Native Studies 10 Learning Goals

Unit 1: Identity and Worldviews

1. I can explain what shapes my identity and describe how Indigenous identity is influenced by culture, community, and worldview.

2. I can describe key elements of Indigenous worldviews, including the concept of circularity, and connect them to how Indigenous peoples understand themselves and the world.

3. I can identify bias, stereotyping, and racism, explain the harm they cause, and replace inaccurate information with accurate information.

4. I can explain the differences between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples and use accurate, respectful language when referring to each group.

5. I can analyze how Indigenous  authors and storytellers express worldview through literature, oral tradition, and spirituality.

Unit 2: Community and Kinship

6. I can describe the roles and responsibilities of Indigenous family members and explain why family and kinship systems are central to Indigenous communities.

7. I can explain traditional Indigenous approaches to child-rearing and education and connect them to the values that guided community life.

8. I can describe the impact of residential schools on Indigenous families and explain the cross-generational effects that continue today.

9. I can explain how Indigenous peoples have worked to reclaim their education, preserve their oral traditions, and heal from the effects of colonialism.

10. I can compare Indigenous and European views of the land and describe how the land is connected to Indigenous identity, community, and way of life.

Unit 3: Governance

11. I can describe how Indigenous peoples traditionally chose leaders and explain how those leadership values differ from Euro-Canadian political systems.

12. I can explain the political structures that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples developed to govern themselves and serve their communities.

13. I can analyze how Canadian government policies worked to remove Indigenous peoples from their land, suppress their governments, undermine their cultures, and erase their identities.

14. I can explain the purpose and significance of treaties and land agreements, and describe how Indigenous peoples and the Crown understood those agreements differently.

15. I can describe the role of Louis Riel and the Métis resistance in Saskatchewan history, and explain why Métis peoples continue to fight for land and political recognition.

Unit 4: Economies

16. I can describe how Indigenous economies functioned before European contact, including the diverse ways different nations managed land, trade, and resources.

17. I can explain how the buffalo economy worked, what role women played in it, and how the arrival of the horse changed Indigenous economic life on the Plains.

18. I can analyze how European contact, government policies, and disease disrupted traditional Indigenous economies and created barriers that continue today.

19. I can describe the barriers Indigenous  peoples face in the current economy and explain how traditional skills, values, and knowledge remain relevant to economic life today.

20. I can explain why preserving Indigenous knowledge matters and describe how Indigenous peoples contribute to Canadian society through art, entrepreneurship, and community leadership.