Revision as of 19:39, 25 November 2020

Unskat: What is it?

Nation name: Unskat (means One)

History

The Tionantati had occupied the land of Unskat for as long as their people could remember, generations after generations had worshipped the land for the abundant resources and space it provided their people. Always thankful for the lives they were able to freely live because of these resources, the Tionantati people were careful not to disrupt the balance with greed; they only hunted as much as was necessary to feed their people, not wasting a single pound of flesh or bone; they only picked as many herbs, fruits, and vegetables as necessary while making sure to replant and cultivate their own supply as well; and did not extend their occupied land beyond what was necessary for the function of their people. While there doesn't remain much written record of their history, there remains evidence to suggest that the Tionantati were numbering in the upper-hundreds as early as the mid-1400s based on the French-European calendar system. Elders within the tribe would always pass down stories, lessons, and traditions to the next generations by word of mouth and storytelling; within these transferred knowledges persisted a single idea: "We are no greater than the land or animals we consume to live". And for a long, long time, this concept was the foundation of the rules governing the otherwise free and communal Tionantati.

As time passed, the population grew and the Tionantati needed to extend the land they occupied to be able to provide food and shelter to the growing population. By the late-1500s the Tionantati numbered around 5000, and though the primordial idea of their people never ceased to be passed down, subsequent generations came to feel cramped within the confines of the village. The new generations of Tionantati wanted to explore the land further, believing that the world around them was vast, the understanding for moderation began to wain leading to the extension of the tribe in more regions throughout Unskat.

Not too long after, during the early-1600s, Unskat was discovered by French traders and settlers who's mission was to find new habitable lands for their own people as well as attain furs and resources that could be brought back to increase the wealth of the French. As they travelled more inland, the French soon discovered the villages of the Tionantati; hesitant to approach the tribesmen at first due to concerns of being attacked, they remained in the vicinity and watched the people. The French observed how adept they were at cultivating the land, tracking and hunting. The Tionantati were quite accustomed to the land and had a solid grasp of how to track various animals so were aware of the presence of the French before the Frenchmen even knew it; though due to being unaccustomed to the presence of other people that were not of their tribe, the Tionantati decided to not take any rash actions and observe the French in secret. After some time, the Tionantati didn't see the French as being a threat and approached them to show the hospitality of Unskat and the Tionantati (though it is uncertain how true, it is passed down in some stories that it was the newer generation of the Tionantati whom approached the French out of curiosity about their origins). Despite being hesitant to accept the invitation, the French, whom had started to go hungry due to lack of supplies and success in hunting, reluctantly agreed and so kept their guards up bringing along small pistols and swords. Having watched the Frenchmen for some time, the Tionantati were not too worried about

In exchange, the settlers would give them weapons

For those settlers who stayed back after the fur trade, in order to stay with the community, they had to learn/adopt their ways of life and contribute to the community in an active manner

Coexistence ensued, ppl in France heard about this new nation that was forming and then some decided to come and learn too

Present Day

Language

French and Indigenous Languages mix (Vittoria & Amanda & Dilpreet)

In the wikimedia page, combine certain Indigenous & French words together and use them from time to time within the writing

Links to those words

- not a new language, a developed hybridization of Huron

Some words can stay Indigenous bc it is still the main language

French didn’t overrun the area

Culture

Days Devoted to Traditional Events

Specific day for traditional stuff (Vittoria)

-To keep Indigenous beliefs/traditions alive

-Cultural songs, dances, stories, celebrations

-“Holidays”

--“Confederation” when the french and huron officially united as one and became Unskat Day (Le Jour d’Unskat)

Fashion

Fashion (Dilpreet)

How do they dress at school?

Uniforms

How the french influenced that

School System

Structure

The school system in Unskat is a simple one, heavily based on the Tionantati Knowledge system. Students are sorted by the number of years they have been in school, however, if they demonstrate a higher understanding, they are able to advance to a higher year level. Students attend school until reaching the age of 16.

Students learn different subjects, such as Health, Math, Science, and more, in intertwined ways, allowing them to see the connections between each domain. This also enables students to understand how this knowledge applies to their everyday lives as they are able to explore their nations culture and way of living. There is also Tionantati spirituality interwoven into the curriculum through the histories and stories that are passed down to students.

(Amanda)

Dates & Times

When is school? (Vittoria)

Less days

Change it from Monday to Friday to something different

Names of the days of the week & months & times of the year

School in the summer and the winter off or vice versa

Not in the fall bc harvest

Curriculum & Education Pedagogy

Language Classes

“French class” would be learning both languages (Vittoria, Amanda & Dilpreet) French less important than Indigenous

French only at one time of the day like now

French class” would be learning both languages

French less important than Indigenous

French only at one time of the day like now

Extra Language Classes for Learning French

Extra language classes (Dilpreet)

Extra classes on certain days of the week Both Indigenous and the descendants of French settlers attend the same schools and are taught under the Indigenous-dominated curriculum, where the focus is on the teaching of Huron culture, language, and the traditions of communities. Despite the focus on developing Huron communication, literary, and language skills in the mainstream school curriculum whilst focusing on Indigenous pedagogy, parents have the choice of enrolling their children into extra French language classes either after-school in community centers or during the weekend on Saturday mornings. Many parents choose this option in order to strengthen their child’s relationship and connection with their French heritage and history, as a way to help develop their bilingual skills, or in order for them to communicate easily with members of the French community who had a hard time learning Huron and/or communicating in it.

Celebrating Culture at School

How culture is celebrated at school (Dilpreet)

Diversity and inclusion & celebrating that

How they incorporate both

Health, Nutrition, Outdoor Education, & Spirituality

What would education look like in terms of learning about health, nutrition and outdoor education? (Christine)

Students learn about healthy eating in Indigenous culture and traditional foods which include eating wild game, meats and seafood such as caribou, deer. moose, ptarmigan, quail duck, wild turkey, pheasant, beaver, muskrat, black bear, trout, salmon, pickerel, perch, bass, and smelt. Grains include barley, bannock, oatmeal, and wild rice. Fruits and vegetables include blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, corn, squash, and potatoes. Traditional recipes include Moose and Elk, Moose Meatloaf, Elegant Elk Stew, Easy Venison Chili recipe, Boiled Deer Tongue, and Beaver Stew (see below).

Easy Venison Chili Recipe

• 1 pound ground venison

• 2 cans of kidney beans (16 oz)

• 1 can tomato juice (1 qt 14 oz)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3 drops of Tabasco sauce

• 1 small onion (diced)

• 2 sticks of celery (diced)

• 2 Tbsp chili powder

• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

Brown meat and onion. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Boiled Deer Tongue

• 1 deer tongue

• 1 tbs. salt

• 4 peppers, whole

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 cloves, whole

Wash deer tongue well then cover with water in pot. Add spices and salt and simmer covered until tender. Remove from water and peel off outer layer before serving.

Beaver Stew

• 1 beaver (8-10 lbs.)

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 med. onions

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• Celery leaves - optional

• 4 carrots diced

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 2tsp thyme

• Flour

• Salt and pepper

Remove all fat from beaver. Cut beaver the same way as you would a rabbit. Soak overnight in saltwater. Marinate in buttermilk. Parboil until about half-cooked in water with the bay leaf, onions, garlic, celery and seasonings. Drain, roll in flour and brown in bacon fat, season with salt and pepper. Bake in covered pan in a moderate oven until tender. Gravy may be made from the drippings.

https://www.nwac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2012-Diabetes-Traditional-Foods-and-Recipes.pdf

Outdoor Education and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Students learn about ecosystem conservation, how to identify wild life such as animals, insects, wild berries, wild foods and edible plants. Students learn which plants are safe to eat, which berries edible versus poisonous, the health benefits of medicinal plants and the spiritual uses of these plants. Students learn that there are 500 species of wild plants which provide food for Aboriginal peoples, such as root and green vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, mushrooms and wild chives, and specifics of some of these plants.

http://www.hscdsb.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/plantfoods_indigenous.pdf

Tobacco

Students learn about sacred plants such as tobacco and how it is used medicinally and spiritually. Students also learn about tobacco misuse and how to prevent it.

https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/tobacco-aboriginal-people

Math, Geography, Science, & Storytelling

In addition to learning language, health, & nutrition, students also learn math, geography, and science in intertwined lessons that teach students basic skills. This allows students to relate what they learn to their everyday lives, as in life, nothing is ever truly separate and isolated.

Blanket Making

One way that students are able to learn math, geography, and science is through blanket making. This occurs in year 3. These lessons incorporate math through the addition, subtraction, and division involved in the creating process. The geography and science come into play in terms of the design and colour of the blankets. This lesson enables students to learn an important skill while fully appreciating and understanding how these domains are intertwined in their daily lives.

Math Catcher

In year 4, students learn math through storytelling. In these activities, the teacher will tell a traditional story to students that has mental math problems throughout. Students will then share their answers with their teachers to see if their answers were correct. These types of activities allow students to gain knowledge on their nation's traditional stories while also allowing them to work on their mental math skills with problems that are relevant to their lives.

(Amanda)

-- https://vimeo.com/45859201 http://mathcatcher.irmacs.sfu.ca/stories

Biology, Astronomy, & Farming

Science & astronomy (Dilpreet)

Story of the Bean & crop growing

Technology & Community Education

In schools, technology is not widely used. There is more focus on outdoor education than on use of technology in the classroom. There is also more emphasis on hands-on learning, discussions, and use of oral traditions to teach and learn.

In terms of research, students are able to use computers and the internet, but most of the assignments that students complete rely on their knowledge of their natural environment that they interact with on a daily basis. Computers are available through importing and exporting, however this is done on a very small scale.

For example, students, at the age of 10, must complete a community assignment where they have to go into their communities to observe, explore, and then critically assess and analyze their communities, and how things work together to make their society work.

(Amanda, Dilpreet, Chris)

Important Links

Dialectal Dictionary

References

Huron Words http://www.native-languages.org/wyandot_words.htm

Group Members

• Christopher Jean
• Dilpreet Jass
• Vittoria Pileggi
• Amanda Guerrieri
• Christine Salib