World 5
Contents
Unskat: What is it?
Country name: Unskat (means One)
History
History (Chris)
Tionantati people lived there
French Settlers came to Huron area of Canada in early 1600s for the fur trade
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
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
Would there be a school system? (Amanda)
-The french-influenced in structure in some ways, but content is heavily based on IK systems
-Story of the Bean
--Why it’s important to incorporate IK systems into the school system
-what age does school go until?
-elementary, middle, and high school?
-how does religion come into this?
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
Math, Geography, & Science
(Amanda)
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
For example, students learn blanket making. 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 Catchers
Students also learn traditional Huron stories through creating and using Math Catchers. This is a creative take on Dream Catchers as it allows students to explore math and science through
--
Biology, Astronomy, & Farming
Science & astronomy (Dilpreet)
Story of the Bean & crop growing
Technology
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
References
Huron Words http://www.native-languages.org/wyandot_words.htm
Group Members
- Christopher Jean
- Dilpreet Jass
- Vittoria Pileggi
- Amanda Guerrieri
- Christine Salib
