Memories of a grade 5/6 Indigenous Life inquiry, part 2: “What was life like for Indigenous peoples after the Europeans arrived?”

“...I could never have imagined the emotional response that would rise up in me upon seeing my students’ authentic reactions to losing their ‘lands’ and their ‘identities’ that they’d grown to love and appreciate. Prior to this, I had had an intellectual understanding of the injustice that exists within the history of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada. It was not until this experience with my students that I began to feel the weight of a personal, emotional response to it all...”

Below, you can read my attempt at summing up the significance of this one for my students and for me.

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Memories of an Indigenous life inquiry, part 2:

“What was life like for Indigenous peoples after the Europeans arrived?”

(Continued from previous post . . . Sorry this one doesn’t have more photos.) 

After our harvest feast, the students were excited to learn that, finally, ‘the Europeans’ would be arriving. In preparation, we learned a little bit about who some early explorers were, and we created maps like European explorers might have made. Our maps showed the locations and symbols of each of our ‘nations’ and also some key landmarks that had become important to us: the ‘fishing bridge’, the ‘grandfather tree’, and the ‘cedar tunnel’. 

The next day, our Kindergarten buddy class (‘the Europeans’) brought items to the forest for us - things like metal cans, pots, pans, bottles, ropes, and blankets. However, I’d arranged that they’d give these items to only ONE nation. My students had not expected this. 

As you can imagine, and as I had hoped would happen, the other nations began attacking and raiding that group, and a lot of actual animosity grew. When more Europeans arrived the next day and gave supplies to the other nations, the ‘fighting’ did not end. This experience set up a very meaningful context to be able to discuss alliances and consequences of alliances made between Indiginous nations and various Europeans in the 1600s. 

We played a fur trade simulation game which provided further context for the students to learn about the real fur trade and some of its consequences, including ecological consequences and problems associated with things like guns and alcohol exchanged in trade deals. We did land war simulation activities, too, and in the end, all students were surprised to realize how many of them ‘died’ - not only from the fighting but also from diseases that the Europeans brought. They realized their nations had been weakened and they were feeling actual frustration and agitation about the way things were playing out. They wondered if we could go back to hunting, gathering food, and developing their shelters. I told them there would be no going back to the way things were before.

After that, I kept the students inside at our usual outdoor learning time. We learned that after European contact, as time went on, eventually European governments’ wills and ways began holding sway. This was a devastating reality for Indigenous nations, and extremely unjust. We learned about treaties (and lack of treaties), loss of homes and lands, various settler groups, the reserve system, residential schools, the 60s scoop, missing and murdered Indigenous women, ongoing education challenges, housing conditions, and lack of access to clean water. We read articles, watched videos online, and put stickers on maps of Ontario to show where Indigenous groups today continue to deal with the fallout and consequences of contact. My students were indignant. We had MANY heated discussions about what should or could be done. 

We returned to the forest after that, and I had the students dismantle all of their shelters and try to leave no evidence of us having ever ‘lived’ there. I told them we would not return to the forest again. They were literally devastated - and I saw real emotional responses in my students that day, ranging from sadness to agitation to genuine anger. In the teeniest, tiniest sense, they (and I) could begin to feel - not just know about - the injustices Indigenous groups have experienced throughout history and to this day. Some students asserted that they would one day become police officers, lawyers, and politicians who would work to effect positive change and work for justice for Indigenous peoples.

Reflections: 

I could never have imagined the emotional response that would rise up in me upon seeing my students’ authentic reactions to losing their ‘lands’ and their ‘identities’ that they’d grown to love and appreciate. Prior to this, I had had an intellectual understanding of the injustice that exists within the history of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada. It was not until this experience with my students that I began to feel the weight of a personal, emotional response to it all. Experiential, outdoor, and inquiry-based learning leads to learning not only for the students, but for the teacher too.