In the Shadow of Extinction
In the Shadow of Extinction
(time 9:22)
Big Ideas:
Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of In the Shadow of Extinction. The themes integral to the story are 1) survival; 2) landscape and landscape management; 3) remembrance; and 4) extinction. This story has far-reaching significance and meaning both historically and emotionally. 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 sobering story. Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as:
Language:
An introduction to some of the following words and phrases may be needed for younger students prior to listening to the story: extinction, seasonal-round, traversed, executive order, impoverished, mode of sustenance, condensed space and condensed population, northern aspect, clandestinely, designated driver, cottonwood grove, migrate, intrigued.
Cultural Heritage:
Some time ago a young Native boy came home from school pondering a question that had been bothering him all day. He arrived home to a house full of visitors. His father was talking with members of his family including several elderly uncles who had dropped by for a visit. When there was a break in the conversation, the young boy was invited to speak. He told his father that they had been reading books at school in which there were only stories and pictures of people and children who didn’t look like him. “Where are our books?” he asked. His father waved his hand towards the couch and chairs where their guests were sitting and said, “There are your books!”
Imagine Ambrose Adolph as one of the Sinixt Elders present during this interaction. After hearing the story In the Shadow of Extinction, explain the comment that Ambrose is one of their ‘books’.
What is cultural heritage?
Students could assist in making a list of questions they would like answered by a family member, preferably an Elder, so they, too, might learn some of their family story. They could conduct an interview and share a written or oral report. (Sensitivity is essential in relation to children in care as other options may be necessary.)
A possible assignment: My Grandmother’s (or Great Grandmother’s) Country. Create a portfolio including maps, interviews, pictures, news articles, anecdotes. Due to the personal connection involved, this project has been very successful with students in the intermediate grades.
Remembrance:
During Ambrose Adolph’s war experience, his thoughts and visions of the caribou antlers in the towering trees probably helped him to maintain the hope and courage needed to survive. The Sinixt hunting ground in the cottonwood grove was a powerful place, hence a powerful vision. People use visualization daily to reinforce negative thoughts as they worry about a wide range of possible occurrences that may never happen; however, visualization can be a powerful tool or exercise to help maintain a more positive and balanced perspective, gain courage to proceed through difficult times, and improve potential.
Have you ever looked forward to having or doing something really special only to have it canceled at the last minute? Ambrose must have experienced feelings of devastating loss on his return to the cottonwood grove. The loss of a past, present, and future was traumatic to Ambrose in particular and the Sinixt in general on a scale that is difficult to imagine. Generations of existence, culture, ritual and routine wiped away in an instant only to be committed to memory. Future shock, defined as too much change in too short a period of time, is a possible research topic.
Visualization techniques are often used by athletes and leaders to help them focus, maintain positive perspectives, and reach their potential. Teachers may be interested in doing some creative visualization with their students to help improve their focus, self-esteem, and more positive affirmations regarding work, behaviour, social skills, self-worth, etc. There are several websites that can be referred to for information, suggestions, and guidance.
Remembrance Day: In the Shadow of Extinction is a heartfelt and thought-provoking story to share for Remembrance Day. It truly accentuates an intense sense of loss on several fronts.
Landscape:
The traditional area for Ambrose’s family for generations was around what we now call the Revelstoke area. The Columbia Mountains above Revelstoke are where the territory of the Sinixt People sprouts. It is the northern aspect of their territory. The Sinixt had intimate and intricate knowledge of their homeland. The caribou trails that meandered through the cottonwood grove were kept clear to enhance continued migration through the grove.
Show a map of Sinixt territory. A colourful hand drawn map is included in the Not Extinct book. Verne Ray’s map is also worth referencing and can be found at sinixtnation.org. Various levels of map skills can be taught and/or reviewed with the students.
Land stewardship: Indigenous People in what is now known as the Americas altered and manipulated environments (and plants) to create engineering achievements. There are many examples of these achievements such as:
Development of sophisticated irrigation systems and canals;
Development of expedient ways to do controlled or prescription burns for clearing and enhancement of soils, notably the preparation of buffalo jump areas to attract buffalo with new plant growth in the spring after a fall burn-off;
Medicine wheels;
The extensive Inca road system;
Inuksuk’s as stone markers and reminders for guidance and direction;
Vertical topography; terraces; stepped plateaus;
Unique housing structures such as the tipi, the igloo, and the pueblo;
Genetically modified corn.
Describe the land management process and its purpose referenced in the story.
Sinixt/Caribou Parallels:
The title of the story In the Shadow of Extinction was deliberately chosen not only to express the pending extinction of the caribou, but also to address the fact that the caribou herds, the caribou hunt, and the caribou migration today are mere shadows of what they once were. Ambrose was able to experience a small hint or shadow of his people’s past when he became aware of the antlers in the cottonwood grove.
Many similarities exist between the Sinixt People and the caribou. Both are on a journey through an extinction process, one on paper, the other through management, or more accurately, mismanagement. While the Sinixt are legally extinct and necessarily maintain ghost status, the caribou are nearing extinction, and hence exist in the shadows of extinction or the shadow of mismanagement. For both the Sinixt and the caribou, it is business as usual. Government officials continue to ignore the plight of the Sinixt People and refuse to address and rectify the gross error that occurred in 1956, while the decimation of the old-growth forests on which the caribou herds rely for survival continue to be logged. How will the caribou survive?
To what do you think the title of the story refers?
What other similarities are there between the Sinixt and the caribou? Consider the following:
An interesting topic for research would be The Jay Treaty which was signed in 1794. This treaty is honoured by the United States but is not recognized by Canada. It states that ‘Native Indians born in Canada’ are entitled to cross the international boundary and freely enter the United States for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration. The Sinixt born in their southern territory in the U.S., however, are often denied entry into their northern territory situated in what we now call Canada. The legal argument for the denials claimed by Canadian officials is that Britain signed the agreement, not Canada, and therefore the Canadian government does not have to abide by the Jay Treaty. Knowing that the Sinixt are a semi-nomadic people whose existence relies on seasonal-round gathering and harvesting, how would the Jay Treaty affect their lives?
Caribou:
Caribou, especially the Mountain Caribou eco-type, are listed as an endangered species in Canada. Mountain Caribou are so rare now that seeing one is like having a vision or magical experience; however, a caribou sighting was not always a rarity. Human population growth, the loss of old-growth trees, and the obstruction of migratory corridors by roads, pipelines, and land clearing have contributed to the critically endangered status of the Selkirk Mountain Caribou, which had once been plenteous in the region.
Research the caribou, noting features and particular adaptations to mountain and winter existence, i.e. hooves act as snowshoes, both male and female have antlers, food sources, long migration routes, release of scent when predators are close by, and so on. Be sure to include a search for Moses Lake, Washington, where the Mountain Caribou were seen swimming in the lake years ago as part of their annual migration. Calculate the distance the Mountain Caribou must have migrated to this destination point.
During the gold rush the caribou were hunted extensively to provide meat for the miners. Only the hind quarter was taken and sent to the gold fields while the rest was left to rot. This is similar to the buffalo hunts on the prairies. In what ways would this practise have violated the cultural laws of the Sinixt People?
Curricular Competency: (developed by the teacher creating the lesson plan in collaboration with the student(s) receiving the knowledge)
Communication:
Creative Thinking:
Critical Thinking:
Positive Personal & Cultural Identity:
Personal Awareness & Responsibility:
Social Responsibility:
(time 9:22)
Big Ideas:
Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of In the Shadow of Extinction. The themes integral to the story are 1) survival; 2) landscape and landscape management; 3) remembrance; and 4) extinction. This story has far-reaching significance and meaning both historically and emotionally. 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 sobering story. Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as:
- Sinixt territory and its expropriation in the U.S.;
- Seasonal-rounds, accessible resources, and trans-border travel;
- Reservation life and survival;
- Selkirk caribou herd – translocation hazards and habitat;
- Slaughter of caribou during the gold rush;
- Old growth forests – logging and lichens;
- Management to extinction of the caribou;
- Suggestion and reasoning to establish a Ministry of Human Behaviour.
Language:
An introduction to some of the following words and phrases may be needed for younger students prior to listening to the story: extinction, seasonal-round, traversed, executive order, impoverished, mode of sustenance, condensed space and condensed population, northern aspect, clandestinely, designated driver, cottonwood grove, migrate, intrigued.
Cultural Heritage:
Some time ago a young Native boy came home from school pondering a question that had been bothering him all day. He arrived home to a house full of visitors. His father was talking with members of his family including several elderly uncles who had dropped by for a visit. When there was a break in the conversation, the young boy was invited to speak. He told his father that they had been reading books at school in which there were only stories and pictures of people and children who didn’t look like him. “Where are our books?” he asked. His father waved his hand towards the couch and chairs where their guests were sitting and said, “There are your books!”
Imagine Ambrose Adolph as one of the Sinixt Elders present during this interaction. After hearing the story In the Shadow of Extinction, explain the comment that Ambrose is one of their ‘books’.
What is cultural heritage?
Students could assist in making a list of questions they would like answered by a family member, preferably an Elder, so they, too, might learn some of their family story. They could conduct an interview and share a written or oral report. (Sensitivity is essential in relation to children in care as other options may be necessary.)
A possible assignment: My Grandmother’s (or Great Grandmother’s) Country. Create a portfolio including maps, interviews, pictures, news articles, anecdotes. Due to the personal connection involved, this project has been very successful with students in the intermediate grades.
Remembrance:
During Ambrose Adolph’s war experience, his thoughts and visions of the caribou antlers in the towering trees probably helped him to maintain the hope and courage needed to survive. The Sinixt hunting ground in the cottonwood grove was a powerful place, hence a powerful vision. People use visualization daily to reinforce negative thoughts as they worry about a wide range of possible occurrences that may never happen; however, visualization can be a powerful tool or exercise to help maintain a more positive and balanced perspective, gain courage to proceed through difficult times, and improve potential.
Have you ever looked forward to having or doing something really special only to have it canceled at the last minute? Ambrose must have experienced feelings of devastating loss on his return to the cottonwood grove. The loss of a past, present, and future was traumatic to Ambrose in particular and the Sinixt in general on a scale that is difficult to imagine. Generations of existence, culture, ritual and routine wiped away in an instant only to be committed to memory. Future shock, defined as too much change in too short a period of time, is a possible research topic.
Visualization techniques are often used by athletes and leaders to help them focus, maintain positive perspectives, and reach their potential. Teachers may be interested in doing some creative visualization with their students to help improve their focus, self-esteem, and more positive affirmations regarding work, behaviour, social skills, self-worth, etc. There are several websites that can be referred to for information, suggestions, and guidance.
Remembrance Day: In the Shadow of Extinction is a heartfelt and thought-provoking story to share for Remembrance Day. It truly accentuates an intense sense of loss on several fronts.
Landscape:
The traditional area for Ambrose’s family for generations was around what we now call the Revelstoke area. The Columbia Mountains above Revelstoke are where the territory of the Sinixt People sprouts. It is the northern aspect of their territory. The Sinixt had intimate and intricate knowledge of their homeland. The caribou trails that meandered through the cottonwood grove were kept clear to enhance continued migration through the grove.
Show a map of Sinixt territory. A colourful hand drawn map is included in the Not Extinct book. Verne Ray’s map is also worth referencing and can be found at sinixtnation.org. Various levels of map skills can be taught and/or reviewed with the students.
Land stewardship: Indigenous People in what is now known as the Americas altered and manipulated environments (and plants) to create engineering achievements. There are many examples of these achievements such as:
Development of sophisticated irrigation systems and canals;
Development of expedient ways to do controlled or prescription burns for clearing and enhancement of soils, notably the preparation of buffalo jump areas to attract buffalo with new plant growth in the spring after a fall burn-off;
Medicine wheels;
The extensive Inca road system;
Inuksuk’s as stone markers and reminders for guidance and direction;
Vertical topography; terraces; stepped plateaus;
Unique housing structures such as the tipi, the igloo, and the pueblo;
Genetically modified corn.
Describe the land management process and its purpose referenced in the story.
Sinixt/Caribou Parallels:
The title of the story In the Shadow of Extinction was deliberately chosen not only to express the pending extinction of the caribou, but also to address the fact that the caribou herds, the caribou hunt, and the caribou migration today are mere shadows of what they once were. Ambrose was able to experience a small hint or shadow of his people’s past when he became aware of the antlers in the cottonwood grove.
Many similarities exist between the Sinixt People and the caribou. Both are on a journey through an extinction process, one on paper, the other through management, or more accurately, mismanagement. While the Sinixt are legally extinct and necessarily maintain ghost status, the caribou are nearing extinction, and hence exist in the shadows of extinction or the shadow of mismanagement. For both the Sinixt and the caribou, it is business as usual. Government officials continue to ignore the plight of the Sinixt People and refuse to address and rectify the gross error that occurred in 1956, while the decimation of the old-growth forests on which the caribou herds rely for survival continue to be logged. How will the caribou survive?
To what do you think the title of the story refers?
What other similarities are there between the Sinixt and the caribou? Consider the following:
- seasonal-round way of life;
- reliance on the natural environment and accessible resources to provide;
- trans-border travel, traversing imaginary lines and boundaries;
- impact of colonial settlement, i.e. homesteading, fencing, logging, road-building, mistreatment, mismanagement;
- driven from their land, translocation to reserves, restricted existence;
- displacement – fires, natural disasters, habitat destruction;
- struggle for survival;
- numbers diminished;
- territory/habitat diminished;
- refugee status;
- a broken circular existence; learning to walk a new road.
An interesting topic for research would be The Jay Treaty which was signed in 1794. This treaty is honoured by the United States but is not recognized by Canada. It states that ‘Native Indians born in Canada’ are entitled to cross the international boundary and freely enter the United States for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration. The Sinixt born in their southern territory in the U.S., however, are often denied entry into their northern territory situated in what we now call Canada. The legal argument for the denials claimed by Canadian officials is that Britain signed the agreement, not Canada, and therefore the Canadian government does not have to abide by the Jay Treaty. Knowing that the Sinixt are a semi-nomadic people whose existence relies on seasonal-round gathering and harvesting, how would the Jay Treaty affect their lives?
Caribou:
Caribou, especially the Mountain Caribou eco-type, are listed as an endangered species in Canada. Mountain Caribou are so rare now that seeing one is like having a vision or magical experience; however, a caribou sighting was not always a rarity. Human population growth, the loss of old-growth trees, and the obstruction of migratory corridors by roads, pipelines, and land clearing have contributed to the critically endangered status of the Selkirk Mountain Caribou, which had once been plenteous in the region.
Research the caribou, noting features and particular adaptations to mountain and winter existence, i.e. hooves act as snowshoes, both male and female have antlers, food sources, long migration routes, release of scent when predators are close by, and so on. Be sure to include a search for Moses Lake, Washington, where the Mountain Caribou were seen swimming in the lake years ago as part of their annual migration. Calculate the distance the Mountain Caribou must have migrated to this destination point.
During the gold rush the caribou were hunted extensively to provide meat for the miners. Only the hind quarter was taken and sent to the gold fields while the rest was left to rot. This is similar to the buffalo hunts on the prairies. In what ways would this practise have violated the cultural laws of the Sinixt People?
Curricular Competency: (developed by the teacher creating the lesson plan in collaboration with the student(s) receiving the knowledge)
Communication:
Creative Thinking:
Critical Thinking:
Positive Personal & Cultural Identity:
Personal Awareness & Responsibility:
Social Responsibility:
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