Chapter 1: Aboriginal Societies

“Who are the diverse Aboriginal people who have contributed to

the building of the country we now call Canada?”

Definitions

• Culture: A way of life or a way of being shared by a group of people; culture includes the knowledge, experiences, and values a group shares and that shape the way its members see the world.

• pluralistic society: A society made up of many different groups of people, each with its own unique identities, ideas, perspectives, and culture; developing a sense of respect for all cultures.

Culture

• Culture is the way of life or a way of being that is shared by a group of people.

• Canada is a pluralistic society. • We are a society made up of many groups of

people each with a unique identities, ideas, cultures and ways of seeing the world.

• Pluralism means we respect and value the individual and collective opinions and identities of all people.

Brainstorm

What are some of the different cultures we see and appreciate in our school, community and

country?

First Nations

• The first nations who lived in Canada before it became the country we know today, formed a pluralistic society of their own. • Each group had its own ideas, world, view,

language, spiritual beliefs, government and way of life.

• We are going to study three of these groups: The Haudenosaunee, Mi’kmaq and and Anishinabe.

Values and Beliefs

Read the quotation carefully. What values and beliefs of Aboriginal Societies do you think are being expressed by the speaker?

Our responsibilities to Mother Earth are the foundation of our spirituality, culture and traditions. -Cheif Harold Turner (Swampy Cree)

Values and Beliefs

Please turn to the “Values and Beliefs” page in your booklet.

Read each quotation carefully. What values and beliefs of Aboriginal Societies do you think are being expressed by the speaker?

Record your response below each question.

Chapter Question

1.Do the values and beliefs discussed on page 5 exist in the broader Canadian society today? Provide specific examples. (5)

Definitions

• Natural World: The land, water, mountains, forests, plants, wildlife, and climate.

• core values: An important idea or belief about how people should live.

• world view: A way of looking at the world that reflects one’s core values.

• Indigenous people: The original inhabitants of a given area.

Definitions

• traditional teachings: A unique belief of the First Nations passed down orally from generation to generation that explains ex: how the earth was created or how people came to exist.

• Elder: A respected member of an Aboriginal community who uses Traditional Teachings, experience and wisdom to help people in his or her community make good decisions.

Values and Viewpoints

The First Nations in North America are diverse peoples. Each group has its own ideas, world view, language, spiritual beliefs, government and way of life.

Think back: They are an example of what type of society?

Values and Viewpoints

The First Nations in North America are diverse peoples. Each group has its own ideas, world view, language, spiritual beliefs, government and way of life.

Think back: They are an example of what type of society?

A pluralistic society

Diversity

First Nations peoples have lived in all parts of the land we now call Canada.

Each First Nation developed a unique culture suited to its surroundings in the natural world.

The land, water, mountains, forests, plants, wildlife, and climate all played an important role in developing cultures as diverse as the Canadian landscape.

World Views

Although there were many unique First Nations cultures, these diverse peoples also shared some core values.

Combined individual and core values make up a world view.

World Views

• Many First Nations peoples (including the Mi’kmaq, Anishinabe and Haudenosaunee) shared values relating to their relationships with the Creator, the natural world, other people and themselves.

• For example, they believed the following:

World Views

1. People are not separate from nature or from the non-living world. Everything on earth is connected to everything else.

2. The wisdom and experience of the Elders is highly valued. Elders deserve the respect of all members of the community.

3. A spiritual world exists. It plays a very important role in all the happens on earth.

4. People must live in harmony with each other and in balance with nature.

Core Values

World Views• What related ideas/values are being identified in

the song “Colours of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkV-of_eN2w

World Views

“The rainstorm and the river are my brothersThe heron and the otter are my friendsAnd we are all connected to each otherIn a circle, in a hoop that never ends”

“You think the only people who are peopleAre the people who look and think like youBut if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew you never knew”

Indigenous Peoples

• First Nations peoples are indigenous to North America. This means that they are the original people of this land.

• First Nations beliefs are often passed from generation to generation through traditional teachings.

• These teachings also help explain the relationships among the plants, animals, land, people and the spirit world.

Keepers of Knowledge• Traditional teachings have

been passed down orally from generation to generation by Elders.

• Elders have traditionally been the most respected members of Aboriginal communities.

• They use their experience and wisdom to help people in their communities make good decisions and keep their cultures alive!

Agnes Semaganis - Elder - Poundmaker First Nation

Keepers of Knowledge

• What types of things do you think may have been passed down because of Elders?

Agnes Semaganis - Elder - Poundmaker First Nation

Keepers of Knowledge

• What types of things do you think may have been passed down because of Elders? • Language• Traditions• Ceremonies• Laws• Skills• Histories

Agnes Semaganis - Elder - Poundmaker First Nation

Stories

• One way Elders taught youngsters morals and values was by telling stories.

• These stories had two main purposes:1. To teach2. To entertain

Chapter Questions

Values and Viewpoints (pg 7-13)2. How did each Aboriginal group gain its own culture?

(1)3.List four core values (world views) shared by all

Aboriginal groups. (4)4. Who are the most respected members of Aboriginal

communities? (1) Why are they so important to First Nations communities? (2)

5. What are the two purposes of stories? (2)

Definitions

• oral culture: A way of life in which language, teachings, and traditional stories are memorized and passed down orally from one generation to the next.

Oral and Written Histories

• Traditionally, young First Nations people learned about the First Nations’ ways of life and events that took place in the past by listening.

• Histories, place names, family trees, laws, and events were memorized and passed orally from one generation to the next. It did not need to be written down. • In this way, the First Nations developed a

rich oral culture.

Oral and Written Histories

• First Nations peoples had ways of making sure they remembered everything correctly:

1. One method was to repeat the information often, so that they would not forget.

2. Another method was to make visual reminders.

Wampum belt used by the Haudenosaunee. Sea shells were woven into symbols and designs. A knowledgeable person would

look at the symbols “read” the belt.

Wampum belt, 1682

Oral and Written Histories

Chapter Task: Wampum Belt

Create a wampum belt for a story that you believe should be passed down to future

generations.

It can be a story that has been passed down to you or one of your own that you feel should be

passed to others.

Chapter Task: Wampum Belt

This Chapter Task has two (2) parts:• Create a wampum belt using graph paper and coloured

pencils. Include symbols, designs and colours that are meaningful to the story to share during a sharing circle.

• Answer the following question in paragraph form: Why are stories, pictographs, wampum belts and other visual reminders important to preserving First Nation identity?

Definitions

• ethnocentric: A viewpoint that judges other global cultures and ideas according to personal values and standards; believing one’s own ethnic group is superior.

• clan: A small village of extended families who lived together, co-operated, and shared resources.

• government: The way people organize themselves to choose their leaders and make decisions.

• Decision making by consensus: A debate in which people discuss an issue until they can all agree on one outcome.

• The Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee name for corn, beans, and squash.

Expert Groups

• Create a Group of 3 • Decide who is going to be A, B

and C

Expert Groups

• Create a Group of 3 • Decide who is going to be A, B and C

A – The Mi’kmaqB – The HaudenosauneeC – The Anishinabe

Complete “Comparing Aboriginal Societies Part A” in your Expert

Groups for your assigned society.

The Mi’kmaq

The Mi’kmaq

Core Values/World Views• Kisulk = the creator• Humans are equal to nature

The Mi’kmaq

Location• Eastern

Canada• NS, PEI,

NB & QUE. (Gaspé Peninsula)

The Mi’kmaq

Group Structure• 7 Districts • Extended families – “Clans”– Each clan had a specific territory

The Mi’kmaq

Problem Solving/Decision Making/Government

• Consensus – A compromise by all members. • Clans – allowed villages to live in harmony with

one another. Each clan elected a leader - Sagamaw.

• Districts – land was divided into 7 districts. Each district had a leader and council to govern.

• Sante Mawiomi (Grand Council) settled problems affecting the whole Mi’kmaq Nation.

The Mi’kmaq

Food• Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers

The Mi’kmaq

Role of Women• Raised Children• Took care of the home• Collected and prepared food• Hunted small game• Shared opinions

The Mi’kmaq

Nature/Mother Earth• Hunted, Fished and Gathered – Food

supply• Humans are equal to nature. Treat it

with respect.• Wasted nothing.• Seasonal Cycle

The Haudenosaunee

The Haudenosaunee

Core Values/World Views• Collective thinking. Considering

future generations.• Decision making by Consensus.• Sharing labour and benefits.• Duty to family, clan, nation and

Iroquois Confederacy. • Equality.

The Haudenosaunee

Location• Northeastern

Woodlands• Great Lakes• North and South

of the St. Lawrence River

The Haudenosaunee

Group Structure• 6 Nations (Mohawk, Oneida,

Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora)

• Family Clans – each with an animal symbol

The Haudenosaunee

Problem Solving/Decision Making/ Government

• Collective thinking, consensus.– All must agree, or set aside to discuss later.

• Iroquois Confederacy Alliance formed by “the Peacemaker” http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10120

• “Great Law of Peace” – set of laws explaining how the government should work and how people should behave in society.

• Men and Women had an equal opinion

The Haudenosaunee

Food• Hunted and fished; gathered nuts,

roots and berries.• Farming - 3 sisters: corn, beans

and squash

The Haudenosaunee

Role of Women• Cared for crops.• Respected for “giving life”. • Matrilineal - woman head of the longhouse (Clan

mother).• Decision Making: male leaders, the location of a

new village, what crops to plant and where, whether men should go to war, when to make peace.

• They also controlled immigration, played a central role in ceremonies, helped people and taught children.

The Haudenosaunee

Nature/Mother Earth• Responsible for the health of the

environment.• The Seventh Generation- take care

of the Earth’s resources for future generations.

The Anishinabe

The Anishinabe

Core values/World View• 7 Values:

1. Wisdom2. Love3. Respect4. Bravery5. Honesty6. Humility7. Truth

The Anishinabe

Location• Northern and

Central Ontario. • Southern

Manitoba.• Moved West to

the Plains.

The Anishinabe

Group Structure

• Family Clans named after animals. – Each clan had a

specific responsibility (pg.25)

The Anishinabe

Problem Solving/Decision Making/Government

• Clan system: clans had specific duties. (Crane and Loon decided on whole community decisions, Fish settled disputes.)

• Worked together to create a balanced government.

• Each village looked after their own affairs. • Short term alliances.

The Anishinabe

Food• Hunters and Gatherers.• Wild rice (mamomin)

The Anishinabe

Role of Women• Equal to men.• Looked after children and

maintained the lodge. • Hunted small animals.• Harvested, dried and stored food for

the winter.

The Anishinabe

Nature/Mother Earth• Seasonal cycle surrounding the rice

harvest.

Definitions

• matrilineal: Ancestral decent through the maternal line (mother).

• Clan Mother: The head of a Haudenosaunee longhouse.• alliance: A union in which groups agree to trade and help

each other resolve disputes. • Iroquois Confederacy: An alliance including five

Haudenosaunee nations living south of the Great Lakes: The Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk; the Tuscarora later joined the alliance.

• communal: Something done or owned collectively.

Economies and Resources

• An important part of every cultures is the economy.• How people meet their basic needs, such

as food, clothing, and shelter. • There are three main types of First

Nations’ economies…

Economies and Resources

How did First Nations communities get what they needed?

Economies and Resources

• An important part of every cultures is the economy.• How people meet their basic needs, such

as food, clothing, and shelter. • There are three main types of First

Nations’ economies…–Hunter-Gatherer Economies– Farming Economies– Trading Networks

Economies and Resources

• The economies of the First Nations were based on food supply.

• If resources were scarce, people spent most of their time gathering food.

• If resources were plentiful life was easier. People had more time to spend on other things, such as art or recreation.

Hunter-Gatherer Economies

Hunter-Gatherer Economies

• People gathered plants, hunted and fished according to the seasons.

• Most of the food was eaten fresh, but some of it was preserved and storied to eat during the winter.

• People had to have an excellent knowledge of the land, climate and cycles of nature in order for this type of economy to work.

Hunter-Gatherer Economies

• They moved their camps as the seasons and food supply changed.

• They did not gather many extra goods because they would have to abandon them each time they moved.

• Although they did some trading, they

focused more on being in rhythm with the seasons and nature.

Farming Economies

Farming Economies

• Only possible in regions of the country where soil and weather were ideal for growing crops.

• They did not move as hunter-gatherer societies did. They stayed in the same village year round, and moved only when the soil depleted.

• They were able to grow more food than needed, meaning less time had to be spent on hunting and gathering.

Farming Economies

• The people had more time for creating art, performing ceremonies and recreation.

• They were able to produce and store extra food which could be used for trade with other First Nations groups.

Trading Networks

Trading Networks

• The First Nations traded goods with one another long before European traders arrived.

• The people travelled across well-used trade routes that stretched over long distances.

• All across North America, First Nations traded with each other to obtain good they did not have.

• When Europeans arrived, they joined these trading networks.

Economies and Resources

With a partner or by yourself, complete the “Economies and

Resources” chart in your booklet.

PROS = good things (+)CONS = bad things (-)

Use pages 26-28 in your textbook to help you brainstorm.

Economies and Resources - Chart

Pros (+) Cons (-)

• Life is easy when lots of resources

• More time to spend on art and recreation

• Easy to preserve and store.

• Balanced Diet

• Time consuming if food is scarce.

• Great knowledge of land, climate and cycles of nature required.

• Had to move with the seasons.

Hunter Gatherer Economies

Economies and Resources - Chart

Pros (+) Cons (-)

• Less time spent Hunting and Gathering.

• Didn’t have to move. • Extras goods could be

traded.

• Only available in regions with ideal soil and weather conditions.

• Had to move if the soil depleted.

• Animals/weather could destroy crops

Farming Economies

Economies and Resources - Chart

Pros (+) Cons (-)

• You could get what you couldn’t collect or grow.

• Created relationships with other First Nations groups and Europeans.

• Trades weren’t always fair.

• Were the good necessarily needed?

• Had to travel long distances.

Trading Economies