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Educators Welcome and Introduction

Educators Welcome and Introduction
Dear Educators, We would like to introduce you to the first in a series of instructional suggestions from  Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way.   Funding for the project was generously provided by Marilyn Burgoon in memory of her sister Yvonne Woods, by the Slocan Valley Legacy Fund and by Lori Barkley.

Honouring the oral tradition, Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way is a unique publication in that it is
an audio file/book collection of Sinixt stories. The actual stories are available ONLY in audio form and may be downloaded using instructions provided with the purchase of the book. The book itself supports the audio files in multiple ways. This project is designed to present Sinixt culture and teachings to students and the general public. After engaging in a listening session to hear a story, the book supports the audio files with cross-cultural perspectives offering two world views. These world views are profiled in discussions between the Sinixt sto…
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Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow

Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow (time 3:57) Big Ideas: Educators are encouraged to focus on three dominant themes throughout their planning and study of Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow. The themes integral to the story are 1) power; 2) problem-solving; and 3) goal-setting. This story is far more complex than it may initially seem to the listener. Many tangents may be followed at various levels for more in-depth study. The following are suggestions and added information that will assist educators in meeting their learning objectives for their students. Backgrounder: Teachers are encouraged to read the summaries and reflections found in the book Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way that relate to the story. Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as: Moralistic questioning; Good vs evil; right vs wrong; Spirit power requiring context, commitment, and effort; Rights and responsibilities; Naivety, gullibility, trust, awareness, and wariness. Animal Study: A study of the chicka…
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Coyote and Chickadee

Coyote and Chickadee (time 9:08) Big Ideas: Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of Coyote and Chickadee. The themes integral to the story are 1) power; 2) emotion; 3) self-regulation; and 4) capacity. This story is a sequel to Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow in which Chickadee attempts to continue his journey to reach the Big Council in the Sky in full possession of his Sumix bow and arrows. Suggestions and added information are offered below to assist educators in meeting learning objectives for their students. It is highly recommended that educators familiarize themselves with the story Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow and the accompanying lesson guide as part of their unit planning. Several issues, scenarios, and concepts introduced in Chickadee Makes a Sumix Bow are repeated, overlapped, reinforced, or continued in the sequel. Backgrounder: Teachers are encouraged to read the summaries and reflections found in the book Not Extinct: Kee…
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Repatriation of Remains

Repatriation of Remains (time 6:14) Big Ideas: Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of Repatriation of Remains. The themes integral to the story are 1) cultural law, 2) leadership, 3) homecoming, and 4) social justice. The following are suggestions and added information that will assist educators in meeting their learning objectives for their students. Backgrounder: Teachers are encouraged to read the summaries and reflections found in the book Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way that reference and relate to this story. Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as: Cultural laws; Smum iem; Eva Orr, Elder and Matriarch; Death as a journey; Repatriation: an apology to the ancestors; Hushed stories of repatriation – secrets, code of silence, anonymity; Activism; Complications, disruptions, and the imposition of politics; The ‘what if’ question: What if the graves of your ancestors were disrespected? Language:
A…
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How Coyote Made the Black Moss Food

How Coyote Made the Black Moss Food (time 4:39)    
Big Ideas:
Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of How Coyote Made the Black Moss Food. The themes integral to the story are 1) honour; 2) eating within one’s latitude; 3) gratitude; and 4) critical thinking. The following are suggestions and added information that will assist educators in meeting their learning objectives for their students.
Backgrounder:
Teachers are encouraged to read the summaries and reflections found in the book Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way that reference and relate to this story.  Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as:
Caretaking food resources;
Ceremonial feasts, food protocols;
Harvesting food, eating locally;
Price versus value;
Trade;
Cultural food, cultural practice, and resistance;
Grey matter knowledge: connecting with the ancestors, connecting with one’s roots;
Dessert and treats – redefined.
Language:
An introducti…
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Oral Tradition

Oral Tradition: An Introduction We live in a storied landscape. The knowledge that has been here for thousands of years has been overlooked, ignored, or disconnected. This resource unit is an example of the oral tradition based on Sinixt First Nation whose legends, stories, myths, and parables relate to the many aspects of existence and subsistence. First Nations community utilized the oral tradition in their traditional educational process. This resource unit is an offering to assist educators in bringing the Sinixt Peoples into their classrooms and metaphorically out of extinction. The purpose of the unit is to provide educators and students with an experience of traditional, educational, and cultural practice that the Sinixt hold and value to this very day. Variation Aspect The linear frame of reference so prevalent in our modern-day society rarely accommodates two versions of a story without feeling the need to consider one correct, or more correct than the other. Variations in …
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Columbia River

Columbia River (time 7:11) Big Ideas: Educators are encouraged to focus on three dominant themes throughout their planning and study of the Columbia River story. The themes integral to the story are 1) love, 2) the environment, and 3) communication. The following synopses will assist educators in meeting their learning objectives for their students. Oral Tradition:
The importance and use of the oral tradition in Indigenous cultures should be stressed. Oral tradition is instrumental in the survival of cultural teachings and tribal identity. The difference between the concepts of ‘we know’ and ‘we believe’ could be part of the discussion in relation to the origin story of the Sinixt Peoples. How do we reconcile traditional tales with contemporary values? Cultural Teachings:
The central big idea in the Columbia River story is love and the role it plays in the origin story of the Sinixt Peoples and the birth of the Columbia River. Other related concepts are trust, faith, commitment, and ho…
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