monday february 2 , 2015 · monday february 2nd, 2015 ped3138 section a first nations, inuit and...
TRANSCRIPT
Monday February 2nd, 2015PED3138 Section A First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education: Historical Experiences and Contemporary Perspectives
Learning Goals
● The Morning Dance
● The Sun Dance
● The Potlatch Ceremony
● Shaking Tent
● The Vision Quest
● The Hidden Curriculum – Answering Some of Your Questions
Morning Dance
● Also known as the Wabeno
● Ojibwa of South Ontario, amongst many groups of people, perform it every spring
● Dance pays homage to the “tree of the universe”
● All people fast and cleanse beforehand
● Male elder plays drum and leads the dance in a clearing around the selected tree
● Everyone touches the trunk of the tree to give thanks
● Takes place from dawn to noon
● Big feast of meat and fish is served at midday
Sun Dance
● Very important to the Great Plains Nations
● Spans over 8-16 days in early summer
● Banned by the Canadian government in late 1880s
● Circle is an important symbol; sun = giver of life
● People dance around a central cottonwood pole (symbolic of the tree of the universe)
● Some dancers embed sharp wooden hooks deep into their chest then connect the skewers to leather thongs that trail from the pole – pull back thongs to tear flesh = tethering
Sun Dance Continued
● Scars bear witness to faith
● This ritual is a sacrifice to the Creator
● Be enduring pain, people historically have hoped to avoid famine, war, disease, etc
● Celebrate renewal, reconnection with all creation
● Piercing dance is once again being practiced today
● You can ask Roy about his experiences
Potlatch Ceremony
● Banned by the Canadian government in 1884 because it was “backwards and wasteful”
● Practiced especially by Northwest Pacific Coast Nations
● Feasting, distributing wealth, sharing songs and dance
● Host gives feast to celebrate an important event (for example a marriage)
● Ban lifted in 1951 and ritual is still practiced today
Shaking Tent
● Represents beliefs and values about supernatural world and its close relationship to the living
● This ritual always takes place at night
● Used by Aboriginal groups form the Subarctic to the Great Lakes
● Communicate with spirits through shaking tent
Shaking Tent Continued
● 4-8 poles in the ground form a circle about 1m in diameter
● Wooden hoop at top and bottom, cylindrical shape wrapped in birch bark/hide, open to the sky so spirits can enter
● People who request ceremony make trade with shaman who intercedes with spirits, asking for lost objects, missing people, communicate with ancestor, predict outcome of events, etc
Vision Quest
● Rite of passage to adulthood
● Seeker first purified (confession)/desire to atone, usually in a sweat lodge
● Youth is “put up on the hill” where he/she fasts, prays, and endures the elements for a few days awaiting a vision
● Shaman helps to interpret vision/message
● If unsuccessful, person would have to try again
What You Want To Know
● Classroom Management
● Report Cards
● Bullying
● LGBTQ
● Resources
● How to involve a disengaged student
● How to make a rubric
Coming Up
● Next week – Guest Speaker Roy Barnes - People’s Sacred Pipe Carrier, Inipi (Sweat Lodge) Leader, Sundance Keeper and Chief of the Unity Sundance in Richmond, Ontario
● February 16th – No class (Family Day)
● February 23rd – Oral Presentations (35%)