a living Mother Earth all around us. She
feeds us potatoes, apples, and oranges. She gives us air to breath
and her blood; the rivers, lakes and oceans. She watches out for
us, protects us and looks after our needs. She is a gracious mother,
and we would surely die without her. Since she is small within
our universe and very fragile, we must look out for her, protect
her from harm, and take care of her.
Many people
have become divorced from Mother Earth. Urban social problems
exhibit evidence of this. Mental institutions, penitentiaries,
and hospitals are full of people who could benefit from refocusing
their lives around Mother Earth. People spend too much time trying
to escape from their problems. Just look at all the beer stores,
liquor stores and drug stores in your community.
Spirituality
has become bankrupt. Many people have not yet discovered their
spiritual roots; we all have them. Spirituality is the highest
form of politics among indigenous people. We listen to and take
counsel from our spiritual leaders.
Turtle
Island Has Problems
You and
I both share Turtle Island, the vast continent of North and South
America. Immense problems are affecting Turtle Island and the
future that we share. The Inuit, Innu, Den, northern Cree, Lubicon
and other indigenous nations are still trying to live off the
land. Their ancestral fishing and hunting areas are threatened
by urban expansion, industrial pollution and power development
projects. Peace loving nations have been forced to struggle and
fight to hold on to their land. Chiefs, elders and their children
are being attacked and invaded by exploration and exploitation.
By doing
little about this invasion our Federal and Provincial Governments
are actually showing their support for this attack. There seems
to be no justice for us. Look at how strong Indian nations used
to be. They had high quality water and large food supplies. Indigenous
people want to maintain the land and resources that they need
to sustain their culture and way of life. The injustices that
are now happening to indigenous people will soon happen to our
white brothers and sisters.
Please
Show Respect
You must
show your students how to respect the air and not pollute it with
automobiles and chemicals. Show them how to respect the water
that they must drink tomorrow. They must be made conscious of
the pollution that is affecting their own bodies. Show them how
to respect their own bodies by staying clean from drugs and alcohol.
This type of pollution is destroying young people.
Birth control
should be taught in schools. Every child that is born is an additional
burden to Mother Earth. Students need to realize that they just
can't have as many children as their parents had.
Students
should be provided with opportunities to look at what is going
on around them. What is their relationship to the natural world?
What is going on with Mother Earth? If they ask these questions
they will start to see all the negative processes that are happening.
Native
Mentors
Students
need to know about Elijah Harper, Graeme Green, Chief Owen Lyons,
Grey Owl, and Chief Dan George. Native people are continuing to
change the course of history and politics. Your students would
be greatly impacted by the indigenous people that you invite to
your classroom. Invite us to share our philosophy and perspective
with you.
I see the
whole process of education undergoing change. I see teachers taking
initiative and becoming more knowledgeable about indigenous people
and their concerns. I see teachers teaching important life skills.
I see a consciousness about our environment being instilled. I
see hope for Mother Earth.
(Danny
Beaton from an interview conducted by a member of the O.S.E.E.
curriculum team, 1991, 07, 07)
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