Ontario Native Literacy Coalition Indigenized Assessment Tool · • having an informal chat with...

© Ontario Native Literacy Coalition, 2017

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition

Indigenized

Assessment Tool 2017

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition Indigenized Assessment Tool

© Ontario Native Literacy Coalition, 2017 PG. 2

Acknowledgments

This project was made possible by the funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition – Indigenized Assessment Tool developed by Ningwakwe George.

Edited and compiled by the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition, 2017



Table of Contents

Measuring Learnin, Treasuring Learning ...................................................................................................... 5

Section 1 - Water ........................................................................................................................................ 11

Section 2 - Saving on Laundry ..................................................................................................................... 19

Section 3 - Sample Hydro Bill ...................................................................................................................... 25

Section 4 - Mohawk Ironworkers ................................................................................................................ 33

Section 5 - Youth walk of Hope ................................................................................................................... 39

Section 6 - Walking With Our Sisters ......................................................................................................... 43

Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................. 49

Section 1- Water ........................................................................................................................................ 51

Section 2 - Saving on Laundry .................................................................................................................... 59

Section 3 - Sample Hydro Bill ..................................................................................................................... 65

Section 4 - Mohawk Ironworkers ................................................................................................................ 73

Section 5 - Youth walk of Hope ................................................................................................................... 79

Section 6 - Walking With Our Sisters .......................................................................................................... 83

ONLC Feedback ........................................................................................................................................... 89



Measuring Learning

Treasuring Learning



The Indigenization of Assessment

In the Context of

The Ontario Adult Literacy Framework (OALCF)

This document draws on three (3) important sources that focused on an Aboriginal literacy clientele –

the sources are listed in chronological order:

1. Better Learner Assessment Project Draft Final Report, prepared for the Indigenous Adult Higher Learner Association, August 2011 -http://iahla.ca/research/better-learner-assessments-research

2. Saskatchewan Aboriginal Adult Literacy Assessment Tool - - presentation at the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) 2011 Fall Institute -http://centreforliteracy.qc.ca/sites/default/files/Henry_Quigley_Oct%2024-2011.pdf;

3. Input from the Ontario Native Literacy Programs (ONLC) programs, Summer and Fall 2016.

Consensus was that assessment for Aboriginal adults worked better and gave a clearer picture of a

person’s strengths, ability and potential if they incorporated the following:

1. do assessment in a holistic manner using tools that include culturally relevant materials and topics;

2. use Aboriginal assessment practices and tools to measure success in other areas of the individual learner’s life, as well as in the learner’s classroom and learning environment;

3. use assessment as a way for learners to demonstrate what they can do, but also a way to show their learning strategies, and to inspire further learning.

Frontline workers felt that an assessment tool that is considered to be generic so as to encompass all

client groups does not consider that each learner has different life experiences which help them to

develop different knowledge, skills and attitudes.

http://iahla.ca/research/better-learner-assessments-research

http://iahla.ca/research/better-learner-assessments-research

http://centreforliteracy.qc.ca/sites/default/files/Henry_Quigley_Oct%2024-2011.pdf



Assessment can be stressful for some people, especially if they’ve had negative experiences with

education in the past. One way to approach assessment can be depicted in the following:

Respondents to the Fall 2016 telephone survey echoed each other’s sentiments that assessment is only

one step in the whole learning process. One felt that an assessment gives a ‘snapshot of where the

learner is at that point in time.’ Practitioners are careful to explain to the learner that he/she may not

have been taught in the way he/she learns best. They understand that what appears to be a test can

bring up old negative feelings, and that there may be other things going on in the learner’s life that may

cause him/her to ‘forget’ some of what he/she knows.

For this reason, practitioners supplement their assessments with other ways and means of noting what

a learner can do such as:



• having an informal chat with the learner - getting to know him/her, establishing that very important relationship of trust – thereby getting a sense of the learner’s strengths, interests and needs.

• observing their communication style; and/or • having the learner look at a variety of reading materials to see which ones they are drawn to.

Assessment begins with that first contact. This is an informal way of gauging a learner’s ability to

interact with others. (Task Group B1) Many learners will come with a history of negative experiences in

which somebody did not understand them, how they learn best, or how to help them move toward

what they want. It is an act of courage for them to give it one more try. One practitioner put it

succinctly by saying ‘Just for them to walk in the door, that’s a competency! To say, “I need help!” That’s

a competency!”

Topics and Types of Assessment Tools

Because of the funding that was allocated to this project, it was not possible to produce as

comprehensive a tool as ESKARGO. Some of the ONLC practitioners found parts of ESKARGO helpful,

especially when the learner is entry level. This set of assessments is, therefore, meant to supplement

whatever other assessment tools programs are using. We hope that it will serve as a sample of how you

might develop your own assessment tools.

This document includes a variety of methods for assessing what a learner knows – such as print and non-

print. Some incorporate audio-visual. (Task Group A3 – Extract info from films, broadcasts and

presentations) In order to access the videos, the learner has to follow specified steps on a computer.

(Competency D – Digital Technology)

The sections allow for the learner to either do the assessment alone, or with the practitioner. Learners

are encouraged to read the questions first – either on their own or with the instructor. This gives the

learners practice in looking for specific information as they listen and/or read. The questions

themselves require the learner to demonstrate different types of comprehension:

✓ Literal – where the learner recalls information stated in the text; ✓ Inferential – which combines prior knowledge with information and experience with passage

information; ✓ Vocabulary – which requires the learner to identify the meaning of words.

Each section is dedicated to a topic that was prominent in the Aboriginal community at the time of the

development of this tool. It is not intended that you use every page with every student. Rather, choose



the topics and exercises that will peak their interest, offer them an opportunity to experience success by

being able demonstrate a competency, or competencies.

Section 1 – Water

This section begins with The Water Walk, which brought to the attention of the general public the

importance of water to Aboriginal culture. A commonly held belief is that ‘Water is Life.’ It is one of the

four elements – water, earth, air and fire.

Section 2 – Saving on Laundry, Saving Mother Earth

This section looks at the value of replacing laundry products such as fabric conditioner, detergent and

bleach with common household items. Not only do these items cost less, they are less harmful to

Mother Earth.

Section 3 – Sample Hydro Bill

This section emphasizes the importance of knowing what each part of a hydro bill means. In an era

when hydro costs have escalated, it reminds learners of ways to reduce their hydro usage, while saving

on their hydro bill.

Section 4 – Mohawk Ironworkers

This section highlights one of the contributions of the Mohawk Nation to Canada and the United States.

Many were Ironworkers and had a part in building tall structures.

They are thought to be very brave people.

Section 5 – Youth Walk of Hope

This section honours the resilience exhibited by Aboriginal youth during the high incidence of suicides

across the country. They found a way to bring a message of hope to individuals, families and

communities while encouraging leadership to help everyone work together to address issues of loss.

Section 6 – Walking With Our Sisters

This section features the artwork of Maria Morrison who discovered her Gift of producing art while she

was the Publishing Manager of the Ningwakwe Learning Press.



Section 1 - Water



Ojibwa Grandmother recounts walk around the Great Lakes

Read questions 1-5 either by yourself OR read them with your instructor – then click on the link at the bottom of the next page to watch a 10-minute video. You may stop and rewind at any time and as many times as you like.

You may read the text on pages 2-4 as you watch the video, or after the video.

Answer the following questions – either in writing by yourself OR by giving the answers verbally to your instructor.

1. Match the question in the left column to the number in the right column that

answers the question. There are two answers for each question. One is a number; the other is a word.

How old is the woman in the clip? two thousand four 5 How many Great Lakes are there? 2004

seven What year did they walk around Lake Michigan? 66 five How many rocks did they see in a circle? sixty-six 7

2. How many days did it take for the women to walk around Lake Ontario?

If it took that length of time to walk around each lake, how many days of walking time would the journey take?

3. What time of the year do you think the women did their walk? Why?

4. If you were doing the walk, what time would you start walking for the day and when would you stop for the day? Why?

5. How often would you take a break during the day? For how long?



6. There are ten words below. Circle the ones that you heard in the video. If you did not hear it, leave the word as is.

Superior weather

super absent

Chief lunch

walked eagle

animal children

7. Fill in the blank in the sentence below with one of the words given.

The grandmothers walked around the for the protection of the waters.

spring pure rock lakes meeting

8. Write a sentence to say the message that the women got from Lake Superior.

9. Make a list of 3-4 ways in which you use water every day.

10. Write at least three sentences that tell one way that you are protecting or respecting water.

Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Enter this link and watch the

video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPega7E8Lhg

Josephine Mandamin, for a 66-year-old woman you’ve still got a lot of spring in your step and you’ve got a lot of energy. Tell us about your walk around the Great Lakes and what that teaches us about how to care for water.

In walking around the five Great Lakes, we learned something about each of the lakes. Where we’re standing now is Lake Superior, and that’s the first one that we walked. We

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPega7E8Lhg



found the majesty of that lake. It is so powerful; it is so strong, so clean, so pure. When you first look at it, and you see the majesty of that water, you want it to stay like that forever and ever and ever for the generations to come. That is the message that this water brings us is that it needs to be kept that way. There’s rocks, there’s mountains under the water and there’s sand also. There’s everything there that we need to take care of for the next generations to come. We learned that this Lake Superior is unforgiving, it’s kind, it’s gentle, it can also be very very treacherous. It has a different personality, it has many personalities I should say. It’s a really powerful lake. I can see why they call it Superior, this Lake Superior. It is truly Superior.

The next lake we walked around, we didn’t walk around, we did the upper Michigan in 2004. From that journey, we discovered that this area had been travelled again by our ancestors, because we saw traces of them, of marks that they had left for us to see. These are many generations, maybe even seven generations ago that they had left markings on the rocks. They have left trees to stand in such a way that we know that they had been there. We see the rocks what you call the Grandfathers in a circle big ones. They had been in a circle, the seven Grandfathers in a circle. Those are the teachings that we get in our Midewin Lodge that our Grand Chief Eddie Benton has always bestowed those blessings and those teachings to us about the seven Grandfathers, the seven roads that we walk on. We’re mindful of the messages that our ancestors have left for us. We were so happy to see those signs on the rocks - the paintings, the drawings on the rocks, and the shapes of the trees and what we see in the sky realm through the rocks. It was very humbling and very mind-boggling just to think that they cared for us. And so we were put in that place where we are at that same thought where they must have thought at that same time that we are also at that point in time thinking of the generations to come, that those that will come will also acknowledge that there were Grandmothers walking around the lakes for the protection of the waters which is the purpose of our walk. So that was the message that we received from Michigan.

And then the following year, we walked Lake Huron. In walking Lake Huron, we found that as we journeyed, three, four days later, we ran into this community that was having a big meeting of Chiefs. We were invited to a lunch with them. So we had lunch and then they wanted to hear what we were doing. So I spoke to them all in the language, the Ojibwe language that I was born into. I spoke to them about the journey we were on at that time. I told them how absent the men were in the walk because, in taking care of the water, there’s always supposed to be a man walking beside us. As Anishnawbe Kwek we were walking both with the eagle staff and with the pail of water, that it was very difficult at times to do both at the same time, and to change from the left to the right and the right to the left. We talked to them about men’s responsibilities to the women, for them to walk beside the women in the work that they do, giving life, women give life, they are the carriers of life. The men also have a part in that. They plant the seed in the womb of the women. Once that’s done, their responsibility does not end there. They also have to be a part of the taking care of that water of life that they have planted the seed in. So I talked about that to the Chiefs and the Council, the tribes, the Chiefs that were there at that meeting. When we finished talking, there was a long silence; nobody said anything. I think they were just overwhelmed or overcome by what they had heard until,



finally, one of the Elders, Gordon Waindubence, stood up and he paraphrased what I said. And then after he finished, then everybody just stood up and there was applause, a standing ovation for our talk to them. From them on, there became men to come out and help us with the staff all the way around Lake Huron, all the reserves – Kettle Point, Shawanaga, Port Huron, Sarnia and all the way around. Men just started to come and walk with us. It was really a time of unity that we’re reminded of Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is precious to me because that’s where I was born on Manitoulin Island on a little reserve called Wikwemikong. So it was very precious for me to walk around that Lake. So Lake Huron to us was a uniter of male and female, that they need to work together with the work that we’re doing as Anishnawbe Kwek caring for the water.

Lake Ontario was a very difficult walk in terms of the water was so polluted. It only took us ten days to walk around that lake I think mainly because it was easy to walk because there was paths almost all around the lake. Going through Toronto was easy. It wasn’t that difficult. We thought it was going to be hard walking through the City of Toronto. Anyway, when we got to the other side, we noticed our pail was really heavy. We’d wake up in the morning and our shoulders would just be really really hard, really heavy. The girls said, “How come this water is so heavy? We didn’t add any more to it. It’s the same amount of water that we’ve always carried.” We had to take short breaks, longer breaks in order to give our muscles, our arms, and our shoulders and our backs more breaks. We saw the pollution in the water, we saw the dead fish, dead fish just laying on the shore. They only grow up as far as six inches in this area and then I suppose they all die from something. They’re just washed ashore, and the stench was just terrible. In another section, we saw water that was just full of green slime, that the slime we knew, we didn’t even touch the water, Lake Ontario. We were afraid to even put our foot in the water. Every lake we see, we would take our socks off and wade in the water and wash our feet in the water, but this water was really different.

A year later I got an article sent to me from somebody in a magazine, an article that calls the Lake Ontario heavy water. I really marveled at that because having them call it heavy water because it is full of metal, full of toxins that apparently scientifically it is heavy water. That really solidified our feelings about how that water was so heavy, that it is full of pollution that scientists are finding that out that it is almost metallic with the stuff that is being poured into the water, the nuclear plants that are being cooled with that water and then that water being put back in the water of course is going to make it poisonous. Lake Ontario was very tiring.



The Four Elements

Draw a line from each word on the left to the matching picture and some words on the right. There will be some words left over.

Earth

balloon

learn drink

Air

flame phone planet

Fire

address

world burn

Water

swim

baby

breathe



Thinking about the Picture Exercise

Look at the picture at the bottom of this page. Answer the questions below. You can give your answers in whatever way feels best for you: a. Say your answers to your instructor; b. Write your answers on the paper given to you; c. Draw a picture that comes to your mind – any picture – and explain it.

1. Circle three words that could relate to this picture, then explain how they are

related.

beach Christmas school jacket man dog

braid candle winter

2. What time of the year do you think it is? Why?

3. Write a short paragraph (3 – 4 sentences) to tell what you think they are

doing. 4. Write a short paragraph (3 - 4 sentences) to tell how you feel when you are

near a lake or a river.



Section 2 - Saving on Laundry Saving Mother Earth



Save on Laundry and Hydro

Pat went to a “Be Kind to Mother Earth and Your Wallet” workshop. From what he learned,

he stopped buying regular laundry products. They have chemicals in them that harm

Mother Earth. One thing a speaker said that really touched his heart is: “Would you put

harmful chemicals into your mother? If we consider the Earth our Mother, then why would

we put harmful chemicals into her?” He learned to buy products that cost less than laundry

detergent, fabric softeners and bleach.

He uses either baking soda or borax instead of detergent. He uses pure white vinegar instead of fabric softener.

He gets stains out of his clothes with a mixture of 2 parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and one part dish detergent. He pours the mixture over the stain, and rubs it in with a soft toothbrush. Pat is careful to use another toothbrush for his teeth.

Pat hangs his clothes on a line outside when the weather is good – and on a laundry rack inside when the weather is not good.

Answer the following questions either in writing by yourself, or discuss your answers with your instructor.

1. What was the name of the workshop that Pat attended?

2. What did one of the speakers say that really touched Pat’s heart?

3. Give two reasons that Pat decided to no longer buy regular laundry products.

4. What does Pat buy instead?

5. Google ‘baking soda’ and name 3 other common household uses for it.



6. Google ‘vinegar’ and list 3 other common household uses for it.

Some of Pat’s Cost Savings

A jug of No Name laundry detergent cost $8.49. He can do about 64 loads with it. A box of Borax at the Dollar Tree cost $4.00. Pat knows he can do 32 loads of laundry with one box.

A 1.53L of Downy cost $12.50. It does 60 loads. A 4L bottle of pure white vinegar cost $5.99. This will do about 30 loads.

Fill in the chart below. This will help you answer the Math questions that follow.



Item Cost to do about 30

loads Cost to do about 60

loads Borax

Laundry detergent

Downy fabric softener

White Vinegar

What is the difference in the price of a box of Borax and a box of laundry detergent? Show how you got your answer.

How many boxes of Borax does Pat need to buy if he wants to do 64 loads? Show how you got your answer.

How many 4L bottles of vinegar does Pat need to buy to do about 60 loads. How much does Pat save by using white vinegar as his fabric softener for 60 loads? Show how you got your answer.

Hydrogen Peroxide

A 473 mL bottle of hydrogen peroxide cost $3 at the store. Pat found the same-sized bottle for 50 cents at a yard sale.

How much did Pat save on one bottle of hydrogen peroxide by buying it at the yard sale? Show how you got your answer.

How much did Pat save by buying two bottles of hydrogen peroxide at the yard sale?



Show how you got your answer. How many bottles of hydrogen peroxide can he buy at the yard sale for the same price he would have paid in the store? Show how you got your answer.

Do it Yourself (DIY) Stain Remover

When Pat makes the stain remover, the directions suggest that he soak the stain for two hours, then brush the spot with a soft toothbrush. If he puts the stain remover on at 5:30, when should he brush the spot?

Saving on Hydro Bills

Pat wants to save on hydro. He uses this chart to plan his laundry. He keeps this chart on the side of his fridge to remind himself of the times, and how much hydro use costs at those times.

A kilowatt hour (kWh) is the unit Hydro companies use to measure how much hydro a person has used.

Prices effective May 1, 2016

What are the off-peak hours in the summer?

What are the off-peak hours in the winter?

What are the off-peak hours on weekends and holidays all year?



What are the on-peak hours in the summer?

What are the on-peak hours in the winter?

What are the mid-peak hours in the summer?

What are the mid-peak hours in the winter?

What is the cost of a kWh during off-peak hours?

What is the cost of a kWh during on-peak hours?

What is the cost of a kWh during mid-peak hours?

How much does Pat save per kWh if he does his laundry during off-peak hours instead of on-peak? Show how you got your answer.

If a load of laundry takes 45 minutes in the washing machine, when should he start his laundry if he wants the washing machine done by 7 a.m?



Section 3 - Sample Hydro Bill



Sample Hydro Bill

Hydro bills have clues for how to read them. You can save on your hydro bill when you know these clues.

On the third page of this section, you will see a sample bill for Hydro One. Study it, and answer the following questions.

Look for the words “Here’s what you owe.” You will see 3 lines under that.

The 1st line shows what you owe from last bill. What is in that first line?

The 2nd line shows what you owe on this bill. What is in the second line?

The 3rd line shows what changes the company has made to the bill. What is in the third line?

Look for - this is the total amount the person owes on this bill. What is that amount?

Look for - Next, look for the date in bold letters in the second line in this part of the bill. The person needs to pay the bill by that date. If he or she doesn’t, he or she will have to pay late charges on your the bill. What is the date?

The next part tells how much the person will be charged if he or she doesn’t pay by that date. What % is charged each month for a late payment?

What % is charged per year for a late payment?

Look for IMPORTANT NOTICE. This tells how much more people will pay for using hydro at certain times of the day.

You will not see this on your bill, but this is how they figure out how much to charge. ‘On-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are the highest. ‘Off-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are the lowest. ‘Mid-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are between the highest and lowest.

On the next page, you will see what those hours are, and how much it cost to use hydro at certain times.



As of May 1, 2016, here is what Hydro One charges at different times of the day.

Now, go back to the hydro bill. Look at the chart or table just under where the page reads “Point of Delivery: 00000000. You will see dates in the left column. The top one in bold letters is the time period for which this person is being charged.

The second column in from the left shows how many days were in that time period. How many days does the bill show?

The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is commonly used as a billing unit for energy delivered to consumers by electric utilities. The rest of the columns show kWh used at different times. Please note that kWh is given in whole numbers – no decimals or fractions. This means the hydro company ‘rounds’ the number of kWh for which they are charging.

The third column in from the left shows how many ‘on-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show?

The fourth column in from the left shows how many ‘mid-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show?

The fifth column in from the left shows how many ‘off-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show?

The last column shows the average amount of electricity the person used each day during that time period. How many hours does the bill show?

Did the person use the most kWh during ‘on-peak’ – ‘mid-peak’ or ‘off-peak’? Circle the answer.

List 3 ways the person could keep his or her hydro bill down? An example is given for you.



Example: I could turn off the lights in the room every time I leave it.

Hint: If you are unable to think of any other ways, google “How to save on hydro” – you will find some helpful hints there.



Energy is a measure of how much fuel is contained within something, or used by

something over a specific period of time.

The kWh is a unit of energy.

If you do not have an electricity bill to use, ask your instructor to give you one.

Exercise #1. Study the electricity bill and see how many kilowatt hours the person used for that billing cycle. Enter that amount in the space below.

Exercise #2. Assume that the lights in your kitchen and living room together use 400 watts.

How many watts do you use if you leave your lights on all day and night? Show your work.

How many watts do you use if you leave your lights on all day and night for the whole month? (Because some months have 30 days, and others have 31 days, use 30.5 as the number of days per month to find the answer for this part of the exercise. Show your work.

Because I kWh equals 1,000 hours, divide the answer in the last section by 1,000. Show your work. Please ‘round’ your answer to the nearest whole number.

How much does it cost if the lights are on 24 hours a day, for a whole month? Assume 15¢/kWh. Show your work.

How much does it cost per year? Show your work.



Exercise #3. Assume your window Air Conditioner uses 1440 watts per hour. How many watts does it use to run continuously for one day (24 hours)? Show your work.

How many watts does it use to run continuously for a month? (for the purposes of this question, assume 30.5 days per month). Show your work.

Because I kWh equals 1,000 hours, divide the answer in the last section by 1,000. Your answer shows how many kWh the air conditioner used that month. Please ‘round’ your answer to the nearest whole number. Show your work.

How much does it cost if the air conditioner is on 24 hours a day, for a whole month? Assume 15¢/kWh. Show your work.

How much does it cost per year? Show your work.



Section 4 - Mohawk Ironworkers



Mohawk Ironworkers

Read questions 1-5, or discuss them with your instructor. Then click on the link at the bottom of this page to watch a 2-minute video. You may stop and rewind at any time and as many times as you like.


1. Circle the words that you hear in the video.

baseball hand

fearless tape

hurt brothers

pencil trade

2. Fill in the blank in each sentence on the left by using a word from the right

hand side. I walked out of the the next day. happen

It’s like a giant . Accidents

It’s not going to to me. puzzle

are part of the job. hospital 3. List 3 words or groups of words from the text that tell how ironworkers feel

about their job. 4. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about a time that you did something that

you were really proud of.

Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Put the link below into the browser

and watch the video.

http://www.mohawkironworkers.com/#series

In just about every city in this country, our guys have had a hand in help building the skylines.

Being an ironworker is a whole total different rush you know being up there

hundreds of feet in the air.




You’re so excited like at Christmas when that first piece of iron comes up you grab it.

I hear it all the time, Mohawks are fearless.

They were born to be ironworkers. It’s like we’re workhorses and that’s what most guys use us for.

I’m not scared of heights and I’d rather be up there working.

It’s the best time of my life. It’s like a giant puzzle and you put a piece together.

If you can’t have fun at work you might just as well stay the hell home. Camaraderie

How are you doing buddy? It’s beautiful - nice time

They offered me if would like to do full-time iron work and I said, “Yeah sure, great!” Injuries are part of the job and once you’re hurt you’re just shuffled off to the side like

seeing what it did to my older brothers and it’s not going to happen to me, I got broken ribs, broken shoulder blades, punctured lungs, but I walked out of the

hospital the next day. I’m going to do the roll call for our fallen heroes.

In the background here, this is the north wall of the north tower.

When our first plane hit, it flew right over us.

And the ironworkers were in there, everything’s still smoldering, it’s still burning. Never thought we’d be doing it, rebuilding New York like that especially the tallest

building in the western hemisphere. This building was me.

My father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, all iron work.

This is my father’s hat and I feel comfortable with it. It opens many doors and many opportunities for me to go where I please basically.



It’s an honor.

You got be brave – either brave or crazy – or both I don’t know.

We’re Mohawks, man, we’re world-renowned right?

Mohawk Ironworkers Skywalkers

Many Mohawks are known as ‘skywalkers.’ They work far above the ground, building things. Some say that the first Mohawk ironworkers started in 1886, when they worked on a bridge over the St. Lawrence River. Management noticed that they moved quickly and easily on the steel beams high up in the air. It’s like they had no fears. In 2016, that’s about six generations of skywalkers.

One skywalker said he had fear; but he overcame that fear with courage, balance, being careful, and lots of training.

Since then, the skywalkers have worked on many other tall buildings. Perhaps the most well-known building is the World Trade Centre (WTC).

On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the twin towers of the WTC. Many people lost their lives or were badly hurt. Others were buried in the wreck, perhaps alive. This day became known as 9/11.

Mohawk ironworkers who had worked on the WTC were among the first to come to help. In the words of one ironworker, “We had lives to save, a job to do.” The ironworkers felt that their skill helped build the WTC, their skill would help clear away the ruins safely to find any people trapped in the debris.

The Mohawk Ironworkers help in saving lives came at a cost. Some skywalkers became ill; others lost their own lives through illnesses that came from breathing in the deadly fumes around the WTC wreckage.

The United States of America (USA) mint honoured the Mohawk Ironworkers by coming out $1 silver coin in 2015.



The Ironworkers were asked to look at early designs of the coin, and suggest changes. One Ironworker said, “We presented our side. It looks like they listened.”

In 2016, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) aired a 13-part half- hour documentary series on the Mohawk Ironworkers. There is even an episode “Women of Steel.” One of the Ironworkers production team invented a single player computer game Rivet Rampage. It puts the player in the role of a Mohawk Ironworker building the Empire State Building in New York or the Mercier Bridge in Quebec.

1. Circle the numbers and words that appear in the text.

one 11

five 13 eight 2001

2. How many years has it been since the 9/11 event? Show how you got your

answer. 3. The United States dollars and the Canadian dollar are not worth the same amount.

Their value changes every day. On September 17, 2016, the United States dollar was worth $1.32 in Canadian money. If a person had 2 United States dollars, how much is that worth in Canadian money? Show how you got your answer.

4. Hundreds of people travelled from Canada to the United States to be Ironworkers.

The pay was good, but the cost of living was high. A driver has to pay $25 at the toll bridge on his way to work – and the same amount on the way home. It cost $35 to park his truck. How much does this person pay each day for toll bridges and parking? Show how you got your answer.

5. What is the total for a week (5 days)? Show how you got your answer?



Section 5 - Youth walk of Hope



Youth Walk of Hope

The 13 young people who did the Youth Walk of Hope left Cochrane on June 7th, 2016. They got to Niagara Falls in time to speak at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Youth Summit on July 10. They walked over 950 kilometers.

The youth did the Walk of Hope to let people know about the suicides (people ending their lives themselves) in the northern communities. It was very hard on some of the walkers. One became weak because she was not drinking enough water.



She kept going, but was careful to walk only half the time each day. Another had lost two family members to suicide. There was a suicide in another’s community the morning the group started out – and someone else tried to commit suicide the night before.

Many people helped with the Walk of Hope. The Mushkegowuk Council gave the most help in money and moral support. Other people gave financial support as well. The walkers needed money to cover the cost for themselves, as well as the people who took care of them. This included meals, supplies, hotels and car rental. The walkers needed proper shoes, safety wear etc. At one stop along the way (Fergus), someone bought ice cream for the walkers.

One walker said to the 200+ people at the AFN meeting, “I want to give you the message we bring of hope. Suicide is ugly and it’s hard. The system failed us. I don’t even know what to say, because everything has been said already. We showed our action through this walk. We need to see commitment. What is the hope? We need to figure it out together. “ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The youth said they did the walk for other reasons as well: a. the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and the Reconciliation

Movement in our country; b. the Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls; c. the Mushkegowuk Inquiry on Suicides, and, d. the death of 7 youth in Thunder Bay.



1. If a number in the left hand column appears in the story, draw a line from it to its matching word on the right. Circle the number in the story.

2. If a number does not appear in the story, do not draw a line. 950 Twelve 590 one-half 10 nine hundred fifty 100 one hundred 7 two hundred 13 Thirteen 12 five hundred ninety 200 seven ½ ten

3. Circle the word that says where the youth started.

Fergus Niagara Falls Cochrane

4. What happened to the person who did not drink enough water?

5. What did she do so as not quit the walk?

6. List three ways that people helped.

7. Write a short paragraph (3 – 4) sentences about a youth that you know who is inspiring hope in others.



Section 6 - Walking With Our Sisters



Find the Differences

You may have seen people wearing a t-shirt, or a hoodie like the ones in the picture below.

The design was done by Maria Morrison, an Anishnawbe Kwe, who is a member of the Big Grassy First Nation. Maria used to work at the Ningwakwe Learning Press. She now lives in Winnipeg and has kindly agreed to let the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition use her artwork.

On page 3, you will see two images of the design.

The image on the left is exactly as Maria drew it.



The image on the right has had six (6) changes made to it.

Circle the six changes.

Write a sentence to describe each change. You may describe the changes in any order you like.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


Ontario Native Literacy Coalition, 2017 PG. 47

Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Put the link below into the browser

and watch the video.

http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/about/the-project/

Find three things on the website that interest you and list them here.

1.

2.

3.




Answer Key



Section 1- Water



2



5, How often would you take a break during the day? For how long?

_ Answers will vary – accept any reasonable explanation

6. There are ten words below. Circle the ones that you heard in the video. If you did not hear it, leave the word as is.

Superior weather

super absent

Chief lunch

walked eagle

animal children

7. Fill in the blank in the sentence below with one of the words given.

The grandmothers walked around the _lakes for the protection of the waters.

spring pure rock lakes meeting

8. Write a sentence to say the message that the women got from Lake Superior. The water must be kept strong, clean and pure.

9. Make a list of 3-4 ways in which you use water every day. Answers will vary – accept any reasonable answers.

10. Write at least three sentences that tell one way that you are protecting or respecting water.

Answers will vary – accept any reasonable answers.

Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Enter this link and watch the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPega7E8Lhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPega7E8Lhg



Josephine Mandamin, for a 66-year-old woman you’ve still got a lot of spring in your step and you’ve got a lot of energy. Tell us about your walk around the Great Lakes and what that teaches us about how to care for water.

In walking around the five Great Lakes, we learned something about each of the lakes. Where we’re standing now is Lake Superior, and that’s the first one that we walked. We found the majesty of that lake. It is so powerful; it is so strong, so clean, so pure. When you first look at it, and you see the majesty of that water, you want it to stay like that forever and ever and ever for the generations to come. That is the message that this water brings us is that it needs to be kept that way. There’s rocks, there’s mountains under the water and there’s sand also. There’s everything there that we need to take care of for the next generations to come. We learned that this Lake Superior is unforgiving, it’s kind, it’s gentle, it can also be very very treacherous. It has a different personality, it has many personalities I should say. It’s a really powerful lake. I can see why they call it Superior, this Lake Superior. It is truly Superior.

The next lake we walked around, we didn’t walk around, we did the upper Michigan in 2004. From that journey, we discovered that this area had been travelled again by our ancestors, because we saw traces of them, of marks that they had left for us to see. These are many generations, maybe even seven generations ago that they had left markings on the rocks. They have left trees to stand in such a way that we know that they had been there. We see the rocks what you call the Grandfathers in a circle big ones. They had been in a circle, the seven Grandfathers in a circle. Those are the teachings that we get in our Midewin Lodge that our Grand Chief Eddie Benton has always bestowed those blessings and those teachings to us about the seven Grandfathers, the seven roads that we walk on. We’re mindful of the messages that our ancestors have left for us. We were so happy to see those signs on the rocks - the paintings, the drawings on the rocks, and the shapes of the trees and what we see in the sky realm through the rocks. It was very humbling and very mind-boggling just to think that they cared for us. And so we were put in that place where we are at that same thought where they must have thought at that same time that we are also at that point in time thinking of the generations to come, that those that will come will also acknowledge that there were Grandmothers walking around the lakes for the protection of the waters which is the purpose of our walk. So that was the message that we received from Michigan.

And then the following year, we walked Lake Huron. In walking Lake Huron, we found that as we journeyed, three, four days later, we ran into this community that was having a big meeting of Chiefs. We were invited to a lunch with them. So we had lunch and then they wanted to hear what we were doing. So I spoke to them all in the language, the Ojibwe language that I was born into. I spoke to them about the journey we were on at that time. I told them how absent the men were in the walk because, in taking care of the water, there’s always supposed to be a man walking beside us. As Anishnawbe Kwek we were walking both with the eagle staff and with the pail of water, that it was very difficult at times to do both at the same time, and to change from the left to the right and the right to the left. We talked to them about men’s responsibilities to the women, for them to walk beside the women in the work that they do, giving life, women give life,



they are the carriers of life. The men also have a part in that. They plant the seed in the womb of the women. Once that’s done, their responsibility does not end there. They also have to be a part of the taking care of that water of life that they have planted the seed in. So I talked about that to the Chiefs and the Council, the tribes, the Chiefs that were there at that meeting. When we finished talking, there was a long silence; nobody said anything. I think they were just overwhelmed or overcome by what they had heard until, finally, one of the Elders, Gordon Waindubence, stood up and he paraphrased what I said. And then after he finished, then everybody just stood up and there was applause, a standing ovation for our talk to them. From them on, there became men to come out and help us with the staff all the way around Lake Huron, all the reserves – Kettle Point, Shawanaga, Port Huron, Sarnia and all the way around. Men just started to come and walk with us. It was really a time of unity that we’re reminded of Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is precious to me because that’s where I was born on Manitoulin Island on a little reserve called Wikwemikong. So it was very precious for me to walk around that Lake. So Lake Huron to us was a uniter of male and female, that they need to work together with the work that we’re doing as Anishnawbe Kwek caring for the water.

Lake Ontario was a very difficult walk in terms of the water was so polluted. It only took us ten days to walk around that lake I think mainly because it was easy to walk because there was paths almost all around the lake. Going through Toronto was easy. It wasn’t that difficult. We thought it was going to be hard walking through the City of Toronto. Anyway, when we got to the other side, we noticed our pail was really heavy. We’d wake up in the morning and our shoulders would just be really really hard, really heavy. The girls said, “How come this water is so heavy? We didn’t add any more to it. It’s the same amount of water that we’ve always carried.” We had to take short breaks, longer breaks in order to give our muscles, our arms, and our shoulders and our backs more breaks. We saw the pollution in the water, we saw the dead fish, dead fish just laying on the shore. They only grow up as far as six inches in this area and then I suppose they all die from something. They’re just washed ashore, and the stench was just terrible. In another section, we saw water that was just full of green slime, that the slime we knew, we didn’t even touch the water, Lake Ontario. We were afraid to even put our foot in the water. Every lake we see, we would take our socks off and wade in the water and wash our feet in the water, but this water was really different.

A year later I got an article sent to me from somebody in a magazine, an article that calls the Lake Ontario heavy water. I really marveled at that because having them call it heavy water because it is full of metal, full of toxins that apparently scientifically it is heavy water. That really solidified our feelings about how that water was so heavy, that it is full of pollution that scientists are finding that out that it is almost metallic with the stuff that is being poured into the water, the nuclear plants that are being cooled with that water and then that water being put back in the water of course is going to make it poisonous. Lake Ontario was very tiring.



Look at the picture at the bottom of this page. Answer the questions below. You can give your answers in whatever way feels best for you: a. Say your answers to your instructor; b. Write your answers on the paper given to you; c. Draw a picture that comes to your mind – any picture – and explain it.

1. Circle three words that could relate to this picture, then explain how they are

related.

beach Christmas school

jacket man dog

braid candle winter 2. What time of the year do you think it is? Why? Answers will vary – accept any reasonable explanation. 3. Write a short paragraph (3 – 4 sentences) to tell what you think they are

doing. Answers will vary – accept any reasonable explanation. 4. Write a short paragraph (3 - 4 sentences) to tell how you feel when you are

near a lake or a river. Answers will vary – accept any reasonable explanation.



Section 2 - Saving on Laundry Saving Mother Earth



Save on Laundry and Hydro

Pat went to a “Be Kind to Mother Earth and Your Wallet” workshop. From what he learned,

he stopped buying regular laundry products. They have chemicals in them that harm

Mother Earth. One thing a speaker said that really touched his heart is: “Would you put

harmful chemicals into your mother? If we consider the Earth our Mother, then why would

we put harmful chemicals into her?” He learned to buy products that cost less than laundry

detergent, fabric softeners and bleach.

He uses either baking soda or borax instead of detergent. He uses pure white vinegar instead of fabric softener.

He gets stains out of his clothes with a mixture of 2 parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and one part dish detergent. He pours the mixture over the stain, and rubs it in with a soft toothbrush. Pat is careful to use another toothbrush for his teeth.

Pat hangs his clothes on a line outside when the weather is good – and on a laundry rack inside when the weather is not good.

Answer the following questions either in writing by yourself, or discuss your answers with your instructor.

1. What was the name of the workshop that Pat attended? “Be Kind to Mother Earth and your Wallet”

2. What did one of the speakers say that really touched Pat’s heart? “Would you put harmful chemicals into your mother? If we consider the Earth our Mother, then why would we put harmful chemicals into her?”

3. Give two reasons that Pat decided to no longer buy regular laundry products. They contain chemicals harmful to the Earth.

The products he heard about cost less than regular laundry products.

4. What does Pat buy instead? He buys baking soda or borax, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide.

5. Google ‘baking soda’ and name 3 other common household uses for it. There are many helpful answers at http://tipnut.com/household-baking-soda/ Google ‘vinegar’ and list 3 other common household uses for it. There are many helpful answers at http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning- organizing/150-household-uses-for-vinegar/

http://tipnut.com/household-baking-soda/

http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-



Some of Pat’s Cost Savings

A jug of No Name laundry detergent cost $8.49. He can do about 64 loads with it. A box of Borax at the Dollar Tree cost $4.00. Pat knows he can do 32 loads of laundry with one box.

A 1.53L of Downy cost $12.50. It does 60 loads. A 4L bottle of pure white vinegar cost $5.99. This will do about 30 loads.

Fill in the chart below. This will help you answer the Math questions that follow.

Item Cost to do about 30

loads Cost to do about 60

loads Borax $4.00 $8.00 Laundry detergent $4.25 $8.50 Downy fabric softener $6.25 $12.50 White Vinegar $5.99 $12.00



What is the difference in the price of a box of Borax and a box of laundry detergent? Show how you got your answer. $4.25 - $4.00 = $0.25 or $8.50 - $8.00 = $0.50 How many boxes of Borax does Pat need to buy if he wants to do 64 loads? Show how you got your answer. 1 box of Borax does 32 loads 2 boxes of Borax do 64 loads

How many 4L bottles of vinegar does Pat need to buy to do about 60 loads. How much does Pat save by using white vinegar as his fabric softener for 60 loads? Show how you got your answer. 1 4L bottle of vinegar does 30 loads. It would take 2 bottles to do 60 loads. $12.50 - $12.00 = $0.50 Pat saves $0.50 by using vinegar.

Hydrogen Peroxide

A 473 mL bottle of hydrogen peroxide cost $3 at the store. Pat found the same-sized bottle for 50 cents at a yard sale.

How much did Pat save on one bottle of hydrogen peroxide by buying it at the yard sale? Show how you got your answer. $3.00 - $0.50 = $2.50 Pat saves $2.50.

How much did Pat save by buying two bottles of hydrogen peroxide at the yard sale? Show how you got your answer. $2.50 x 2 = $500 Pat saves $5.00 by buying two bottles of hydrogen peroxide.

How many bottles of hydrogen peroxide can he buy at the yard sale for the same price he would have paid in the store? Show how you got your answer.



It cost $3.00 at the store. $3.00 ÷ $0.50 = 6 Pat can buy 6 bottles of hydrogen peroxide for that same price it costs in the store.

Do it Yourself (DIY) Stain Remover

When Pat makes the stain remover, the directions suggest that he soak the stain for two hours, then brush the spot with a soft toothbrush. If he puts the stain remover on at 5:30, when should he brush the spot? 7:30

Saving on Hydro Bills

Pat wants to save on hydro. He uses this chart to plan his laundry. He keeps this chart on the side of his fridge to remind himself of the times, and how much hydro use costs at those times.

A kilowatt hour (kWh) is the unit Hydro companies use to measure how much hydro a person has used.

Prices effective May 1, 2016

What are the off-peak hours in the summer? _7 p.m. to 7:00 a.m._ What are the off-peak hours in the winter? _7 p.m. to 7:00 a.m .

What are the off-peak hours on weekends and holidays all year? any time day or night

What are the on-peak hours in the summer? _11 a.m. to 5 p.m._ What are the on-peak hours in the winter? _7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m._

What are the mid-peak hours in the summer? _7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m._ What are the mid-peak hours in the winter? _11 a.m. to 5 p.m.



What is the cost of a kWh during off-peak hours? 8.7¢ What is the cost of a kWh during on-peak hours? 18.0¢ What is the cost of a kWh during mid-peak hours? 13.2.0¢

How much does Pat save per kWh if he does his laundry during off-peak hours instead of on-peak? Show how you got your answer. 18.0.0¢ – 8.7.0¢ = 9.3¢ He saves 9.3¢ per kWh

If a load of laundry takes 45 minutes in the washing machine, when should he start his laundry if he wants the washing machine done by 7 a.m? 6:45 a.m. at the latest.



Section 3 - Sample Hydro Bill



Sample Hydro Bill

Hydro bills have clues for how to read them. You can save on your hydro bill when you know these clues.

On the third page of this section, you will see a sample bill for Hydro One. Study it, and answer the following questions.

Look for the words “Here’s what you owe.” You will see 3 lines under that.

The 1st line shows what you owe from last bill. What is in that first line? _$0.00

The 2nd line shows what you owe on this bill. What is in the second line? _$145.05_ The 3rd line shows what changes the company has made to the bill. What is in the third line? _$5.00 CR_

Look for - this is the total amount the person owes on this bill. What is that amount? _$140.05

Look for - Next, look for the date in bold letters in the second line in this part of the bill. The person needs to pay the bill by that date. If he or she doesn’t, he or she will have to pay late charges on your the bill. What is the date? _June 25, 2016_

The next part tells how much the person will be charged if he or she doesn’t pay by that date. What % is charged each month for a late payment? _1.5%

What % is charged per year for a late payment? _19.56%

Look for IMPORTANT NOTICE. This tells how much more people will pay for using hydro at certain times of the day.

You will not see this on your bill, but this is how they figure out how much to charge. ‘On-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are the highest. ‘Off-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are the lowest. ‘Mid-peak’ means the hours when hydro costs are between the highest and lowest.

On the next page, you will see what those hours are, and how much it cost to use hydro at certain times.



As of May 1, 2016, here is what Hydro One charges at different times of the day.

Now, go back to the hydro bill. Look at the chart or table just under where the page reads “Point of Delivery: 00000000. You will see dates in the left column. The top one in bold letters is the time period for which this person is being charged.

The second column in from the left shows how many days were in that time period. How many days does the bill show? _31

The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is commonly used as a billing unit for energy delivered to consumers by electric utilities. The rest of the columns show kWh used at different times. Please note that kWh is given in whole numbers – no decimals or fractions. This means the hydro company ‘rounds’ the number of kWh for which they are charging.

The third column in from the left shows how many ‘on-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show? _4

The fourth column in from the left shows how many ‘mid-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show? _4

The fifth column in from the left shows how many ‘off-peak’ hours the person used. How many hours does the bill show? 16

The last column shows the average amount of electricity the person used each day during that time period. How many hours does the bill show? 24

Did the person use the most kWh during ‘on-peak’ – ‘mid-peak’ or ‘off-peak’? Circle the answer.

List 3 ways the person could keep his or her hydro bill down? An example is given for you.



Example: I could turn off the lights in the room every time I leave it.

Hint: If you are unable to think of any other ways, google “How to save on hydro” – you will find some helpful hints there. You will find many helpful hints at https://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2011/04/2 5/16_ways_to_cut_your_hydro_bill.html

http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2011/04/2



Energy is a measure of how much fuel is contained within something, or used by

something over a specific period of time.

The kWh is a unit of energy.

If you do not have an electricity bill to use, ask your instructor to give you one.

Exercise #1. Study the electricity bill and see how many kilowatt hours the person used for that billing cycle. Enter that amount in the space below. Answers will vary – find it on the bill that you either provided to the student OR on the bill the student brought in.

Exercise #2. Assume that the lights in your kitchen and living room together use 400 watts.

How many watts do you use if you leave your lights on all day and night? Show your work. 400 x 24 = 9,600 watts

How many watts do you use if you leave your lights on all day and night for the whole month? (Because some months have 30 days, and others have 31 days, use 30.5 as the number of days per month to find the answer for this part of the exercise. Show your work. 400 x 24 x 30.5 = 292,800 watts

Because I kWh equals 1,000 hours, divide the answer in the last section by 1,000. Please ‘round’ your answer to the nearest whole number. Show your work. 292,800 ÷1,000 = 292.8. This rounds to 293.

How much does it cost if the lights are on 24 hours a day, for a whole month? Assume 15¢/kWh. Show your work. 293 x .15 = $43.95

How much does it cost per year? Show your work. $43.95 x 12 = $527.40

Exercise #3. Assume your window Air Conditioner uses 1440 watts per hour. How many watts does it use to run continuously for one day (24 hours)? Show your work.

1,440 x 24 = 34,560 watts for one day

How many watts does it use to run continuously for a month? (for the purposes of this



question, assume 30.5 days per month). Show your work. 34,560 x 30.5 = 1,054,080 watts

Because I kWh equals 1,000 hours, divide the answer in the last section by 1,000. Your answer shows how many kWh the air conditioner used that month. Please ‘round’ your answer to the nearest whole number. Show your work. 1,054.080 ÷ 1,000 = 1,054.08. This ‘rounds’ to 1,054 kWh.

How much does it cost if the air conditioner is on 24 hours a day, for a whole month? Assume 15¢/kWh. Show your work. 1,054 x .15 = $158.10

How much does it cost per year? Show your work. $158.10 x 12 = $1,897.20



Section 4 - Mohawk Ironworkers



Mohawk Ironworkers

Read questions 1-5, or discuss them with your instructor. Then click on the link at the bottom of this page to watch a 2-minute video. You may stop and rewind at any time and as many times as you like.


1. Circle the words that you hear in the video.

baseball hand

fearless tape

hurt brothers pencil trade

2. Fill in the blank in each sentence on the left by using a word from the right

hand side. I walked out of the _hospital the next day. happen

It’s like a giant _puzzle . Accidents

It’s not going to _happen to me. puzzle

_Accients are part of the job. hospital

3. List 3 words or groups of words from the text that tell how ironworkers feel

about their job. They get a rush have fun at work It’s an honour Excited best time of my life brave or crazy Not scared of heights This building was me 4. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about a time that you did something that

you were really proud of. Answers will vary. Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Put the link below into the browser and watch the video.


In just about every city in this country, our guys have had a hand in help building the skylines.




Being an ironworker is a whole total different rush you know being up there hundreds of feet in the air.

You’re so excited like at Christmas when that first piece of iron comes up you grab it.

I hear it all the time, Mohawks are fearless.

They were born to be ironworkers. It’s like we’re workhorses and that’s what most guys use us for.

I’m not scared of heights and I’d rather be up there working.

It’s the best time of my life. It’s like a giant puzzle and you put a piece together.

If you can’t have fun at work you might just as well stay the hell home. Camaraderie How

are you doing buddy? It’s beautiful - nice time

They offered me if would like to do full-time iron work and I said, “Yeah sure, great!” Injuries are part of the job and once you’re hurt you’re just shuffled off to the side like

seeing what it did to my older brothers and it’s not going to happen to me, I got broken ribs, broken shoulder blades, punctured lungs, but I walked out of the

hospital the next day. I’m going to do the roll call for our fallen heroes.

In the background here, this is the north wall of the north tower.

When our first plane hit, it flew right over us.

And the ironworkers were in there, everything’s still smouldering, it’s still burning. Never thought we’d be doing it, rebuilding New York like that especially the tallest

building in the western hemisphere. This building was me.

My father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, all iron work.

This is my father’s hat and I feel comfortable with it.



It opens many doors and many opportunities for me to go where I please basically.

It’s an honor.

You got be brave – either brave or crazy – or both I don’t know.

We’re Mohawks, man, we’re world-renowned right?



Mohawk Ironworkers Skywalkers

Many Mohawks are known as ‘skywalkers.’ They work far above the ground, building things. Some say that the first Mohawk ironworkers started in 1886, when they worked on a bridge over the St. Lawrence River. Management noticed that they moved quickly and easily on the steel beams high up in the air. It’s like they had no fears. In 2016, that’s about six generations of skywalkers.

One skywalker said he had fear; but he overcame that fear with courage, balance, being careful, and lots of training.

Since then, the skywalkers have worked on many other tall buildings. Perhaps the most well-known building is the World Trade Centre (WTC).

On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the twin towers of the WTC. Many people lost their lives or were badly hurt. Others were buried in the wreck, perhaps alive. This day became known as 9/11.

Mohawk ironworkers who had worked on the WTC were among the first to come to help. In the words of one ironworker, “We had lives to save, a job to do.” The ironworkers felt that their skill helped build the WTC, their skill would help clear away the ruins safely to find any people trapped in the debris.

The Mohawk Ironworkers help in saving lives came at a cost. Some skywalkers became ill; others lost their own lives through illnesses that came from breathing in the deadly fumes around the WTC wreckage.

The United States of America (USA) mint honoured the Mohawk Ironworkers by coming out $1 silver coin in 2015.



The Ironworkers were asked to look at early designs of the coin, and suggest changes. One Ironworker said, “We presented our side. It looks like they listened.”

In 2016, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) aired a 13-part half- hour documentary series on the Mohawk Ironworkers. There is even an episode “Women of Steel.” One of the Ironworkers production team invented a single player computer game Rivet Rampage. It puts the player in the role of a Mohawk Ironworker building the Empire State Building in New York or the Mercier Bridge in Quebec.

1. Circle the numbers and words that appear in the text.

one 11

five – learners might circle this # - it appears in 2015 13 eight 2001

2. How many years has it been since the 9/11 event? Show how you got your

answer. 2017 – 2001 = 16

3. The United States dollars and the Canadian dollar are not worth the same amount. Their value changes every day. On September 17, 2016, the United States dollar was worth $1.32 in Canadian money. If a person had 2 United States dollars, how much is that worth in Canadian money? Show how you got your answer.

1.32 x 2 = 2.64 4. Hundreds of people travelled from Canada to the United States to be Ironworkers.

The pay was good, but the cost of living was high. A driver has to pay $25 at the toll bridge on his way to work – and the same amount on the way home. It cost $35 to park his truck. How much does this person pay each day for toll bridges and parking? Show how you got your answer.

$25 + $25 + $35 = $135 5. What is the total for a week (5 days)? Show how you got your answer? $135 x 5 = $675



Section 5 - Youth walk of Hope



Youth Walk of Hope

The 13 young people who did the Youth Walk of Hope left Cochrane on June 7th, 2016. They got to Niagara Falls in time to speak at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Youth Summit on July 10. They walked over 950 kilometres.

The youth did the Walk of Hope to let people know about the suicides (people ending their lives themselves) in the northern communities. It was very hard on some of the



walkers. One became weak because she was not drinking enough water.

She kept going, but was careful to walk only half the time each day. Another had lost two family members to suicide. There was a suicide in another’s community the morning the group started out – and someone else tried to commit suicide the night before.

Many people helped with the Walk of Hope. The Mushkegowuk Council gave the most help in money and moral support. Other people gave financial support as well. The walkers needed money to cover the cost for themselves, as well as the people who took care of them. This included meals, supplies, hotels and car rental. The walkers needed proper shoes, safety wear etc. At one stop along the way (Fergus), someone bought ice cream for the walkers.

One walker said to the 200+ people at the AFN meeting, “I want to give you the message we bring of hope. Suicide is ugly and it’s hard. The system failed us. I don’t even know what to say, because everything has been said already. We showed our action through this walk. We need to see commitment. What is the hope? We need to figure it out together. “ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The youth said they did the walk for other reasons as well: a. the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and the Reconciliation

Movement in our country; b. the Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls; c. the Mushkegowuk Inquiry on Suicides, and, d. the death of 7 youth in Thunder Bay.



1. If a number in the left hand column appears in the story, draw a line from it to its matching word on the right. Circle the number in the story.

2. If a number does not appear in the story, do not draw a line. 950 Twelve 590 one-half

10 nine hundred fifty 100 one hundred 7 two hundred 13 Thirteen

12 five hundred ninety 200 seven

½ ten

3. Circle the word that says where the youth started.

Fergus Niagara Falls Cochrane

4. What happened to the person who did not drink enough water?

She became weak.

5. What did she do so as not quit the walk? She was careful to walk only half the time each day.

6. List three ways that people helped. The Mushkegowuk Council gave money to cover costs for the walkers and helpers.

Somebody bought ice cream for the walkers.

Others gave financial support.

7. Write a short paragraph (3 – 4) sentences about a youth that you know who is inspiring hope in others.

_Answers will vary.



Section 6 - Walking With Our Sisters



Find the Differences

You may have seen people wearing a t-shirt, or a hoodie like the ones in the picture below.

The design was done by Maria Morrison, an Anishnawbe Kwe, who is a member of the Big Grassy First Nation. Maria used to work at the Ningwakwe Learning Press. She now lives in Winnipeg and has kindly agreed to let the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition use her artwork.

On page 3, you will see two images of the design. The

image on the left is exactly as Maria drew it.



The image on the right has had six (6) changes made to it.

Circle the six changes.

Write a sentence to describe each change. You may describe the changes in any order you like.

1. the left hand side of the feather has white dots on it

2. the blue flower on her right shoulder has a white spot on it

3. just below the flowers on the right side, there are several white marks

4. _the fringe below the flowers on the right side has lines through it

5. the left sleeve has lines where the circles are supposed to be

6. _there is a large white spot on her right high-top moccasin



Go to your computer. Turn on the browser. Put the link below into the browser.


Find three things on the website that interest you and list them here.

1. _Answers will vary

2.

3.




ONLC Feedback

If you preference to provide feedback, please fill out the next six (6) pages and mail them to:

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition P.O. Box 550 16 Sunrise Court, Suite 407 Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0



Section 1 – Water Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply

1. The material did not require prior knowledge.

2. The material was relevant to the students’ lives.

3. The instructions were easy to follow.

4. The material inspired further learning.

5. This section gave helpful information about the students’ level.

6. Information about students # of students who tried this assessment Male Female

Approximate ages



Section 2 – Saving on Laundry Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply







Approximate ages



Section 3 – Sample Hydro Bill Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply







Approximate ages



Section 4 – Mohawk Ironworkers Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply







Approximate ages



Section 5 – Youth/Hope Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply







Approximate ages



Section 6 – Walking With Our Sisters (WWOS) Please check the competencies, task groups and levels that apply







Approximate ages

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition Indigenized Assessment Tool · • having an informal chat with...

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Transcript of Ontario Native Literacy Coalition Indigenized Assessment Tool · • having an informal chat with...