Cultural Elements and First Nations, Métis and Inuit Texts

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you learned about the Two Row Wampum, the Three Sisters, katajjaq (Inuit throat singing) and the Métis flag. You asked questions about cultural elements and connected the past to the present.

In Grade 4 you'll look for five kinds of cultural elements: norms, values, artifacts, sports and music. You'll investigate what they mean, connect them to your own life, and explain how history shaped texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators.

Hook: What's in your culture?

Think about a celebration in your family. What do people do (norms)? What do they think is important (values)? What objects are special (artifacts)? Is there music or a game?

Every culture has these elements, including yours! Texts show them too, and noticing them helps us understand a text's meaning.

Indigenous Storywork

In many First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, stories carry history, teachings and values from one generation to the next. Learning from them in a good way is sometimes called Indigenous Storywork. It means:

• Listening carefully and respectfully.
• Thinking about the teachings and what they mean.
• Connecting them to your own life, without claiming the stories as your own.
• Respecting protocols: in some Nations, certain stories are only told at certain times of year, such as winter, or only by certain people.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples are different from one another, with their own languages, cultures and histories, and each Nation and community is different too.

Read 1: The Creator's Game

Lacrosse is a game played with a ball and a stick that has a net at the end. It was first played by Indigenous peoples in North America, long before Europeans arrived.

For the Haudenosaunee (ho-deh-no-SHOW-nee), lacrosse is called the Creator's Game. It is much more than a sport. It can be played to give thanks, to bring healing to people who are sick, and to bring communities together. Traditional wooden lacrosse sticks are carved and shaped by hand, and some families have made them for generations.

Today, lacrosse is played across Canada, and it is Canada's national summer sport. The Haudenosaunee Nationals team competes against countries from around the world, representing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as its own nation.

Read 2: The Red River Jig

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people whose culture grew from both First Nations and European roots, especially during the fur trade. Many Métis communities grew up in the Red River area, in what is now Manitoba, and across the prairies and beyond.

The fiddle is an important instrument in Métis music. One famous fiddle tune is the Red River Jig. When it plays, dancers jig, tapping out fast, fancy steps with their feet. The tune switches between two parts, and the dancers change their steps each time it switches.

At Métis gatherings today, such as Back to Batoche Days in Saskatchewan, people of all ages compete in jigging contests. Many dancers wear the Métis sash, a colourful woven belt. Young people learn the steps from parents, grandparents and Elders, and the music keeps Métis stories and pride alive.

Read 3: The One-Foot High Kick

A small sealskin ball hangs from a string, high above the floor, sometimes higher than the athlete's head. The athlete runs, jumps, kicks the ball with one foot, and must land on that same foot.

This is the one-foot high kick, one of the Arctic sports that Inuit have played for generations. Many Arctic sports were played indoors during the long, dark winters. They build strength, balance and endurance, skills that are important for life on the land.

Today, young athletes from across the North compete in Arctic sports at events like the Arctic Winter Games. In Arctic sports, it is common for athletes to cheer for and even give tips to the people they are competing against.

How history shapes texts: residential schools

Many books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators are shaped by events in history. One of the most important is residential schools. For more than 100 years, many First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools run by churches and paid for by the Canadian government. Children were often not allowed to speak their languages or practise their cultures. Many were treated very badly, and many never came home. The last residential school closed in 1996.

In the picture book When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, a Cree author, with pictures by Julie Flett, a young girl asks her grandmother questions: Why do you wear such colourful clothes? Why is your hair so long? Why do you speak Cree? Her grandmother explains that at residential school, those things were taken away from her. So now, she chooses to wear bright colours, keep her hair long, speak her language and be with her family.

History: the book is shaped by the time of residential schools. Today: the grandmother's choices show resilience and pride. Her granddaughter is learning her culture and language now. Across Canada, people learn this history on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also called Orange Shirt Day.