Native Studies 30: Canadian Studies Program

Native Studies 30: Canadian Studies Program

Aim

The aim of Native Studies is to develop personal awareness and cultural understanding, and to promote the development of positive attitudes in all students towards Indigenous peoples.

Goals

The major goals of the course are to have students:

Appreciate the influence of Aboriginal peoples on the development of Canada.

Understand contemporary issues and their historical basis.

Understand the continuing influence of Indian and Métis philosophy on the relationships between humans and their environment.

Increase knowledge and understanding of Indigenous peoples.

Acquire and apply the skills of critical thinking.

Develop an understanding of their own cultural group and a sensitivity to other cultural groups.

Function effectively within their own and other cultural groups.

Develop a positive self-identity.

Rationale

The development of Native Studies courses fulfils a central recommendation of Directions, the Five Year Action Plan for Native Curriculum Development, (Saskatchewan Education, 1984) and the Indian and Métis Education Policy from Kindergarten to Grade 12, (Saskatchewan Education, 1989).

The policy states:

A major curriculum objective is the development and implementation of programs for and about Indian and Métis students, for example: Native Studies.

The development of courses of study for and about Indian and Métis peoples benefits all students in a pluralistic society. Such studies foster a meaningful and culturally identifiable experience for Indian and Métis students. They also promote the development of positive attitudes in all students towards Indian and Métis peoples. Cultural knowledge and understanding endows children with a positive group identity.

Awareness of one's own culture, and the cultures of others, develops self-concept, enhances learning, promotes an appreciation of Canada's pluralistic society and supports universal human rights.

Philosophy and Worldview

Within Aboriginal philosophy, four dimensions of human nature (mental, emotional, spiritual, physical) are identified and viewed as interrelated. These are developed through personal commitment. Native Studies advocates a holistic, inquiry based, activity oriented approach. Accordingly, this implies that the curriculum is interdisciplinary and can be correlated with various subject areas. The inquiry approach establishes an active learning process and facilitates critical thinking. Informed decision making empowers the learner.

Native Studies 30: Canadian Studies is based on the premise that distinct perspectives are common, that diversity of truths exists, and that the motivation for most behaviours and attitudes may be traced to the worldviews and philosophical orientations of people. The purpose of this curriculum is not to attempt to articulate the precise Aboriginal values and beliefs which shape worldview and philosophy, but rather to stress their importance for gaining insight into the Aboriginal people of Canada. It is strongly recommended that teachers consult Aboriginal community members and organizations to determine the appropriate, acceptable, and available resources to bring concepts of worldview and philosophy into the classroom. In some communities, there will be opposition to sharing the elements of traditional cultures in the classroom, while in other communities, full support and assistance will be offered. It is critical to be informed of local protocols, procedures and expectations, prior to consulting with Elders or other cultural experts in this area.

Although tremendous diversity exists between Aboriginal peoples in both the content and interpretation of worldview and philosophical thought, it is generally accepted that the following comprise common elements:

belief in an all-encompassing Creator,

valuing of family, relatives and nation,

commitment to custodianship of the land and environment,

understanding that all things are inter-connected, inter-dependent and cyclical by nature,

appreciation that living things are equal,

service to others is a fundamental duty of individuals,

cooperation, harmony, respect and hospitality are markers of positive relationships,

ethic of non-interference permeates social interactions,

respect for the sacred bond between the individual and the Creator.

belief that a child is a gift that integrates society.

Content Outline of Native Studies 10, 20 and 30

Overview _______________________________	Content _______________________________
Native Studies 10 Societal Structures of Indian, Métis and Inuit Peoples This is a survey course that examines the societal structures and practices of Indian, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Saskatchewan and Canada through time.	Introduction Aboriginal peoples of Canada Unit One: Spiritual Life Spiritual symbols and beliefs Unit Two: Family Life Traditional roles Factors affecting the family today Unit Three: Political Life Traditional government structures Self-government models Unit Four: Economic Life Traditional economies Effects of the fur trade Economic development initiatives Unit Five: Educational Life Traditional education History of Aboriginal Education in Canada Indian and Métis education today Unit Six: Social Life Traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts Recreation and games
_______________________________ Native Studies 20 International Indigenous Issues This is a course that examines contemporary issues and concepts common to Canadian and international Indigenous peoples.	_______________________________ Introduction Indigenous worldviews Unit One: Self-Determination and Self-Government Sovereignty, Aboriginal rights, treaty rights, land claims, models of self-government Unit Two: Development Indigenous perspectives and factors which affect development Unit Three: Social Justice National and international legislation concerning human rights
_______________________________ Canadian Studies 30 Native Studies This is a course that examines contemporary Canadian Aboriginal issues.	_______________________________ Optional Introduction Unit Unit One: Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Aboriginal beliefs and worldviews Treaty Rights and Aboriginal Rights Unit Two: Governance Political structures Aboriginal self-government Unit Three: Land Claims and Treaty Land Entitlements Land claims processes and cases Unit Four: Economic Development Development of natural resources Economic development Unit Five: Social Development Justice, Health, Education and Child Welfare.

A Summary of Canadian Studies From the Perspective of History, Native Studies and Social Studies

Unit One

History: A society's paradigms will be influenced and adjusted to reflect new realities. Students will learn that sustained contact, between peoples of differing societies, is a catalyst that produces new realities for both peoples and that the arrival of the Europeans began a process of social change for both the Aboriginal peoples and the Europeans.

Native Studies: This unit provides a framework for gaining insight into Canadian Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Common elements of Aboriginal knowledge and philosophy provide a basis for understanding Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Factors of diversity and the impact of Canada’s expansionism of the 1800s are considered in the interpretation of Aboriginal and Treaty rights in Canada.

Social Studies: The central concept of this unit is social change. The objective is to help students evaluate the changes that are occurring in their lives and to understand that change has been a constant factor in the history of Canada. Canadian society, as we know it, is the result of many significant changes. Students will have an opportunity to consider some of the major change events that shaped Canada's history: first contact between the Aboriginal peoples and the Europeans, the Quebec Act, the Rebellions of 1837, the resettlement of the Canadian Northwest at the end of the nineteenth century, and the Quiet Revolution in Quebec.

Unit Two

History: Every society has to develop decision-making processes that secure the social and economic well-being of its members. Students will learn that competition exists within society for control of decision-making processes, that not all interest groups possess the necessary power to influence societal decision making significantly, and that Confederation was the process of seeking consensus among the competing interest groups.

Native Studies: Prior to contact, Aboriginal peoples were independent, autonomous, self-governing nations. This unit explores structures of governance in Canada with a focus upon the Aboriginal peoples. The influences of traditional leadership, decision-making processes, colonial rule, the Indian Act, and the Constitution Act, are studied as a means to understanding contemporary issues and challenges.

Social Studies: The central theme of this unit is economic development. There has been a significant relationship between the people of Canada, the geography, and the people's standard of living. Students will learn that the environment and society act as systems and that people create models in order to understand and control these systems.

Unit Three

History: The unity and well-being of a society is significantly influenced by its ability to create a political and social climate that permits individual citizens and groups to "perceive" that their interests and well-being are being addressed. Students will learn that the existing social contract will be affected by society's ability to achieve an acceptable standard of living. They will also learn that the expansion of the Canadian state "incorporated" new peoples whose interests were not always accommodated by the existing political and social status quo.

Native Studies: In Canada, two types of Aboriginal land claims are recognized, comprehensive claims (where there were no treaties), and specific claims (where there were treaties). This unit will explore how cultural factors and worldviews influence peoples’ relationship to the land and to the environment. The basis and procedures for resolving comprehensive and specific land claims in Canada will be examined.

Social Studies: The central concept of this unit is acculturation. Canadian society was created by the Aboriginal peoples and the many different groups who immigrated to Canada. Students will learn that the fundamental assumptions of a democratic society place limits on the ways ethnic differences are resolved and that the methods used in resolving ethnic differences have consequences.

Unit Four

History: The state has played a significant and leading role in the formation and implementation of a uniquely "Canadian" societal paradigm. The students will learn the assumptions that surround that paradigm, including the role of the state and that the state plays an instrumental role in enacting that paradigm, particularly in working towards achieving equality of opportunity and services.

Native Studies: The utilization of natural resources is examined as it relates to Aboriginal rights, land claims, self-government, and worldview. Economic independence supports aspirations for Aboriginal self-determination and self-government and provides a context for gaining insight into contemporary issues. The influence of cultural factors relating to the environment and economic development will be explored. Connections between Aboriginal and Treaty rights and economic development are made to enhance student understanding of Canadian contemporary issues.

Social Studies: The central concept of this unit is constitutionality. Because Canada is a regional and multicultural nation with many competing interests, it is difficult to govern. Students will learn that the purpose of the political process in a democracy is to conciliate competing interests and that the constitution of a nation establishes the basic rules governing the political process.

Unit Five

History: The existing institutions and practices that have governed Canadian society are being presented with both global and domestic challenges. The students will learn that existing assumptions and practices will have to be revisited and, if need be, changed to respond to those challenges. The students will also learn that there are systematic procedures that can be used to investigate and evaluate possible responses to those challenges.

Native Studies: This unit deals with the social development of contemporary Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Justice, education, child welfare and health issues are analyzed in terms of their impact upon Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The factors affecting social relationships, conflict, and conflict resolution methods are studied in this unit.

Social Studies: The central concept of this unit is globalization. Canada is living in an increasingly interdependent world that limits the ability of Canadians to make decisions for themselves. Students will learn that environmental and economic changes are beyond the power of individual nations to control and that difficult choices need to be made between international interests and domestic interests.

Canadian Studies 30 Organizer

History

Relationships: Peoples and Paradigms

The Nineteenth Century: The Road to Democracy

Content:

Understandings:
Students need to understand:

Key Concepts:

Key Skills:

The arrival of the Europeans began a process of social change that was to influence the assumptions and practices of both the First Nations and the Europeans.

• all societies will evolve a worldview that includes assumptions and practices surrounding key societal relationships.
• a society's assumptions and practices will be influenced, and sometimes changed to meet new realities.

Worldview Land

Sovereignty Acculturation

Criteria Dialectical Evaluation

Dialectical Thinking Evaluation

Within societies there exists a competition to influence the societal decision making processes. The process leading to Confederation involved seeking consensus among the major competing interest groups.
• groups within a society will compete for influence over the societal decision making processes.
• groups will possess an agenda and "vision" for the nation that best secures the group's wellbeing.

Responsible Government Interest Group

Economic Wellbeing Environment Regionalism

Criteria Evaluation Dialectical Evaluation

Native Studies

Aboriginal and Treaty Rights

Governance

Content:

Understandings:
Students need to understand:

Key Concepts:

Key Skills:

Aboriginal rights flow from traditional use and occupancy of land and treaty rights flow from agreements signed between sovereign nations.
• the diversity of Canadian Aboriginal nations.
• the influences of worldview on daily life.
• the basis of Aboriginal rights.
• the basis of Treaty rights.
• the interpretation of Aboriginal and Treaty rights.
Worldview Identity

Sovereignty Diversity

Inquiry

Critical thinking

Prior to colonization, Aboriginal nations were independent and self-governing. The inherent right to self-determination is continuous.
• the nature of traditional leadership and governments.
• the impact of the Indian Act.
• the history and contemporary issues of Aboriginal political systems.
• the models of self-government.

Change Human Rights

Self-government Leadership

Decision-making

Problem-solving

Social Studies

Change

Economic Development

Content:

Understandings:
Students need to understand:

Key Concepts:

Key Skills:

Change has been, and is, a constant reality facing Canadian students.

• the major change events in Canadian history.
• the change process.
• the impact of change on a society's worldview.

Worldview Social change

Dialectical thinking

There has been a significant relationship between the people of Canada, the geography, and their standard of living.
• that the environment and society act as systems.
• that people create models in order to understand and control these systems.
• that models can and should be evaluated and changed as needed.
Models Standard of living

Evaluation

External Forces and Domestic Realities

The Forces of Nationalism

Challenges and Opportunities

The First World War and the Depression of the 1930s, demonstrated to Canadians how external forces could significantly influence the wellbeing of the Canadian nation.
• new realities can represent challenges to existing beliefs and practices;
• significant external events were to cause Canadians to re-evaluate existing societal assumptions and practices concerning the role of government in securing the wellbeing of the citizenry.

Government Ideology

Social Contract Welfare State

Equalization

Cause and Effect Dialectical Evaluation

Criteria Evaluation

The forces of nationalism emerged in the decades following the Second World War and were to influence both Canadian policy makers and public.

• Canadian nationalists hold concerns over the degree of U.S. influence on the wellbeing of the nation.
• Within francophone Quebec, nationalist sentiment was reflected in the re-emergence of a separatist movement.

Sovereignty External Influence

Foreign Policy Social Cohesion

Environment

Cause and Effect Dialectical Evaluation
Criteria Evaluation

Canadian society, in the last decades of the 20th century, has been challenged by global and domestic challenges.

• the emergence of a global economy has raised the issue of whether Canadians have the ability to establish policies that reflect Canadian realities.
• there have emerged movements seeking to ensure that their membership have access and participation in national and societal decision making.
Diversity Multiculturalism

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Cause and Effect Dialectical Evaluation

Criteria Evaluation

Land Claims and Treaty Land Entitlements

Economic Development

Social Development

Aboriginal land claims are classified as comprehensive claims and specific claims.

• cultural factors and worldviews influence all relationships.
• procedures for resolving comprehensive and specific land claims.
• procedures for settlement of Métis land claims.

Relationships Interdependence

Worldview Tradition

Research

Evaluation/Synthesis

Development of natural resources relates to Aboriginal rights, land claims and self-government issues.
• environmental relationships influence economic development.
• cultural factors and worldview affect resource management practices.
• Aboriginal rights influence economic development.
• technical, social and cultural implications of economic development.
Economics Development

Sustainable development Relationships

Decision-making

Dialectical Reasoning

Current social issues have an historical basis and continue to impact contemporary Canada.

• societies experience conflict and develop strategies to resolve conflict.
• education is an instrument of cultural survival.
• health issues relate to socio-economic and cultural factors.
• Aboriginal peoples respond to justice, education, child welfare and health issues.

Change Interdependence

Diversity Acculturation

Social action

Reflective process

Culture

Governance

Globalization

Canadian society was formed out of the Aboriginal peoples and the many different groups who immigrated to Canada.

• the fundamental assumptions of a democratic society.
• the issues involved resolving diverse ethnic identities within Canadian sovereignty.
• the methods used in resolving ethnic differences have consequences.

Social contract Identity

Acculturation

Evaluation

Because Canada is a regional and multicultural nation with many competing interests, it is difficult to govern.

• the constitution establishes the basic rules governing the political process.
• the constitution is a structure which attempts to balance the rights of:
° minorities and majorities
° regions and the nation
° individual and the state

Political culture Constitutionality

Federalism

Evaluation

Canada is living in an increasingly interdependent nation that is affecting the ability of Canadians to make decisions.
• the environmental changes are beyond the power of individual nations to control.
• the difficult choices to be made in balancing international interests and domestic interests.
• Canada's role in international relations.

Interdependence Sovereignty

International social contract

Evaluation