Educational Resources

Source: Let’s Talk Science     

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: Exploring STEM-related careers from the perspective of Indigenous professionals, such as those in health care, business or natural resources, raises awareness of the positive impact that they have on their communities. This contributes to the spirit of reconciliation by strengthening understanding of the contemporary contributions of Indigenous professionals in Canada, and also by building empathy toward and respect for Indigenous people in these spaces.

In this lesson, students will explore careers from the perspective of Indigenous professionals. Students will watch videos and read profiles to learn more about the person’s career path, their motivation and how some individuals might connect their career to their Indigenous identity. Students will reflect on how learning about these career paths impacts their understanding of STEM-related careers. They will then share what they’ve learned through presentations.

Source: FNESC

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: With the increased inclusion of First Peoples’ content in the changing BC curriculum, there is a need to incorporate unappropriated First Peoples’ perspectives across the curriculum.  The First Nations Education Steering Committee and the First Nations Schools Association, in collaboration with teachers and partners, have developed the following Learning First Peoples series of teacher resources to support English Language Arts, Science Social Studies and Mathematics courses.

The resources reflect the First Peoples Principles of Learning as well as the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including the call to “integrate Indigenous Knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms” and “build student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect.”

Source: Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF)

Focus: Secondary Students

Summary: This project is the culmination of work done by 16 members of OSSTF/FEESO, most of whom are First Nation or Métis, or work extensively with Indigenous students.

The Métis Resource is an addition to the Common Threads V—Full Circle: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Ways of Knowing resource. This resource, published in 2021, is the culmination of work completed by a team of Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) members along with staff from the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). To maintain consistency, the same format as the Full Circle resource is used so that there would be familiarity for those who have used it in the past.

The lessons are designed to be implemented in a range of courses, such as civics, history, social sciences, English, geography, business, careers, physical education, and science.  The resource has been produced as a PDF file on CD with an accompanying video on DVD.  Although the lessons are intended for use with high school curricula, the video and activity sheet may be of use to all Federation members who work with students.

As with any lesson plan resource, educators are encouraged to adapt what is written here to fit the needs of your students, and to address any curricular expectations in the course that you use them in.

Source: Native Land Digital

Focus: Secondary students and researchers

Summary: We are pleased to present our new and revised Teacher’s Guide, released March 2019. This version includes detailed instructions on how to use Native Land, as well as exercises for use by teachers of different levels, from kids to adults. The Guide discusses the pros and cons of the map itself, the importance of learning more about colonialism, and provides resources for teachers to learn more.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia, Zach Parrott

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: In Canada, the term Indigenous Peoples (or Aboriginal Peoples) refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples. These are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada. In the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, over 1.6 million people in Canada identified as Indigenous, making up 4.9 per cent of the national population. Though severely threatened — and in certain cases extinguished — by colonial forces, Indigenous culture, language and social systems have shaped the development of Canada and continue to grow and thrive despite extreme adversity.

Source: L’ encyclopédie Canadienne

À l’intention des étudiants au secondaire

Résumé: Au Canada, le terme peuples autochtones fait référence aux Premières Nations, aux Métis et aux Inuits. Ces peuples sont les premiers habitants de la terre qui est maintenant le Canada. Lors du recensement de 2016 mené par Statistique Canada, plus de 1,6 million de personnes au Canada ont déclaré s’identifier en tant qu’Autochtones, ce qui représente 4,9 % de la population nationale. Gravement menacés, et dans certains cas anéantis, par les forces coloniales, la culture, la langue et les systèmes sociaux des Autochtones n’en ont pas moins façonné le développement du Canada, et ils continuent de s’épanouir et de prospérer malgré une extrême adversité.

Source: University of Saskatchewan

Focus: Students 9-12

Summary: Over 200 entries about Saskatchewan’s Indigenous history for you to discover.

In 2005 the Canadian Plains Research Centre, University of Regina Press created the single, largest, educational publishing project in Saskatchewan’s history, the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, to celebrate Saskatchewan’s centennial anniversary. Within this encyclopedia were a significant number of resources that documented Saskatchewan’s numerous Indigenous Peoples histories, significant figures and events. With permission from the University of Regina Press, the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL), and Indigenous Voices offer these resources on our website as they were originally published.

Our goal in providing these articles is to offer a starting point for the many people who are interested in learning more about the histories of the Indigenous Peoples of Saskatchewan. These great resources are not be perfect examples of historical and contemporary truths, due to the ever-changing nature of truth in Canada, but they do provide a broad overview to answer many questions and to stimulate many conversations. We encourage readers to use these resources with a constructive and critical perspective.

Source: Legacies – Earth to Table 

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: The Earth to Tables Legacies educational package is a collection of stories growing out of our conversations over five years. We have chosen to bring those stories to life through short videos and photo essays, so you can see the people and their diverse relationships with earth and tables, so you can hear their voices and imagine a dialogue with them. The Earth to Tables Legacies video introduces you to the project, the places, the people, and some of the themes that emerged from the five-year exchange.

Climate crises, a global pandemic, food riots, diet-related diseases – all are telling us that the industrial food system threatens our health and the survival of the planet, and deepens systemic inequities, racism, and poverty. 

These are the stories of food activists from Turtle Island (North America) – young and old, Indigenous and settler – who share a vision for food justice and food sovereignty, from Earth to Tables.

The Earth to Tables Legacies educational package offers 10 videos and 11 photo essays that use food as an entry to pressing issues, such as Indigenous-settler relations, food justice, food sovereignty, and anti-racism in the food movement.

Source: CBC Podcast

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: Can the foundation of Canada be traced back to Indigenous waterways and trade routes? What is the past, present, and future of this precious resource? This episode of  The Secret Life of Canada explores the importance of water to traditional trade and transportation routes, analyzes how settlement impacted Indigenous access to land and water, and investigates the current water crisis in Canada.

Possible teaching connections include Geography, History, Social Studies, Indigenous Studies, Civics, and Anthropology. 

Source: FSNA BC

Focus: Secondary students

Summary: A Toolkit for Raising the Attendance Rates of First Nations Students in BC – Draft (2020) is intended to help First Nations and First Nations schools consider issues related to student attendance at school, including why attendance is an important issue, some of the reasons why students might not be in school, and what can be done to help.

The information will ideally be of interest to people who work with First Nations students who are enrolled in a variety of education settings – public schools, First Nations schools, First Nations adult education centres, and independent schools. It is hoped that the information will be helpful to school staff, community members who support students, First Nations Parents Clubs, and any other people who support First Nations students.