Educating Our Educators Guide for Staff - Algoma District School ...

Canada’s Aboriginal PeopleCanada's Aboriginal peoples are comprised of many nations with very diverse cultures. It is imperative to realize thatAboriginal people are unique in their beliefs, spirituality, customs, histories, and languages. Different peoples with distinctlanguages could live in the same area. People within any one geographic area are not necessarily the same. There couldbe as much diversity within a geographic area as there is across Canada.It is important to note that as we attempt to frame the changes to the Aboriginal peoples’ ancestry, continuums may bebased on a multitude of quantifiers – cultural, geographic, urban/rural, language or values. Individuals may beanywhere on the continuum or not at all.Sharing of KnowledgeFor centuries, Aboriginal peoples have adapted their life and living to a specific environment and they shared theirknowledge about survival living in North America's varied landscapes and climates. Around 1500, the first Europeans whoarrived in North America were introduced to new plants that were edible and used in medicines of the past and todayin medication as well as herbal remedies.The Aboriginal peoples in the Arctic invented the igloo to survive severe cold temperatures and perfected the kayak towithstand icy waters and to be able to place the boat upright without getting out if the kayak capsized.In Eastern North America, Aboriginal peoples invented bark canoes as a means of transportation to get through thewaterways while exploring and moving through the dense forests.The Aboriginal peoples living in the Prairies moved from place to place to hunt buffalo; thus, they invented theTeepee, a lightweight dwelling made of poles arranged in a cone shape covered with animal skins.Along the Pacific Coast, Aboriginal peoples lived in permanent villages, accepted sculptures as part of their culture andtraditions, and built dams to catch fish.Aboriginal peoples passed on many skills and knowledge to the Europeans which continue to be shared today. If thisknowledge hadn’t been shared it would have taken the Europeans longer to establish themselves. Life would have beendifferent without the contributions from Aboriginal peoples.Educating Our Educators – Educating Our Aboriginal StudentsRevised March 201123