A. Literacy Connections and Applications / C. Comprehension · Understanding What We Read and See

Stories and Texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit Creators

C1.7 C3.7 A3.3 C3.4About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can read, listen to and look at texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators.
I can tell that First Nations, Métis and Inuit are many different peoples with their own languages and cultures.
I can name some themes, like family, land and language, in these texts.
I can connect ideas from these texts to life today.

Words to know

First Nations, Métis and Inuit
The First Peoples of the land now called Canada. They include many different Nations and communities.

creator
A person who makes a text, such as an author, illustrator, storyteller or artist.

Elder
A respected person in a First Nations, Métis or Inuit community who shares knowledge and teachings.

theme
A big idea that a text is about, like family or caring for the land.

tradition
A way of doing something that is passed down in a family or community.

Learning from many voices

Canada is home to the First Peoples: First Nations, Métis and Inuit. They lived on this land long before other people came, and they still live here today, in cities, towns, and communities across Canada.

There are many different First Nations, and Métis and Inuit communities too. Each has its own history, and many have their own languages, stories and traditions. They are not all the same!

Read-aloud: Books That Share Many Voices

Many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people write books, tell stories, make art and create films.

Some books are about families and the people we love. Some are about the land, the water and animals. Some use words from Indigenous languages, like Cree, Inuktitut or Michif.

When we read these books, we learn from the people who know these stories best. We also learn that First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures are living and growing today.

Book	Creator	What it is about
Sweetest Kulu	Celina Kalluk, an Inuk author	A gentle bedtime poem. Arctic animals share gifts with a new baby. Kulu is an Inuktitut word of love for a baby.
Wild Berries	Julie Flett, a Cree-Métis author and artist	A boy named Clarence picks wild blueberries with his grandmother. The book includes Cree words.
Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet	Julie Flett	An alphabet book with words in Michif, a language of the Métis people.
The Water Walker	Joanne Robertson, an Anishinaabe author	Nokomis (Grandmother) walks to help people remember to protect water.

Some picture books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators. Look for them at your public library.

Themes we often find

When we read texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators, we might notice themes (big ideas) like:

👵 Family and Elders: learning from grandparents and Elders.
🌲 Land and water: caring for the land, water, plants and animals.
🗣️ Language: keeping languages strong by speaking and reading them.
🤝 Respect and relationships: being thankful and caring for each other.

Each Nation and each creator shares these ideas in their own way.

Some big ideas (themes) that often appear in texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators. Each creator shares them in their own way.

Worked example

Let's find a theme

In Wild Berries, Clarence picks blueberries with his grandmother. What big ideas could this book be about?

Ask: Who is in the book? A boy and his grandmother. That makes me think of family and Elders.
Ask: Where are they? Outside, picking berries on the land. That makes me think of the land.
Ask: What is special about the words? Some words are in Cree. That makes me think of language.

Possible themes: family and Elders, the land, and language.

Asking who, where and what is special helped us find possible themes in Wild Berries.

Worked example

Let's connect to today

Some books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators tell about how things were long ago. Others show families today. How can we connect them to life now?

Notice: In Wild Berries, a grandmother teaches her grandson. Grandparents still teach children today.
Notice: Books use Cree, Inuktitut and Michif words. People speak and learn these languages today.
Connect: "My grandma teaches me things too, like how to bake bread."

These texts help us see that First Nations, Métis and Inuit traditions are alive today and connect the past to the present.

Reading with respect

Learn which Nation or community the creator is from. Often it says so on the back cover or the author page.
Use the real names of peoples and Nations, like Cree, Anishinaabe, Inuit or Métis.
Not every story is shared in the same way. Some stories are only told at certain times of year, or only by certain people. We respect that.
Remember: First Nations, Métis and Inuit people live today. They are not only in the past.

Just for fun

Why are libraries such tall buildings?

Because they have the most stories! 📚 (Ask your librarian to help you find a good one.)

Hands-on activity

Library treasure hunt

You need: a library visit (in person or online catalogue) with your grown-up.

Ask the librarian for picture books by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors and illustrators.
Choose one. Look on the back cover or the author page to find which Nation or community the creator is from.
Read it together.
Draw a picture of your favourite part. Under it, write or say one theme (family, land, water, language, respect…).
Make one connection: "This reminds me of…"

Your turn

Name the three groups of First Peoples in Canada.

Are all First Nations the same? Explain.

In Wild Berries, who picks berries with Clarence?

Name one Indigenous language mentioned in this lesson.

What is a theme?

Where can you often find out which Nation or community a creator is from?

More practice: warm-up

What does creator mean?

Do First Nations, Métis and Inuit people live in Canada today?

What is an Elder?

What fruit does Clarence pick in Wild Berries?

What is Kulu in Sweetest Kulu?

More practice: on your own

A book shows a girl learning to bead from her auntie. Name a possible theme.

Why is it important to read books written by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators?

In The Water Walker, what does Nokomis want people to remember?

A friend says, "Indigenous people only lived long ago." What would you tell them?

Make a connection: How is a grandparent teaching a child in a book like something in your life?

Challenge

Why do you think some creators put words from their own language, like Cree or Michif, in their books?

Why should we use the real name of a Nation, like Cree or Anishinaabe, instead of just saying "Indigenous" all the time?

Choose a theme (family, land, water, language or respect). Tell how it connects to your life today.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Who are the First Peoples of the land now called Canada?

Which sentence is true?

In Wild Berries, Clarence picks berries with…

Michif is a language of which people?

Which is a theme often found in these texts?

What is the best way to learn which Nation a book's creator is from?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The curriculum asks Grade 1 students to read, listen to and view texts by diverse First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators, to identify themes in these cultures (such as relationships, family, the land and language), and to connect ideas in these texts to people's lives today.

About the books named here: Sweetest Kulu (Celina Kalluk), Wild Berries and Owls See Clearly at Night (Julie Flett), and The Water Walker (Joanne Robertson) are published picture books widely available in Canadian public libraries. Any well-reviewed picture book written or illustrated by a First Nations, Métis or Inuit creator works for this lesson. Your librarian can help, and many Canadian libraries and bookstores have curated lists. Some teachers also use David A. Robertson's When We Were Alone (illustrated by Julie Flett), in which a grandmother gently explains to her granddaughter what happened when she was sent away to school as a child. If you choose it, preview it first and be ready to answer questions simply and honestly.

How to help at home:

Choose books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators, not only books about them.
Look together for the creator's Nation or community on the book jacket.
Use specific names (Cree, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Inuit, Métis) when you know them.
If your community has a Friendship Centre, local Nation or library event, these can be wonderful ways to learn.

Avoid common stereotypes: costumes, "long ago only" pictures, or treating all Indigenous peoples as one culture. If your child picks up a stereotype, gently correct it with a fact from this lesson.