DIGGING DEEPER shares foundational resources that can facilitate both independent study and group learning. Connect these resources to foundational knowledge in STARTING YOUR JOURNEY.

The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Professional Learning website provides educators with a wide variety of supports and tools to design and facilitate professional learning. It offers a professional learning process and curricular resources that build capacity, engage learners and build paths toward reconciliation through education.

The Home webpage of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Professional Learning website is designed to introduce you to the context of implementation. Implementation is based on the four UNESCO Pillars of Education and expressed in a way that honours Indigenous ways of knowing.

This Learning Guide is intended to highlight the features of the website and stimulate learning, conversation, critical reflection and the development of implementation approaches and strategies.

The Learning to Know pillar webpage provides a wide range of professional tools and supports to develop foundational knowledge and understandings of historical events and current contexts, including the legacy of residential schools. This webpage includes features to help you self-assess your capacity and a photo resource gallery with numerous links to sources, websites and resources. Links to resources includes the Legacy of Hope Foundation, Forgotten: The Métis Residential School Experience Exhibit, Project of Hope and the Brain Architecture Game.

 Foundational Knowledge ARPDC Conversation Guide Series

The intent of the eleven ARPDC Conversation Guides below is to create teacher, school leader and system leaders’ awareness and understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit:

  • Perspectives, experiences and ways of knowing
  • History and legacy of residential schools and treaties
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations for education

Find the ARPDC Facilitator’s Guide in Supporting Staff Development.

 

  More Resources for Digging Deeper

Aboriginal Peoples of Alberta: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Aboriginal Peoples of Alberta: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is a look at Alberta’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples yesterday, today and into the future. It provides a glimpse of these resilient cultures that continue to thrive – their history, current issues and opportunities. This history of Aboriginal peoples is an important part of our story and legacy. A better understanding of Alberta’s Aboriginal peoples creates an opportunity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Albertans to move forward together. A list of additional resources is provided.

Rupertsland Centre for Teaching and Learning (RCTL)

Rupertsland Institute is the Métis Education authority in Alberta. The RCTL is developing strong 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) Online Learning

This website provides a snapshot of interactive activities for Rupertsland Centre’s future online course for all Alberta educators to build foundational knowledge for historical and contemporary Métis topics. The online courses will support five themes:

These five themes were developed with the intent to support and build Alberta educators’ competency to meet the new Alberta Teacher Quality Standard. It is their vision that enhanced education will lead to a pedagogical shift that includes an understanding of Métis foundational knowledge, Métis content and Métis resources for ALL students in an authentic, purposeful way.

New resources that are developed and validated through an established community engagement process will be up-loaded periodically.

Alberta Treaties Road Trip ADLC Video Series

This video series, created by the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC), captures the experiences of seven students going on a road trip to learn about treaties in Alberta.

 

First Nations in Canada

First Nations in Canada is an educational resource designed for use by young Canadians; high school educators and students; and anyone interested in First Nations history. Its aim is to help readers understand the significant developments affecting First Nations communities from the pre-Contact era (before the arrival of Europeans) up to the present day.

 

 

It’s Our Time First Nations Tool Kit

The Assembly of First Nations has developed the It’s Our Time First Nations Tool Kit as the basis of a comprehensive strategy to reach out to First Nations students, teachers, schools, communities and the Canadian public at large. The resource is designed to bring together First Nations and non-First Nations people and foster a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and action.

The It’s Our Time First Nations Education Tool Kit is a collection of many resources for the exploration of issues that are important to First Nations and to all Canadians. Discussions of these issues can lead to:

  1. Insights and understandings of the ideas, concepts, and forces that are the foundation of the integrity and power of First Nations people, and
  2. Awareness and appreciation of the role of First Nations in the shared history of Canada.

Click here to access the full PDF version of the toolkit. 

Click here to access the iTunes U course version. Note that this link only works on an iPad. 

Métis Settlements and First Nations in Alberta Community Profiles

The Métis Settlements and First Nations in Alberta Community Profiles provides a general overview of the eight Métis Settlements and 48 First Nations in Alberta. Included is information on population, land base, location and community contacts as well as Quick Facts on Métis Settlements and First Nations. Readers who are interested in learning more about a specific community are encouraged to contact the community directly for more detailed information. Many communities have websites that provide relevant historical information and other background. Where available, these website addresses are included in the profiles.

Walking Together: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum

This Alberta Education digital resource is designed to help teachers understand the holistic nature of First Nations, Métis and Inuit ways of knowing, to provide opportunity for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples to share their perspectives on topics important to them, and to demonstrate these perspectives in teaching and learning experiences.

Walking Together to Support FNMI Student Success

This series of three archived webinars supports exploration and implementation of the digital resource Walking Together and is intended to promote further dialogue and deepen understanding of FNMI culture and perspectives. Carla Badger shares from her unique perspective as a First Nation woman and also one of the Walking Together resource contributors/creators, insights into both content and process for using this digital resource in the classroom.

  • Session 1: FNMI Worldviews. This webinar explores the questions: Who are the FNMI People? Why do we use the term FNMI and not the terms Aboriginal or Native? What is the FNMI Worldview? How can this knowledge be infused into teaching practice for the benefit of all learners in your school/classroom context?
  • Session 2: Indigenous Pedagogy. First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Peoples have been using holistic, tried and true approaches to education for generations. This webinar explores how the use of these strategies and approaches benefit all students.
  • Session 3: We are All Treaty People. This webinar explores the questions: Who are the treaty people? Why do these treaties still exist? Who are Métis people today and how do they fit in?

 

 

We Are All Treaty People Map

A treaty is a binding agreement between sovereign states that outlines each party’s rights, benefits and obligations. Across Canada, there are 11 numbered treaties between the Crown and First Nations, with Treaties 6, 7 and 8 encompassing most of Alberta.  This map shows the approximate area of treaty land as there is no consensus between rights holders and stakeholders about exact treaty boundaries.