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Saskatchewan Indian Federated College Department of Indian Education First Nations and Metis Curriculum Units - |
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Introduction
This unit was developed for a grade four
level, but can be easily adapted up to grade seven. This unit introduces students'
to legends and their meanings within First Nation groups. Legends are stories that
are told to teach people what is right or wrong based on specific cultural beliefs.
They are also used to explain why something was the way it was; for example, "how
Bumblebees got their stingers." Each legend has a different moral to
teach us about the rules and way of life. Other legends are to told to teach us how
to do things or create alternatives in our lives . Usually legends were told by the
Elders of each community: Grandparents. Many legends are told in their mother tongue.
First Nation groups like the Plains Cree, Saulteaux, Salish and Mohawk are examples of the
various cultural language groups. When legends are told in their own language, the
story varies in length from a couple of minutes to a couple of days, depending upon the
lesson being taught. You can locate where the legend originated from by the
trickster character represented in the legend. The Cree trickster is Wisahkecahk,
the Saulteaux trickster is Nanabush and the trickster found in various British Columbia
groups is Raven, to name a few. First Nation communities have different names to
represent the same character with varying beliefs about the cultural group. Foundational Objectives: Saskatchewan
Social Studies Curriculum Cognitive: Students will... Emotional: Students will... - become familiar with games as they relate to the physical activities extended from the traditional legends. Affective/Spiritual: Students will...
Vocabulary List Legend - A form of story telling that taught First Nation children
about beliefs and values of their
people.
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