Native Studies 30 Learning Goals (I Can Statements)

UNIT 1: Identity, Worldview, and Rights (Lessons 1–5)

Lesson 1: Indigenous Nations and Identity in Canada

I can explain the difference between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada and describe what makes each group distinct. I can use at least one specific example from Saskatchewan to show why it is inaccurate to treat all Indigenous peoples as a single group.

Lesson 2: Indigenous Worldview and Ways of Knowing

I can explain what a worldview is and describe at least two ways that an Indigenous worldview differs from a Western worldview. I can connect worldview to how people understand their relationship to the land, to other living things, and to their responsibilities.

Lesson 3: The Foundations of Aboriginal Rights

I can explain where Aboriginal rights come from and why they are recognized in Canadian law. I can name at least one Aboriginal right and explain why it exists separately from rights that apply to all Canadian citizens.

Lesson 4: Treaty Rights and Treaty 4

I can explain what Treaty 4 is, who signed it, where it was signed, and what both parties understood they were agreeing to. I can describe at least two promises made in Treaty 4 and explain why the treaty is still legally and politically significant today.

Lesson 5: Interpreting Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Today

I can explain how Canadian courts have interpreted Aboriginal and Treaty rights, and I can name at least one landmark court case and what it decided. I can describe a difference between how the Crown and First Nations peoples have understood treaty obligations.

UNIT 2: Governance and Self-Determination (Lessons 6–10)

Lesson 6: Traditional Governance Systems

I can describe how at least one First Nation governed itself before European contact, including how leaders were chosen and how decisions were made. I can explain why traditional governance systems reflect sophisticated, self-determining nations rather than simple or primitive structures.

Lesson 7: The Indian Act and Colonial Control

I can explain what the Indian Act is, when it was introduced, and at least three ways it controlled the daily lives of First Nations peoples in Canada. I can describe how the Indian Act affected band governance, land ownership, and cultural practice.

Lesson 8: The Constitution Act, 1982 and Section 35

I can explain what Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 says and why it was a significant moment for Indigenous peoples in Canada. I can also describe at least one issue that Section 35 did not resolve and that Indigenous peoples have continued to fight for since 1982.

Lesson 9: Models of Indigenous Self-Government

I can explain what self-government means for First Nations peoples and describe at least two different models of self-government that exist in Canada today. I can connect the push for self-government to the idea that the right to self-determination was never surrendered.

Lesson 10: Indigenous Political Organizations and Advocacy

I can explain what the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) are and what role each plays in advocating for Indigenous peoples. I can describe at least one way that Indigenous political organizing has led to a change in policy or legislation in Canada.

UNIT 3: Land, Claims, and Economic Development (Lessons 11–15)

Lesson 11: Cultural Relationships to Land and Environment

I can explain how an Indigenous relationship to the land differs from a Western view of land as a resource to be owned or extracted. I can give at least two specific examples of how a community's worldview shapes how they care for, use, and relate to the natural world.

Lesson 12: Comprehensive Land Claims

I can explain what a comprehensive land claim is and describe the general process for negotiating and resolving one in Canada. I can give at least one example of a comprehensive claim, including where it took place and what was at stake.

Lesson 13: Specific Claims and Treaty Land Entitlement in Saskatchewan

I can explain what a specific claim is and describe what Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) means for First Nations in Saskatchewan. I can connect the TLE process to at least one community in the File Hills Qu'Appelle region and explain what TLE means for that community.

Lesson 14: Natural Resources and Indigenous Rights

I can explain what the Crown's duty to consult means and describe at least one situation where resource development created a conflict with Indigenous rights. I can explain the connection between resource extraction, treaty rights, and land claims.

Lesson 15: Economic Development and Self-Determination

I can explain how economic development connects to self-determination for First Nations peoples. I can describe at least one example of a First Nations-led economic initiative in Saskatchewan and explain what it means for a community's independence and future.

UNIT 4: Social Development and Contemporary Issues (Lessons 16–20)

Lesson 16: Residential Schools — History and Legacy

I can describe what residential schools were designed to do, name at least two schools that operated in Saskatchewan, and explain the conditions children experienced there. I can connect the residential school system to ongoing impacts on language loss, family structures, and cultural identity in Indigenous communities today.

Lesson 17: The Sixties Scoop and Child Welfare

I can explain what the Sixties Scoop was, approximately when it occurred, and how many Indigenous children were removed from their families across Canada. I can describe at least two lasting impacts of the Sixties Scoop on Indigenous identity, family connections, and community well-being.

Lesson 18: Indigenous Peoples and the Justice System

I can explain why Indigenous peoples are significantly overrepresented in Canadian prisons and describe what the Gladue principles are and how they are supposed to apply. I can explain at least one approach to justice rooted in Indigenous values that offers an alternative to the existing system.

Lesson 19: Health, Well-being, and Social Determinants

I can explain what social determinants of health are and identify at least three specific factors that negatively affect the health outcomes of Indigenous communities in Canada. I can connect those factors to the history of colonization, forced relocation, and loss of cultural practices.

Lesson 20: Resilience, Resurgence, and the Path Forward

I can describe at least two specific examples of Indigenous resilience or cultural resurgence happening in Canada or Saskatchewan today. I can explain what self-determination looks like in practice for a First Nation and connect the course content to questions about the future.