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Treaty Education Resources

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Grade 4 – Table of contents

  • Teaching Notes and Approaches
  • Note to Readers
  • Lesson A – Different Worldviews
    Ta’n tel-pilu’-nmitoq wen wskwitqamu
    Piluwamsultuwakonol
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – How Eeling Is Part of Kmimajuagnminal – All Living Things Are Related – Psonakutomuwakon
    • Activity 2 – Kmimajuagnminal – All Living Things Are Related – Psonakutomuwakon
    • Activity 3 – Creating a Calendar Collage
    • References
  • Lesson B – How Environment Influences Life
    Msɨt ta’n koqowey etek wskwitqamuk na teluaq ta’n tl-mimajultiten
    Tan wetawsultiyeq elapetomeq naka eli ‘sossenomeq wiciw okamonuhkewiyik
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – What’s That: “habitat”?
    • Activity 2 – Tihtiyas and Jean
    • Activity 3 – Cycles of Life
    • References
  • Lesson C – How life changed with the arrival of Europeans
    Ta’n mimajuaqn tel-sa’se’wa’sikek ta’n tujiw pejita’titek aqalasie’wk
    Tan Pomawsuwakon ksi-acehrasik tuciw petapasihtit okamonuhkewiyik
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – A Hunter’s Story – Serving and Providing for Family And/Or Community
    • Activity 2 – The Difficulties in Trading
    • Activity 3 – Exchanging Ideas about Survival
    • References
  • Lesson D – Our Stories Have Meaning
    A’tukwaqn
    Ktatkuhkakonon wolokimqotol
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Klu’skap / Kelowuskap and His People
    • Activity 2 – Klu’skap / Kelowuskap and His People: What Does It Mean?
    • Activity 3 – Making Shadow Puppets
    • References
  • Lesson E – Homeland and the Wabanaki Confederacy
    Kmitkinu aqq Wabanaki Confederacy
    Waponahkewi Mawuhkahticik
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Mapping First Nation Communities
    • Activity 2 – Researching Place Names
    • Activity 3 – Making a Charter for the Wabanaki Confederacy
    • References
  • Lesson F – Challenges associated with treaty-making
    Wejiknemkewe’l
    Sikeyuwol ahcuwi assihkomeq
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Examining Historic Text and Photos
    • Activity 2 – Thinking about Trade Economies
    • Activity 3 – What Do You Need: A Survey
    • References
  • Lesson G – What was promised in the Treaties
    Ta’n Koqowey Elwi’tmasimkɨpp Akukumkeweyiktuk
    Keq kisi spi-wolamuhusimok
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Agreement at Menaguashe – Fair or Not Fair?
    • Activity 2 – Word Scramble
    • References
  • Lesson H – Leaders and Treaties
    Ikanpukultijik aqq Ankukumkewe’l
    Kci-skicinuwok naka Lakutuwakonol
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Make a Chain of Treaties Timeline
    • Activity 2 – What Is in a Speech?
    • Activity 3 – Create a Class Collage about Treaties
    • References
  • Lesson I – Sovereignty
    Mawi-espi-mlkiknamk
    Tpelomosuwakon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – An Interview with an Elder or a Well-respected Person
    • Activity 2 – What’s in a Poster?
    • Activity 3 – Making a Declaration
    • References
  • Resources
  • Interactive Activities
You are here: Home / Teaching Notes and Approaches

Teaching Notes and Approaches

Welcome to this curriculum resource on Treaty Education.

This unit is part of a Treaty Education resource for Grades 3 – 6 sponsored by the Three Nations Education Group Inc. (TNEGI) and the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. It provides opportunities for students, their teachers and the public to explore the following issues:

  • A shared history that includes culture, traditions, and beliefs
  • The contributions that Indigenous peoples of New Brunswick have made to contemporary society
  • The Peace and Friendship Treaties that serve as the foundation of present-day inter-relationships among Indigenous people, New Brunswick and Canada
  • An Educational Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action

This teaching resource has been created so that young people throughout New Brunswick can better understand the treaties that were agreed to by the Indigenous people of New Brunswick and the British Crown. These treaties are called Peace and Friendship Treaties and were signed in the 18th century. Representatives of the British Crown and the Waponahkiyik (Wabanaki) Nations — the Wolastoqewiyik, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki — signed the treaties. The intent of the representatives who signed them was to maintain peace and friendship between the English and Indigenous parties and allow both to maintain their ways of life. Unlike in other treaties signed in Canada, there was no mention, much less surrender of land in any of the Peace and Friendship Treaties. They were renewed and ratified during times of British conflict with the French — Indigenous people had supported the French during their wars with the British — to secure Indigenous neutrality. Treaties were also renewed at the end of wars that the Waponahkiyik fought to prevent the theft of their land. The Peace and Friendship Treaties have endured over the centuries and remain relevant today.

With the benefit of advice from Elders on language, stories, research, selections from previously printed material and photographs, we present content and teaching strategies organised according to three overarching themes:

  • Mi’kmaw, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqey culture and beliefs — Ta’n Teli-wlo’ltimk aqq ta’n Kɨpnno’l Ta’n Teleyuksi’kw – Identity – Tan Wetapeksi
  • Past history and how it affects the present — Tan Tel-mimajultimk, Mawo’ltimk aqq Kipnno’lewey – Economic, Social and Political Life – Wetawsultiyeqpon, Mawehewakon naka Litposuwakon
  • Contemporary issues and taking positive action — Kiskuk Ta’n Teliaq – Contemporary Issues – Tokec Weskuwitasikil Eleyik.

In this curriculum resource, we have used the Mi’kmaw (Francis-Smith writing system) and Wolastoqey (formerly Maliseet; Robert M. Leavitt writing system) languages wherever possible. We have also used Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqey terms alongside English terms. This is, in part, an effort to encourage all young people to try to learn these languages. In each case, Mi’kmaw (blue) is above or before the English term and Wolastoqey Latuwewakon (red) is below or after it.

The content and strategies are presented in nine lesson plans. There are three lesson plans for each of the themes. Each lesson plan includes:

  • Global competencies and Curriculum outcomes matched to appropriate disciplines
  • Background notes for the teacher
  • Materials to complement the assigned textbook
  • A historical quote from or about Indigenous people of the Maritimes
  • A range of activities based on the needs of the classroom (like keeping a logbook)
  • Vocabulary in Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqey Latuwewakon
  • Additional online resources

It is not necessary that you complete all these activities. Depending on the makeup of your class — Indigenous, non-Indigenous, a blend of both or multicultural — you may select whatever is appropriate. We have designed the material to resemble Mi’kamawe’l Tan Teli-kinamuemk, the curriculum material designed by the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia, and we have sometimes drawn from this work when creating this curriculum resource. An online copy of this curriculum is available at: www.mikmaweydebert.ca/home/sharing-our-stories/education-and-outreach/school-curriculum. Sharing these resources demonstrates how First Nations’ borders extend beyond present-day provincial borders, just as the Peace and Friendship Treaties do. These treaties serve as the terms of the initial relationship between First Nations and the Federal and Provincial Governments and are discussed throughout the units of study for Grades 3-6.

Summary and Themes of Lessons

Alsumsuti Ujit T’an Teli-l’nuimk
To be Indigenous is to be free
Topelomosu Wen Skicinuwit

Ta’n Wenin
Identity
Tan wen Wetapeksit
Ta’n Tel-mimajultimk, Mawo’ltimk aqq Kɨpnno’lewey
Economic, Social, and Political Life
Wetawsultiyeqpon, Mawehewakon naka Litposuwakon
Kiskuk Ta’n Teliaq
Contemporary Issues
Tokec Weskuwitasikil Eleyik
A Ta’n tel-pilu’-nmitoq wen wskwitqamu
Different worldviews
Piluwamsultuwakonol
D A’tukwagn
Our stories have meaning
Tatkuhkakonol wolokimqotul
G Ta’n koqowey elwi’tmasimkɨpp Akukumkeweyiktuk
What was promised in the Treaties
Keq kisi spi-wolamuhusimok
B Msɨt ta’n koqowey etek wskwitqamuk na teluaq ta’n tl-mimajultiten
How environment influences life
Tan wetawsultiyeq elapetomeq naka eli ‘sossenomeq wiciw okamonuhkewiyik
E Kmitkinu aqq Wabanaki Confederacy
Homeland and the Wabanaki Confederacy
Waponahkewi Mawuhkahticik
H Ikanpukultijik aqq Ankukumkewe’l
Leaders and Treaties
Kci-skicinuwok naka Lakutuwakonol
C Ta’n mimajuaqn tel-sa’se’wa’sikek ta’n tujiw pejita’titek aqalasie’wk
How life changed with the arrival of Europeans
Tan Pomawsuwakon ksi-acehrasik tuciw petapasihtit okamonuhkewiyik
F Wejiknemkewe’l
Challenges associated with treaty-making
Sikeyuwol ahcuwi assihkomeq
I Mawi-espi-mlkiknamk
Sovereignty
Tpelomosuwakon

The nine lesson plans at each grade level represent a total of about four weeks of work if a teacher were to teach the lessons in a social studies setting. Where possible, we have also related the lessons to outcomes in other disciplines so that the class time for this unit could be expedited. The kits of books containing First Nations Lesson Plans K-5, which were introduced in 2015 by the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for use at the Grade 4 level, include both books and lesson plans addressing the Social Studies and Language Arts outcomes. We have incorporated some of these in our lesson plans. This Grade 4 program is part of a continuum addressed in Treaty Education Gr.3-5 contained in the Handbook on Approaches to Teaching about Treaty Education.

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