As Long as the Rivers Flow

Prompt a discussion about living off the land and what it means to live a traditional Indigenous lifestyle. If possible, you may wish to invite an Elder or Traditional Knowledge Keeper to share the teachings that they have been taught (berry drying, making tea from Labrador leaves, how to make bannock, the uses of the four sacred medicines, etc.)

Open the book and show the students the illustrations on the front and back covers. Have students make connections to a time when they were able sit next to a river or lake and draw on their five senses. (What did they hear, smell, touch, see, and taste, and how did they feel?) Discuss the title of the book. Ask if anyone has ever heard of the phrase “as long as the rivers flow.” Ask the students if they can guess how long this is and what they think the author might be suggesting with the title.

Conduct a “picture walk” through the story, but end before the epilogue. After the walk-through, turn back to the illustrations on pages 2 and 3 (depictions of happiness and value of family) and show how they contrast to the last page illustration of the children in the back of the truck (loneliness, fear, sadness, etc.). Ask the students what they think the book will be about.

Introduce new vocabulary, including both English and Cree words. You may wish to create individual booklets so that students can add new terms and meanings, or co-construct a class word wall. Introduce new terms before reading each chapter.

Read the dedication on the first page and ask the students what they think the author means by a way of life that is disappearing.

What does it mean when Lawrence’s papa thinks, “Lawrence was small for a ten-year-old boy, but he was already wise in the ways of their people”?

Read to the part where Lawrence wonders what his mother means when she compares school to a prison. Have a brainstorming session with students to collect their thoughts towards this idea. Some students might make a connection to their previous knowledge of residential schools. Use this as a gauge of where the students are in their understanding of residential schools.

At the end of the chapter, have a class discussion about who Lawrence’s teachers are and where he goes to school. As you read through the book, keep coming back to the idea that Lawrence and his siblings learn from their family members and the environment.

Using a variety of media, have students create a piece of art depicting a time when they were with their family outside learning or connecting with the land (walking, fishing, hiking, hunting, camping, etc). If students do not have direct experiences with outdoor family learning, ask them to create a piece of art that depicts an activity they would like to do with their family, or one from the book.

If possible, bring in objects like spruce, cedar and pine boughs, maple leaves, birch bark, wild rice and dogwood, as these will provide students an opportunity to interact with natural items.

Ask the students what they think was the purpose of placing the spruce boughs under the beds of the lean-to?

Why are the hunting and gathering skills of Lawrence and his family something that should be respected by all? What skills does Lawrence exhibit while hunting?

Have students draw what they think the summer campsite would look like. Older students could write a descriptive paragraph, as well.

Have students make connections between their own lives and Chapter 2. In the story, when … It reminded me of when …

Bring in examples or pictures of the following: sage, Labrador leaves, rat root, tobacco and wild mint.

What were some of the traditional medicines that Lawrence’s Kokom (Grandma) gathered and what are their uses? Students will need to research their uses, and depending on student level of independence, teachers may wish to have students research one of the traditional medicines and present their findings to the class. This activity can be extended to include plants that are native to your region. Connecting with an Elder or Traditional Knowledge keeper to share information about traditional medicines and the harvesting process would enrich this activity.

Have the students reflect on why Kokom was an important member of the family. What do you observe in the book?

Students can create an illustration and an accompanying piece of writing to commemorate something they have learned from their own grandparents or another family member.

What name did Mosoom (Grandpa) give Lawrence? Why is this significant? What was the message of Grandpa’s story?

How did Lawrence and the other children feel on the day that they had to leave their family? How do you know?

Read the epilogue together, and let students know that the author does not finish his story, but he shares personal family photos while blending his experience with that of other children who attended residential school.

In your opinion, do you think it was better for the children to attend residential school or should they have been able to continue learning both in a traditional way and in a regular school as Larry did until grade three? Discuss in a group, reflecting on what you have just read.

Why did the government decide Indigenous children had to attend residential schools? What was the goal of these schools?

Why do you think the author wanted to write this book?

What do you think the author’s message is?

Do you think the author achieved his goal? Why or why not?

If you are reading this book with older students, have them research a local residential school (or one in your region) and write a report on their findings. They can present their report to other classes or even staff members.

Encourage students to write down questions they have after reading the book. These questions will help lead to an inquiry that can prompt cross-curricular connections.

100 Years of Loss: Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools:
https://humanrights.ca/education-resources/record/fcf5090e-17ae-4455-96b2-180227cabe68/

Statement of apology to former students of Indian Residential Schools — Prime Minister Harper, June 11, 2008:
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100015644/1571589171655

Project of Heart:
http://projectofheart.ca/teacher-guideslesson-plans/

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation:
https://nctr.ca/map.php

Truth and Reconciliation Commission:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/truth-and-reconciliation-commission

Residential Schools:
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools/