7 Sacred Teachings

Image from Winnipeg School Division

Our school is involved in a project to teach students about the 7 Sacred Teachings basic to many North American First Nations' cultures. Karen Whetung-Bermeo, of the Ojibwa Nation, has been visiting our classrooms to tell stories and facilitate activities around each of the 7 Sacred Teachings: Respect, Honesty, Courage, Wisdom, Humility, Truth and Love.  I have found it difficult to find a lot of age appropriate resources to follow up on these lessons in our classrooms.  I did find two excellent resources, though.  If you know of others, please comment below.

Seven Gifts for Cedar by Cherie Dimaline available from Ningwakwe Learning Press (or our library).

Image Link

The Vision Seeker by James Whetung

The Delta is My Home

McLeod, T. & Willett, M. (2008). The Delta is My Home. Calgary, Alberta: Fitzhenry and Whiteside Co.
(Photographed by Tessa Macintosh)

This book is a collaborative effort by a grade 6 student (Tom Mcleod) and his teacher. Tom lives in Aklavik, Northwest Territories where he spends a lot of time on the land hunting and fishing with his family. The Delta is My Home tells about Tom's family and their life in Aklavik - his school, hunting trips, interviews with CBC radio, his Mom's wonderful bannock, and a big flood. Tom's father is a Renewable Resource Officer and Tom adds facts about wildlife behaviour and preservation to his stories.  Tom's stories are in one font while his teacher's comments are in another font. Through beautiful colour photographs of the landscape, wildlife and everyday life on each page and Tom's personal stories enhanced with added information from his teacher, this book really gives a sense of Tom's life in the north.

Intermediate, Teacher resource