Aboriginal Family Literacy Circle January 2016 Newsletter

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Subject: Aboriginal Family Literacy Circle January 2016 Newsletter

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Come Walk in My Moccasins Newsletter
January 2016

In this issue:

Children's Books: ABC Book, Story of Rabbit Dance,
Secret of the Dance
Change Maker: Chief Earl Hill
Traditional Arts: Beading
Musician: Buffy Sainte-Marie

Teaching: The People
Indigenous Fusion Recipe: Roasted Turkey

Did you know?

The Mohawks invented hockey!

The Jesuit priests wrote in their journals hundreds of years ago about how the Native people were playing with a stick and a piece of frozen ice embedded with mud and stones. When one of the players was struck by this ancient puck they would yell out “Aukie!” meaning, ouch. So the Jesuit wrote that the Native people were playing “Aukie” - and over the years the name of the game was called hockey!

Featured Books

Ningwakwe’s ABC Book

For infants

In this book by Doug Maracle, vibrant watercolour illustrations create a stimulating introduction to the alphabet. Aboriginal cultural objects, teachings, people and activities make this a joy to read for all ages.

The Story of Rabbit Dance

For preschoolers

The Story of the Rabbit Dance is a picture book about the origin of the Métis dance known as the rabbit dance. In this book, Jeanne Pelletier tells about a Michif hunter by the name of Jacques. One night when returning from checking his traps, Jacques sees dogs and rabbits dancing together. Jacques then joins a Métis dance gathering and teaches his companions the new rabbit dance.

The text for the story is presented in both English and Michif-Cree, with the Michif-Cree translation provided by Rita Flamand. The book features an accompanying CD recording of the story in both languages. The CD also contains three fiddle music recordings.

Secret of the Dance

For school-age children

"Many years ago, when the world and I were younger, my family defied the government."

A boy will never forget witnessing a forbidden Potlatch.
In 1935, a nine-year-old boy's family held a forbidden Potlatch in faraway Kingcome Inlet. Watl'kina slipped from his bed to bear witness. In the Big House masked figures danced by firelight to the beat of the drum. And there, he saw a figure he knew. Aboriginal elder Alfred Scow and award-winning author Andrea Spalding collaborate to tell the story, to tell the secret of the dance.

Change Maker

Chief Earl Hill

Chief Earl Hill, Wolf Clan, worked tirelessly on behalf of the community to advance education, culture and Mohawk language.

Mohawks Bay of Quinte Chief, R. Donald Maracle, shares the story of Chief Earl Hill in this 4 minute video.

Traditional Arts

Learn about the traditional art of beading with Anishinaabekweg artists, Charlotte Amand and her daughter Deb in this 4 minute video.

Watch this video with school-age children to talk about Indigenous art and to inspire children's creativity.

Indigenous Musician

Buffy Sainte-Marie is a very talented artist. She writes and records songs, is a visual artist and is an early adopter of various forms of technology for recording and creating visual art pieces. Throughout her career she has focused on the issues of Indigenous Peoples as well as love, war, religion and mysticism. During the late 1970’s Buffy made many appearances on the children’s TV show, Sesame Street.

As well, Buffy Sainte-Marie started Nihewan Foundation for American Indian Education in 1969 and founded the Cradleboard Teaching Project in 1996.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is a respected speaker and teacher. She has received many awards during her lifetime including the Order of Canada. (Read more)

Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen Teachings

The People

In most versions of the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen, the “words before all else” or the “thanksgiving address”, the People are the first to be acknowledged.

The People are acknowledged so that we may continue to have peace in this world, as was the intention of the Peacemaker when he brought the Kayenera’ko:wa, the Great Law to the people. He taught that it was the will of the Creator that the warring Five Nations be united and that all terrible acts of evil should cease.

There are many ways in which “people” are acknowledged in the worldview of the Rotinonhsyón:ni (more commonly referred to as Haudenosaunee or the Iroquois Confederacy). In the Creation Story, People were created in likenesses of red, yellow, black and white, each to enjoy that which had been created for them. People were reminded to be grateful to and uphold their responsibilities to every element in the natural world.

New Words