Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society

Teaching/Learning Strategies
1. Students answer the following questions independently:
• What is the most important thing in your life?
• Is there any idea or belief that you might be willing to suffer or die for?
• Reread your answers to the questions above. What are your key values?
• How important to you (rate from 1-10) is your family? your community? your culture? your
country? money?
• Are your answers to the questions above consistent with your answer about your key values? If
not, what does this tell you?
• Give three examples of a time in your life when your values affected your behaviour.
• Ask an important adult in your life to list his/her three most important values.
2. Viewpoints and Values? Introduce to students the idea of corporate values by putting quotations on
an overhead. (See Appendix 2.5.2.)
3. It is important that the teacher discuss any terms new to students before utilizing the quotes. After
each overhead statement is displayed, a short period of discussion should ensue. The discussion
should be directed towards having students develop in their thinking a chain of causality with values
as the starting point (e.g., values - behaviour - environmental and social consequences). Students
should be given time in small groups to discuss ways in which economic values differ from values
that emerged in their earlier research and class discussion (personal, community, and cultural values).
It may be interesting to have students speculate on why values important to individuals, community,
and cultures (especially indigenous cultures) are so different from values espoused by corporations. It
is also important that students be made aware that economic relationships in indigenous cultures are
structured on different values than those just discussed.
4. A clash of values. Introduce students to a real-life example of what happens when corporate values
clash with Aboriginal values. Show the video, “James Bay: The Wind that Keeps on Blowing” (A
Nature of Things Special by David Suzuki.) This video outlines the environmental and cultural
impact of Hydro Quebec’s massive hydro electric development on the Cree communities in northern
Quebec. Students should be given a worksheet prior to watching the video. Questions should focus
on the values articulated by the Hydro Quebec officials in the video and the values outlined by the
Cree elders. Go over the questions prior to student viewing.
5. The teacher should attempt to get a copy of an article in The Globe and Mail, January 13, 2001,
“Forest of no return,” by Karen Charleson, a member of the Hesquiath First Nation.
The teacher should have students read this article and write a short one page newspaper editorial
explaining why the reconciliation of corporate and traditional Aboriginal values is an important
challenge for First Nations in the 21st century. Tell them that it is important that the article contain
specific reference to actions that youth can take that will promote a reconciliation of these values.
6. As an example of the proactive and positive action that the teacher can take on these issues, show
students the article, “Whapamagoostui youth speaks out”. This article (Appendix 2.5.1) outlines a
speech made by Stella Sarah Maseetayapeemeko, a 14-year-old participant of the ODEYAK voyage
from Wapamagoostui to New York City. Students should analyse her thoughts and words.
Unit 2 - Page 15
• Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society - College Preparation