My Very Good Dear Friends

Subject Area

This activity lends itself to use in a variety of contexts within the English curriculum. It has been designed to fit into the ENG 3A1 course in a unit based on “a selection of stories, essays, and poems from Literary Experiences and selected readings on global concerns (to be) read, analyzed and discussed, with a view to generating models and ideas for student written responses, mainly creative in nature.”

The consideration of global concerns is now usually deemed central to the English curriculum. As part of this approach, it seems particularly appropriate to consider aspects of aboriginal North American environmental philosophy. As teachers and students strive to find their place within the larger sphere of global environmental concerns, they would be well served to look into North America’s past and observe societies which have always held oneness with the earth as an essential part of their life and thought. Traditional perspectives and values will hopefully shed light on the causes and solutions for the conflicts which exist among the various societies which make up modern North America.

Learning Outcomes

Teaching, learning and evaluation will focus on the student’s ability to:

• Identify and describe aspects of political and environmental philosophy within aboriginal North American traditions;
  
• Evaluate concepts and principles of aboriginal North American traditions, politics and environmental philosophy;
  
• Conceptualize ways in which these concepts and principles can be incorporated into modern Western culture;
  
• Extend and creatively develop ideas through research, writing and speaking.

Classroom Development

The classroom teacher may wish to accomplish some or all of these steps with the class.

1. Direct students to read “My Very Good Dear Friends” or the chosen alternative piece as preparation for classroom activities. If students keep some form of journal or log of their reading, remind them to include their response to this reading.
   
2. Provide students with the opportunity to share their ideas on their reading, either in formal discussion groups or informally in a general discussion.
   
3. View or audit background material with the students to familiarize them with traditional concepts of aboriginal North American life, thought, and current issues of conflict.
   
4. Invite an aboriginal North American speaker to talk with students. This is not a substitution for step three. Students must have a basic background knowledge of the relevant issues for this step to have educational value.
   
5. Analyze and draft responses to “My Very Good Dear Friends” or the selected piece. Share and discuss these formal responses. Put the draft responses through whatever editing procedures are used in your class and submit final pieces for evaluation.

Timing

Allow 2—3 class (75 min) periods for this activity.

Resources

• The best resources for teachers and students in the Metro Toronto Area is the Toronto Public Library Branch at Spadina and Bloor (10 Spadina Road) and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (16 Spadina Road). As either a research or field trip, these resources are full of information in the form of texts, tapes of music, videos and displays related to Native North American culture. Call in advance to discuss possibilities and arrange for a visit with the administrators. The Native Canadian Centre is primarily designed for assisting various Native groups.

If you live outside a major urban centre, you may be able to contact a local native band in your area. Asking them for assistance, resource information, and perhaps an opportunity for classroom exchange would provide students the best opportunity to explore aspects of Native culture.

• George, Chief Dan. “My Very Good Dear Friends,” Literary Experiences, Volume One. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., 1989. (pp 359-362.). This speech was originally drawn from: Waubageshig, ed. The Only Good Indian. Toronto: New Press, 1970. In a moving address to the Canadian people, Chief Dan George speaks of the traditions of aboriginal North Americans, especially of their closely held sense of oneness with the earth and how this seems to conflict with the values of North American society. The speech is a plea for unity, understanding and for a place in Canadian Society into which aboriginal North Americans can enter with their self-respect intact.
  
  
• Winds of Change: Matter of Promises. Pacific Arts Video Publishing, 1990. Pacific Video Arts Publishing, 50 N. La Genega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211, USA. In this program, Wisconson Public Television investigates philosophies, status and political issues impinging on life among three different aboriginal North American Nations: the Onondage, who lives as a separate passport-carrying nation within New York State; the Navajo Nation, who consider themselves to be patriotic Americans, and the West Coast Lummi Nation, who have been engaged in conflict with the U.S. government on treaty issues, particularly fishing rights.
  
  
• Vanderwerth, W.C. Indian Oratory: Famous Speeches by noted Indian Chieftains. University of Oklahoma Press, 1972.
  
  
• McLain, Gary. The Indian Way: Learning to Communicate with Mother Earth. Santa Fe, New Mexico: John Muir Publications, 1990. This book contains active physical and outdoor activities which may be used to expand this activity, if time allows.
  
  
• Resource Reading List 1990: Annotated Bibliography of Resources by and About Native People. Canadian Alliance, 1990.

1. In groups of 3-4, students consider issues arising from “My Very Good Dear Friends.” They may simply talk together about the speech as a whole, or together choose topics of discussion arising from the speech. Students may wish to examine questions such as “Do you feel aboriginal North American philosophy should adjust itself to North American society, or should North American society adopt aboriginal environmental philosophies and practises?” Insist that students are able to support their ideas with carefully thought out reasons. Also, an open discussion such as this should be preceded at some point by a discussion of issues of racism and intolerance for social and cultural difference so that students will have more of a background with which to discuss the issues. A debate may arise from this preliminary discussion.
   
2. Look at the speech dispassionately for its rhetorical devices. What appeals are made to North American society? How does Chief Dan George engage the sympathy of his audience? What issues organize the speech and how does the speaker insure that these will linger in his listener’s mind long enough to insure a response?

Around Winds of Change

Prior to viewing of Winds of Change, inform students that they will be asked to form groups of 3-4 to consider and evaluate the ideas, philosophies and conflicts they intend to pursue further. After they have seen the film, students may select the issues they found to be most important, divide to talk about these, and present their ideas to the class.

Around a Guest Speaker’s Visit

It is useful for students to have some background ideas prior to the speaker’s visit. The video study is one way to prepare the students.

1. Students prepare interview questions for the visitor. This can be done in groups of 3-4 with the group responsible for recording and preparing a write-up of the speaker’s responses both in and after his/her formal talk or workshop.
   
2. Students write responses to the speaker on issues arising from his/her talk as a writing folder assignment, a formal letter to be sent to the speaker, or as a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
   
3. Students write or orally present a comparative response to ideas presented by the speaker, the video and the printed source material.