Learning from First Nations, Métis and Inuit Texts: Past and Present

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you learned about Indigenous Storywork: listening carefully, thinking about teachings, connecting them to your life, and respecting protocols. You read about lacrosse, the Red River Jig and Arctic sports, and learned how residential schools shaped books like When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett.

In Grade 5 you will look at three more examples, one from First Nations, one from Inuit and one from Métis communities, and explain how events in history shaped texts and how they connect to people's lives today.

Indigenous Storywork in Grade 5

Jo-ann Archibald (Q'um Q'um Xiiem), a Stó:lō educator, wrote about Indigenous Storywork. Her principles include:

• Respect: for the story, the storyteller and the people it belongs to.
• Responsibility: to listen carefully and to share only in the right way.
• Reciprocity: giving back, for example by thanking the storyteller and using the teachings well.
• Reverence: treating stories as important, sometimes sacred.
• Holism: thinking about how a story touches the mind, body, feelings and spirit.

When you read or listen, ask: What is this story teaching? How does it connect to the land, the community, and to me? How can I give back?

Read 1: Carrying the Water

Josephine Mandamin was an Anishinaabe grandmother from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. In many Anishinaabe teachings, women have a special responsibility to care for the water.

In 2003, worried about pollution in the Great Lakes, Josephine Mandamin began to walk around Lake Superior, carrying a copper pail of water. Over many years, she and other walkers walked around all five Great Lakes and along other waterways, covering thousands of kilometres. She prayed for the water and asked people to protect it.

Josephine Mandamin passed away in 2019, but the Water Walks continue. Today, Anishinaabe women, youth and others still carry water and speak up for it. This matters now: some First Nations communities in Ontario have gone for years without safe drinking water from their taps.

Read the real book: The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson, an Anishinaabe author and illustrator, tells the story of Josephine Mandamin's walks for young readers.

Read 2: Our Land

For many years, decisions about Inuit homelands in the Arctic were made by governments far away. Inuit leaders worked for many years to change that. In 1993, Inuit and the Government of Canada signed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Then, on April 1, 1999, Nunavut became Canada's newest territory. Nunavut means "our land" in Inuktitut.

Nunavut's official languages include Inuktut (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun), English and French. Inuktitut is often written in syllabics, symbols that stand for syllables.

Today, Inuit writers, illustrators and filmmakers create books, films and music in Inuktut and English. Some publishers based in Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital, publish children's books by Inuit creators. Many of their books share Inuit knowledge, language and life on the land, for Inuit children and for everyone.

Read the real book: Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis, is a gentle bedtime poem in which Arctic animals bring gifts to a newborn baby. (Kulu is a term of endearment in Inuktitut, often used for babies and young children.)

Read 3: Speaking Michif

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people. Their culture grew from both First Nations and European roots, especially during the fur trade. The traditional language of the Métis Nation is Michif. Michif is unusual: it mixes Cree and French in a special way, often using French words for nouns and Cree for verbs.

For many years, Métis people faced discrimination, and some families stopped speaking Michif at home to protect their children. Today, fewer people speak Michif, so Métis communities are working on revitalization: language classes, dictionaries, recordings of Elders and online lessons help young Métis people learn the language of their grandparents.

History that shapes many texts: residential schools

You learned in Grade 4 that many First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were sent to residential schools, where they were often not allowed to speak their languages. This history shaped many books. It is also part of why languages like Michif and many First Nations languages have fewer speakers today, and why revitalization matters so much.

In Shi-shi-etko by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave, a young girl spends her last days at home before she must leave for residential school. Her family shares teachings about the land, the water and her family, and she gathers memories to carry with her. The book is gentle, but it is about a hard time in history. It's okay to feel sad. Talk to a grown-up you trust about any questions.