Educational Resources

Source: First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC)

Focus: K-Gr. 3

Summary: The teacher resource guide In Our Own Words, K-Gr. 3 Authentic Resources (Revised 2020) has been developed to offer teachers information and guidance about how to incorporate authentic First Peoples materials into their instruction and assessment practices.  Inside, you will find lesson plans, curriculum connections, assessment resources, and suggested texts.

This publication was developed by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and the First Nations Schools Association, in collaboration with the BC Ministry of Education and support from the Education Partnerships Program of Indigenous Services Canada.

Source: First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada

Focus: Grade 2 students

Summary: This resource guide offers ideas for engaging students in critical learning to better understand the situation of First Nations children and young people and to address the inequalities they experience in education, child welfare, and access to government service through three interrelated campaigns nested in principles of reconciliation and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): Shannen’s Dream, Jordan’s Principle and I am a witness. All three campaigns feature resource rich websites that provide background information, independent reports/research and examples of what children and young people have undertaken to support the campaigns across Canada.

In addition to assisting First Nations children and young people, the campaigns are designed to uplift all children by promoting critical reflection on the historical and contemporary relationships between Aboriginal and other peoples in Canada and engaging children and youth in peaceful and respectful restorative actions. Teachers report that participating students have a better understanding of Aboriginal peoples and Canadian history within a human rights context, and show an improved sense of respectful citizenship, social agency and academic success. Students are often inspired, excited and motivated when they are provided with an opportunity to make a difference within existing curriculum.

Source: Rupertsland Institute Métis Centre of Excellence

Focus: Elementary and secondary students

Summary: Rupertsland Centre for Teaching and Learning develops comprehensive foundational knowledge resources, engaging lesson plans, meaningful professional development opportunities and authentic classroom learning tools that speak accurately and meaningfully to topics in Métis education.

Rupertsland Centre for Teaching and Learning (RCTL) is continually developing new resources to engage learners of all ages with Métis education.

Source: Canadian Encyclopedia

Focus: Senior elementary

Summary:  “First Nations” is the term used to refer to the Aboriginal Peoples  of Canada other than Métis and  Inuit. The members of the First Nations are the first occupants of the territories which constitute today Canada and they are the first Aboriginal People to have come into sustained contact with the Europeans, the settler villages and the trade which resulted from them. In Statistics Canada’s 2016 census, 977,230 people in Canada reported being of First Nations ancestry, representing a growth of 39.3% since 2006. There are 634 First Nations in Canada, using more than 50 distinct languages.

For more information on specific First Nations, see Indigenous Peoples in Canada .

Source: The Conference Board of Canada

Focus: K-12 Science

Summary: In the years following the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, all kinds of teaching materials and pedagogical advice have been produced to help teachers incorporate Indigenous perspectives in their classrooms. However, without endorsement by provincial curricula, these resources have had limited impact. If education is to support reconciliation and effectively integrate Indigenous learners, it will require reforms that go beyond the production of new teaching materials. Curriculum reform has to drive change.

To better understand the state of science curriculum reform across Canada, we scanned Canadian K–12 science curriculum for references to Indigenous perspectives, and talked with a range of experts involved with science educational renewal.

Curriculum and Reconciliation: Introducing Indigenous Perspectives into K–12 Science briefly and visually outlines the landscape of school science curricula across the country. Several jurisdictions integrate Indigenous content, perspectives, and ways of knowing, while others have yet to include references to Indigenous perspectives.

Source: ETFO

Focus: Elementary students

Summary: Resilient, strong and innovative are some words to describe the Inuit, but who are the Inuit? The word Inuit means “the people” in Inuktitut, the language spoken by the Inuit. For thousands of years the Inuit have survived in harsh arctic climates, relying on their relationship with the Land and their community for survival. From a modern geographic perspective, the Inuit Territory is comprised of four regions in the Arctic Circle: Nunavut (the territory), Inuvialuit (the Northern Northwest Territories and Yukon), Nunavik (Northern Quebec and Labrador), and Nunatsiavut (Northeastern Labrador). The land, water, and ice that are home to many Inuit is called, Inuit Nunangat. Today, the Inuit also live outside of this region, including urban areas such as Ottawa and Toronto. The Inuit are one people and speak one language, but with many different dialects; Inuktut (also called Inuktitut). Through a conversation with Qauyisaq “Kowesa” Etitiq, we learn about who the Inuit are, and will aim to answer commonly asked questions. We will learn about Inuit identity, where they come from, where they live, and about their distinct set of values and way of life.

Source: Government of Canada

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: A large map of Canada identifying the locations of recognized treaties.

Source: Ontario Teachers’ Foundation

Focus: Elementary students

Summary: As teachers, we must ensure that today’s generation of Indigenous students, many of whom may be reclaiming their traditional language and customs, and non-Indigenous students have access to authentic opportunities to learn about Indigenous Peoples, perspectives, and experiences – past and present.

The suggestions are focused on supporting teachers in the classroom.

Source: Government of Canada

Focus: Elementary students

Summary: Learn more about Indigenous Peoples, history, and culture through stories and activities.