Name: Jessica Naziel(Witsuwit’en) Artifact/Place/ Skill: The importance of water including Indigenous perspective and teachings of water.
Hadïh! Si sozï Jessica Naziel. I am Witsuwit’en and I from Witset, BC (formerly known as Moricetown). This curriculum bundle will be discussing the importance of water including Indigenous perspective and teachings of water.
Making Space
How might teachers prepare their students to work with this content? What background knowledge might be required?
How might teachers prepare their students to work with this content? What background knowledge might be required?
Educators should understand how deeply entwined the importance of water is we even see some nation names relate to water or topography.
For instance, some nation names that relate to water:
“Witsuwit’en” refers to “people of the drainage.”
“Gitxsan” refers to “people of the river mist.”
Tsimshian refers to “inside the skeena river.”
Historical importance of water for Indigenous people (place names or hydronyms and their historical ties) – many teachings discuss the relationships between people and water
Sacredness of water as life-giving
Interrelatedness in everything we do
Asking students to consider how they use water? Access to water?
Practice Humility
How might non-Indigenous teachers sensitively work with this subject? What might they need to consider in their own positionality?
Not all Indigenous communities have access to safe drinking water within Canada.
Educators need to consider their access to water.
Issues that surround not having clean water.
Loss of traditional ways of knowing that come from loss of clean water
Water is a valuable and vital resource and also a part of Canada’s economy.
Educators should consider why Indigenous people have lost access to water.
How would lack of access to water affect a community- spiritually, economically, physically
It’s important to understand how water is seen within Indigenous perspectives and worldviews:
Water Song
Creation stories regarding how we got rivers, lakes and oceans
Story about place names. For example: Tasdliz Bin “Hot boiling Lake” also known as Lake Kathlyn in Smithers, BC.
Water as needed for ceremony
Everyday needs
Traditional ways of transportation: canoeing
Acknowledge Sources
What can teachers do to find good supporting resources? How should they be cited, especially when it comes to Indigenous knowledges?
What can teachers do to find good supporting resources? How should they be cited, especially when it comes to Indigenous Knowledge?
It is important to acknowledge Indigenous people by their nations. When citing resources, it is important to consider asking an elder first. Always cite and an Indigenous Elder and Knowledge keeper as part of the reference.
It’s important to acknowledge the territory that you are on, Lake Kathlyn resides on Gidimt’en (Bear and Wolf clan) territory. Originally, it’s best to have someone from that clan and house to specifically welcome you onto that territory.
Booklets:
Book can be bought at the Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum for $5 in Witset, BC – seasonal, opened during the summer or you can purchase it directly from School District#54, send an email to Terri.brain@sd54.bc.ca or pick up at their office located at: 3603 – 3rd ave. Smithers, BC V0J-2N0.
Contacting Local First Nation – educators can use https://native-land.ca/ to find local nations.
BC Curriculum Connections
How does it relate to BC Curriculum?
Click on the subject area below to expand the section.
You can discuss water as a unique resource (freshwater, saltwater, lakes, rivers, oceans, glaciers, aquifers).
The Hydrologic cycle (precipitation, evaporation).
Climate change – Acid rain as a result from sulphuric or nitric acid. Carbonic acid found in lakes and oceans as a result from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolving in the water.
Curricular Competencies:
Questioning and predicting
Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal, local, or global interest
Make observations aimed at identifying their own questions, including increasingly abstract ones, about the natural world
Processing and analyzing data and information
Experience and interpret the local environment
Apply First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information
Seek and analyze patterns, trends, and connections in data, including describing relationships between variables, performing calculations, and identifying inconsistencies
Concepts & Content:
Changes in the composition of the atmosphere due to natural and human causes
Evidence of climate change
First Peoples knowledge of climate change and interconnectedness as related to environmental systems water as a unique resource
First Peoples knowledge and perspectives of water resources and processes
Properties of the ocean and the ocean floor
Local and global ocean currents
Influences of large bodies of water on local and global climates
The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others and the world
Oral and other texts are socially, geographically, and historically constructed
First Peoples texts and stories provide insight into key aspects of Canada’s past, present and future.
Curricular Competencies:
Analyze how First Peoples languages and texts reflect their cultures, knowledge, histories and worldviews
Demonstrate understanding of the role of story and oral traditions in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values and points of view.
Analyze the influence of land/place in First Peoples texts
Concepts & Content:
A wide variety of BC, and global First Peoples texts
First peoples oral traditions
The relationship between oral tradition and land/place
Protocols:
Acknowledgment of territory
Protocols related to ownership and use of First Peoples oral texts
Texts features and structures:
Narrative structures, including those found in First Peoples texts
Strategies and processes:
Oral language strategies
Content:
natural resource use and local, regional, national, or global development (adapted from Human Geography 12)
fundamental nature of knowledge, existence, and reality (adapted from Philosophy 12)
sacred texts, traditions, and narratives of cultures (from Comparative World Religions 12)
Kindergarten:
Through stories of water we address the language art curricular concept of Explore oral storytelling processes
Grade 1 Science:
Recognize First Peoples stories (including oral and written narratives), songs, and art, as ways to share knowledge
Grade 2 Science:
Recognize First Peoples stories (including oral and written narratives), songs, and art, as ways to share knowledge
Grade 3 Science:
Recognize First Peoples stories (including oral and written narratives), songs, and art, as ways to share knowledge
Grade 4 science:
Energy can be transformed
Grade 5 Science:
First Peoples concepts of interconnectedness in the environment. The nature of sustainable practices around BC’s resources. First peoples knowledge of sustainable resources.
First Peoples’ Principles of Learning
Which First Peoples’ Principles of Learning apply?
Learning is embedded in memory, history and story.
This principle connects with the topic of Barkerville’s Indigenous Celebrations because Barkerville is based on history and stories. Although it took some time and patience, Indigenous people are now rightfully added to this history and are being acknowledged for their contribution and sufferings.
Inviting Community
What is one way that teachers could work with community members for this project?
Discussing Lake Kathlyn and its place name.
Birdy Markert, Aboriginal District Principal of SD#54
Work: (250) 847-5517
Email: Birdy.Markert@sd54.bc.ca
