The Stories We Tell: Aboriginal History, Literacy,

and Cultural Sensitivity

A National Resource Centers on Canada Presentation at the 96th Annual NCSS Conference in Washington, DC

by

Betsy Arntzen, Outreach CoordinatorCanadian-American Center, University of Maine

Northeast National Resource Center on Canada

Amy Sotherden, Assistant DirectorCenter for the Study of Canada/Institute on Quebec Studies

Plattsburgh State University of New York College at PlattsburghNortheast National Resource Center on Canada

Tina Storer, Education & Curriculum SpecialistCenter for Canadian-American Studies, Western Washington University

PNW National Resource Center on Canada in consortium with the

Canadian Studies Center, Jackson School of International StudiesUniversity of Washington

Source: National Geographic (1972) -https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTceCW_OxUBcwATCMnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTB0aWRtNmFyBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1lIUzAwMV8x?p=first+nations+across+north+america+map&back=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dfirst%2Bnations%2Bacross%2Bnorth%2Bamerica%2Bmap%26ei%3DUTF-8%26hsimp%3Dyhs-001%26hspart%3Dmozilla&w=732&h=842&imgurl=www.firstnationsseeker.ca%2FNAMapB.jpg&size=320KB&name=NAMapB.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstnationsseeker.ca%2FPreviousNAmaps.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstnationsseeker.ca%2FPreviousNAmaps.html&type=&no=6&tt=119&oid=26f0562b321a36deeb8b9ec74b92417d&tit=This+wall+map+came+as+an+insert+in+National+Geographic%26%2339%3Bs+magazine+and+...&sigr=11kmiphfl&sigi=114mv4kiq&sign=10a6hgeua&sigt=103d1h5lg&sigb=13ibajnle&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

Points to Consider when Teaching Aboriginal HistoryAdapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations

• The histories of North America’s First peoples span thousands ofyears and are recounted through oral traditions and story-telling.(Example: Cascadia Earthquake of 1700)

• European accounts by trappers, traders, explorers, andmissionaries give important evidence of early-contact culture andwritten records, beginning in the late 15th century, have beenfoundational to the larger story of our continent.

• Archeological, anthropological and linguistic research havecontributed to understanding their cultural history but aresometimes suspect of bias.

• Although key to the exploration and development of what we nowcall the U.S. and Canada, Indigenous histories have not alwaysbeen told accurately, completely, or from their own perspectivesin our education systems, history books, or popular culture.

Cross-Border Connections Point to a North American Context

Cultural areas of North American Indigenous peoples at the time of European contact

"Nordamerikanische Kulturareale en" by User:Nikater - Own work by Nikater, submitted to the public domain via Wikimedia Commons –http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordamerikanische_Kulturareale_en.png#mediaviewer/File:Nordamerikanische_Kulturareale_en.png

There are currently over 60 First Nations languages in Canada grouped into 12 distinct language families, according to Statistics Canada.

Map: "Langs N.Amer“ licensed via Wikimedia Commons –http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Langs_N.Amer.png#mediaviewer/File:Langs_N.Amer.png

Current national borders did not exist and often now divide many traditional homelands.

Language families in Northern America at the time of European contact

How is the Aboriginal History of Canada different?

• Although not without conflict, slavery, orprejudice, Euro-Canadians' earlyinteractions with Indigenous populationswere less combative compared to theoften-violent battles between colonists andAboriginal peoples in the United States.

• This relatively non-combative history—combined with later economicdevelopment—has allowed First Peoples tohave an influence on the national cultureand the politics of Canada while betterpreserving their own tribal identities thanin the United States.

Fur traders in Canada trading with First Nations, 1777

[Also see handout: “Early Exploration and Aboriginal Connections” by T. Storer and R. Widenor posted at: www.k12studycanada.org/files/lesson_plans/NCHE/2012_Mar-Early_Exploration_and_Aboriginal_Connections.pdf]

Tecumseh (/tɛˈkʌmsə/; March 1768 –October 5, 1813) was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy (known as Tecumseh's Confederacy) which opposed the United States during Tecumseh'sWar and the War of 1812. Tecumseh has become an iconic folk hero in American, Aboriginal and Canadian history.Source: http://www.indigenouspeople.net/tecumseh.htm

A Point of Distinction between Canada and the US:

Three groups in Canada—First Nations, Inuit and Métis—have Aboriginal status.

NB: “First Nations” refers to 630+ tribes in Canada (who are neither Inuit nor Métis).

1) 2) 3)

3) Métis Red Flag (Northern USA, Minnesota) and Manitoba, Canada [NB: Blue version used in Alberta, Saskatchewan and NWT)"Metis Red" by Original uploader was Enjoyhats at en.wikipedia – Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons -http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metis_Red.svg#mediaviewer/File:Metis_Red.svg

2) "Flag of Nunavut" by James Leigh - Sodipodi's Clipart Gallery. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons -http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Nunavut.svg#mediaviewer/File:Flag_of_Nunavut.svg

1) Assembly of First Nations (AFN) logo http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Assembly_of_First_Nations_%28emblem%29.png

Also also see article: “Aboriginal Identity and the Classroom” by K. Crey

Teaching About Native Americans in a North American Context

Canada and the US share a stain of intolerance in their histories towards Indigenous peoples, particularly during the 19th-20th Centuries.

Although Canada had no “Trail of Tears”, the timeline below (and next 2 slides)shows the evolution of Canada’s relationship with its First peoples.

1763: Royal Proclamation: Aboriginal claims/government treaties handled by Crown.

1867: British North America Act: above shifts to federal government responsibility.

1871-75: First 5 “numbered” treaties signed re. lands in parts of ON, MB, SK and AB.

1876: Indian Act: removes any Aboriginal self-government—now “wards” of the state.

1870s: Residential schools open – eventually 130+ church-run schools established.

1885: Northwest Rebellion: unsuccessful uprising by Louis Riel and Métis (SK/MB)

A Big Bad Similarity: Intolerance towards Indigenous Peoples

Along with new attitudes to immigration policy, Canadians began changingtheir perception of Indigenous peoples.

Some “Tipping point” events:

1951: The Indian Act changes remove some discriminatory rules (eg: Potlatch Ban)

1960: Native Canadians are given the right to vote in federal electionsBig Exception: the “Sixties Scoop” begins -- an estimated 20,000 aboriginal children arefostered or adopted out to primarily white middle-class families, within Canada/the U.S./Europe – a policy that only ended only in the mid-1980s.

1967: Centennial celebration of Confederation raises public awareness and pride.

1973: Calder Case: Supreme Court determines Aboriginal rights to land exist –leads to implementation of original numbered and modern treaty agreements.

1975: James Bay Agreement: Québec signs with Cree and Inuit communities and encourages further economic partnerships.

1984: Inuvialuit Claims Settlement Act: Inuit gain control over natural resources.

20th Century Changes in Canada

1985: The Indian Act changes include giving status to Métis, off-reserve Aboriginals, and Aboriginal women who previously lost their status by marrying non-Natives.

1996: Last Residential School closes; National Aboriginal Day established on June 21.

1999: Nunavut Act and Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Nunavut becomes its own territory (first change to political map since Newfoundland & Labrador joined in 1949).

2000: Nisaga’a Treaty: B.C. tribe granted $196 million over 15 years + communal self-governance and resource control.

2008: PM Stephen Harper offers apology on behalf of Canada for residential schooling.

2010: Canada signs U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Four HostFirst Nations are key partners in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

2011 & 2015: “Indian Affairs and Northern Development” changes name in 2011 to “Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada”; name changesagain in 2015 to “Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada”. Trudeau calls for Inquiry re. missing/murdered Indigenous women and girls.

2016: Truth and Reconciliation Report acknowledges significant harms to Indigenouspeoples and recommends 94 “calls to action”. Education key to reconciliation.

Can 21st Century Americans benefit froma dose of Canada’s cultural sensitivity?

Let’s Start with Names…

• Within Canada, "First Nations" (most often used as plural) has come intogeneral use—replacing the deprecated term "Indians"—for the indigenouspeoples of the Americas.

• Individuals using the term outside Canada include supporters of theCascadian independence movement as well as American tribes within thePacific Northwest (though the term “Indians” is still frequently used in theUnited States).

• A more recent trend is for members of various nations to refer tothemselves by their tribal or national identity only, e.g., "I'm Haida," or"We're Kwantlens," in recognition of the distinctiveness of First Nationsethnicities.

[Also see handout: “Aboriginal Identity and Terminology” by Dr. L. Kesler]

…and First Nations’ Place Names

• Complex issues surround mapping and place names. Both have significant political implications for tribes.

• There are currently over 630 recognized First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

• The total population is approximately 900,000 people.

This map illustrates the First Nation Statement of Intent boundaries on the coast of B.C. Such images provide an interesting

insight into the interface between western mapping ideas on one hand, and the complexity of aboriginal land use on the other.

Source: Created by Ecotrust Canada. http://nativemaps.org/?q=taxonomy/term/90

Thanksgiving -

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/874118/images/o-THANKSGIVINGMYTH-facebook.jpg

http://oyate.org/index.php/resources/43-resources/thanksgiving

Consider Holiday Celebrations…

“First Thanksgiving” is myth in reality and seen as a bitter reminder of betrayed friendship

Columbus Day What is being celebrated on the second Monday of October?

[All photos from Google images search of Columbus Day.]

A movement is afoot: Indigenous Peoples Day replaces Columbus Day in Seattle, Minneapolis, Phoenix and the states of South Dakota, Alaska and Vermont.

…or Re-Think Them Altogether

Evaluating Children’s Books for Cultural Sensitivity

www.oyate.org/index.php/resources

Selection Criteria from How To Tell The Difference

sLet’s Discuss Children’s Books

PICTURE BOOKS:

ABC books: i“E” for “Eskimo” or “I” for Indian?

In Counting books, are “Indians” counted?

Do pictures show children “playing Indian”?

Are animals dressed as “Indians”?

Do “Indians” have ridiculous names, like “Indian Two Feet,” or “Little Chief”?

STEREOTYPES:

Are Native peoples portrayed as savages, or primitive craftspeople, or simple tribal people, now extinct?

Are Native societies oversimplified and generalized??

Is the art a mishmash of “generic Indian” designs?

LOADED WORDS:

Are there insulting overtones to the language in the book?

TOKENISM

Are Native people depicted as stereotypically alike?

DISTORTION OF HISTORY

Are words like “victory,” “conquest,” or “massacre” used to justify Euro-American conquest of Native lands?

VICTIMIZATION

Does the story encourage children to believe that Native peoples accepted defeat passively?

Are Native heroes limited to those who, in some way, are believed to have aided Europeans (eg: Pocahontas)?

LIFESTYLES

Are Native cultures presented in a condescending manner?

Are Native peoples discussed in the past tense only, supporting the “vanished Indian” myth?

Is a society portrayed in a distorted or limited way? Is there an ethnocentric Western focus on material objects, such as baskets, pottery, rugs?

Are Native peoples shown as “relentlessly ecological”?

DIALOG

Do Indigenous people speak in broken English or in the oratorical style of the “noble savage”?

sHow to Evaluate for Cultural Sensitivity

STANDARDS OF SUCCESS

In modern times, are Indian people portrayed as childlike and helpless?

Do Native people and their communities contrast unfavorably with the “norm” of white middle-class suburbia?

Must Native people to adhere to “white” values and standards in order to get ahead or experience success?

THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Are women completely subservient to men?

THE ROLE OF ELDERS

Are elders treated as a dispensable burden upon their People, to be abandoned in times of trouble or famine?

THE EFFECTS ON A CHILD’S SELF-IMAGE

Is there anything in the story that would embarrass or hurt a Native child?

THE AUTHOR’S OR ILLLUSTRATOR’S BACKGROUND

Is the background of the author and illustrator devoid of qualities that enable them to write about Native peoples in an accurate, respectful manner?

sEvaluating Children’s Books for Cultural Sensitivity

sHow to Avoid Author/Illustrator Bias

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA BY OYATE

AUTHOR’S OR ILLUSTRATOR’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE STORY:

Does the author completely fabricate a story in the vague style of a Native legend?

Does the author fail to acknowledge or pay tribute to the source of the story?

Does the author acknowledge a vague, unnamed “elder” to validate the story?

Is the illustrator culturally disconnected from the story?

AUTHOR’S OR ILLUSTRATOR’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE STORY: Is a cultural outsider’s perspective in the story have importance beyond the children’s book?

Does the author’s note obfuscate the origins of the story?

Does the author rationalize major changes to a story?

Does the author seek to justify a retelling from outside the culture by implying that the culture itself has disappeared?

Does the author’s cultural belief system overlay the belief system of the people whose stories are being told?

Is the author’s “humor” an arrogant, insulting, offensive or mean-spirited portrayal of the people whose stories are allegedly being told?

Is the author culturally disconnected from the story?

Is the author a cultural outsider with no ties to the story?

Does the author use the word “story” or “tale” or “myth” or “legend” to minimize the importance of traditional oral histories?

Let Tina know your book titles to insert jacket pics of the titles for sharing….

Let’s Explore Some Children’s Books Together

What should teachers look for when selecting Native American literature?

Seek out books that depict characters from a well-defined individual native nation — as opposed togeneric Indians. I say this because there are popular books that were written withoutunderstanding these specific differences. For example, in Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles —which is a story of a little girl dealing with the death of her grandmother — descriptions and

illustrations are totally incorrect for the Navajo culture. And no one in any Native American culturewould call his or her grandmother "old one." Books like this are insensitive due to ignorance, notthrough intention — but it hurts just as much. -- Author, Joseph Bruchac

Keep in Mind

• Books that reveal today's Native American cultures.• Discuss ways in which Native American cultures have influenced world culture.• Explore values Native American cultures share, such as respect, sharing, and reverence for

living things.• Avoid books that suffer from what Joseph Bruchac refers to as "The Dances with Wolves

Syndrome" —books in which all Indians are noble and all white people are bad. • Any children's book that builds up one culture at the expense of another ultimately keeps racial

tension alive.

In Summary…www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/how-choose-best-multicultural-books

Let the NRCs on Canada help, too!

K-12 RESOURCE TOUR OF THE SALISH SEA A Companion Project Associated with the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Downloadable from the homepage of

http://www.k12studycanada.org

Selected Resources Compiled by Tina Storer, Education and Curriculum Specialist, and Joshua Tataran, Student Outreach Assistant,

Center for Canadian-American Studies at Western Washington University A Pacific Northwest National Resource Center on Canada

tina.storer@wwu.edu / 360-650-7370 / www.k12studycanada.org

in association with the

April 30 - May 2, 2014 Washington State Convention & Trade Center Seattle, Washington http://www.wwu.edu/salishseaconference

PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON CANADA

200+ RESOURCES! A K-12 RESOURCE TOUR OF CANADA

Selected Resources (in progress) Compiled by

Tina Storer, Education and Curriculum Specialist Center for Canadian-American Studies at Western Washington University

A Pacific Northwest National Resource Center on Canada tina.storer@wwu.edu / 360-650-7370 / www.k12studycanada.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTORY NOTE AND MAP………………………………………………………….

NRCs ON CANADA – RESOURCES AND SERVICES (20)……………………………

CANADA & U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS / WEBSITE INFO (15+) …

THOUGHT-PROVOKING ARTICLES (6+) ………………………………………….……….

TEACHER REFERENCE BOOKS/CLASSROOM RESOURCES (15)……………….

CURRICULA (Lesson / Activity Plans and Teachers Guides) (7+) ………….. STUDENT BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! (95+)………………………………………………

Workbooks / Atlases / Textbooks (20)…….…..... 10-13

Picture Books / Folk Tales (15+) ……..….…........ 13-16

Youth Fiction (Short Stories & Novels)(40+)…. 16-23

Youth Non-Fiction (20+) .................................. 24-26 MULTIMEDIA MATERIALS (30) …….…….…………………….……….……………….…

Films/Videos (10)…………………………….…….……. 27-28

Music CDS (10)……………….…………………….…….. 29-30

Student Learning Tools (10)........................... 31-32

KEY WEBSITES…..……….……………….….…………………………………………………….

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4-5

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6-9

9-10

10-26

27-32

33-34

Northeast National Resource Center

on Canada

Contact Information

Betsy ArntzenOutreach Coordinator Canadian-American CenterUniversity of Maine Orono, ME 04469

Tel: (207) 581-4225 Email: barntzen@umit.maine.eduWeb: http://umaine.edu/teachingcanada

Thank you for your interest and attention.

Amy Sotherden Assistant Director Center for the Study of Canada / Institute on Quebec StudiesPlattsburgh State University of New York College at Plattsburgh133 Court St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Tel: (518) 564 2385Email: sotheral@plattsburgh.eduWeb: http://web.plattsburgh.edu/offices/academic/cesca

Tina StorerEducation and Curriculum SpecialistCenter for Canadian-American StudiesWestern Washington UniversityCanada House, 516 High StreetBellingham, WA 98225-9110

Tel: (360) 650-7370 Email: tina.storer@wwu.eduWeb: www.k12studycanada.org