My Name is Seepeetza

Students may have a wider variety of understanding of the Indian Residential School systems that were instituted by the federal government. Working with a KWL chart (What do I Know? What do I Want to know? and What did I Learn?), have students generate a list of things they know about residential schools and questions they might have about the residential school systems. Post these questions so the students can think about them as they work through the book and related activities. At the end, go back to the chart and see which questions can be answered. Also, have a look at the list of items that the students think they know and confirm whether this is accurate thinking or if new thinking/ understanding has taken place.

Further reading:
Residential schools began in Canada in the 19th century and the last school closed in 1996.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-history-of-residential-schools-in-canada-1.702280

Locate the region of the Interior Salish people in British Columbia. You may wish to use the website https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ interior-salish-first-nations to assist with gathering information. While the town of Firefly and the Kalamak Indian Residential School are fictional, they are based on the author’s personal experience in residential school. Map out the area of the Interior Salish Nation and locate the Indian residential schools in the Syilx/Okanagan Nation region. https://www.syilx.org/wellness/indian- residential-school/

Generate questions with the students that they are interested in learning about the four First Nation Groups of the Lillooet, Secwepemc, Nlaka’pamux and Okanagan of the Salish Nation. Using strategies such as idea webs or charts, have the students choose one area or question they are most curious about, and then work with them to locate and gather information that pertains to their question. Discuss some strategies with your students to critically examine the information authenticity of the texts as they research.

Explore the students’ understanding of the journal text form. What do they know about the journal genre? Record these characteristics for students to view. If you have worked with this genre before, connect to other texts that have been explored.

Read the dedication and poem “Coyote Laughs,” found at the beginning of the book, to the class. Ask the students what they think the author’s message is for readers. Discuss the responses as a class.

Further examine the text, keeping in mind figures of speech (http://examples. yourdictionary.com/figure-of-speech-examples.html). Post the poem “Coyote Laughs” so the students can see it. Read the first two lines of the poem and discuss the meaning that the author is trying to convey. Examine some figures of speech and identify some that the author is using here (i.e. alliteration, sibilance, personification, enjambment, tone shift).

Journal Writing (September 11, 1958)

Seepeetza tells her friend Cookie that she wants to keep a secret journal for a year. Why do you think the nuns won’t approve of this? Why do you think Seepeetza feels it is important to keep a journal for a year?

Home Is Where the Heart Is (September 18, 1958)

Home holds a special place in Seepeetza’s heart. She describes cooking at the school and how everyone felt while working together. She then goes on to describe her home and the evening activities. After reading this passage, discuss with the children the feelings that Seepeetza evokes as she describes her memories with her family. Record these using a T-chart with the headings “Feeling” and “Evidence.”

Create a T-Chart: Using a large piece of Chart Paper create two columns. Label one “Feeling” and the second “Evidence.” Record student ideas and thoughts in the appropriate columns.

Conflict (October 2, 1958)

Seepeetza describes a conflict at school with her schoolmates. Discuss ways that you address conflict and in this case name calling within your school community.

Loss of Culture (October 30,1958)

In the final two sentences of the journal entry, Seepeetza’s grandmother is quoted as saying “Quaslametko didn’t want her and her brothers and sisters to go to school, because school would turn them into white people. They wouldn’t be able to hunt or fish or make baskets or anything useful anymore.” Given what you have learned about residential schools, why do you think Quaslametko believes this to be true?

Loss of Language (November 13, 1958)

Seepeetza expresses a desire to learn Indigenous languages and be an interpreter like her father, but her father and mother do not wish to teach them their language. Seepeetza wonders why it is bad. Why do you think the nuns and priests strap the children for speaking their own language?

Conflicting Emotions (November 13, 1958)

Seepeetza comments on a photo taken of the Irish dancing group she was part of. She says, “I look happy. How can I look happy when I’m scared all the time?” Why do you think she is asking this?

New Year’s Eve (December 31, 1958)

Seepeetza describes a family gathering on New Year’s Eve. How were her celebrations similar and different to those you and/or others in your community have?

Irish Dancing (Throughout the story)

Irish dancing plays a major role in the spare time that Seepeetza has at school. Although she is a leader in the dance group and is good at it, she does not enjoy the activity. Discuss why you think the students at the school are only allowed to do Irish dance and not engage in traditional Indigenous dances during their time at school.

The Hollywood Version (Thursday, May 14, 1959)

Seepeetza writes “We can see them from the dorm and hear them whooping like Indians in the movies. The Indians in the movies are not like anyone else I know. Real Indians are just people like anyone else except they love the mountains.” Discuss this passage and elicit from the student what they think she means by this statement. Why do they think that the movies may portray people differently than they actually are? Media Literacy Connection: This raises an opportunity to discuss stereotypes/ concepts perpetuated by the media. How does the media shape our perceptions and beliefs.

Importance of Place (Thursday, May 14, 1959)

Read this passage: “There is something really special about being mountain people. It’s a feeling like you know who you are, and you know each other. You belong to the mountains.” Using the Think-Pair-Share strategy (see below), ask the students the following question: “Why do you think having a place you go where you know who you are and who you belong to is important?” Following this, the student can write a paragraph to respond to this question. Offer students an opportunity to reflect on if they have a place such as this. They can also create a drawing/ image of this place for an Art connection.

Think-Pair-Share: Students think independently and may write down their thoughts, then they pair with a partner, share with and listen to their partner, and finally share with the larger group.

Loss of a Friend (June 4, 1959)

Seepeetza learns of the deaths of two children with whom she attended school. One of them was her friend Charlie. How did learning about his death impact her? What are some things that a person can do to help them with the loss of a friend or a situation that is difficult?

View “Heritage Minute: Chanie Wenjack” to watch a short documentary on Chanie “ Charlie” Wenjack whose death sparked the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_tcCpKtoU

Potlatch Ceremony (August 20, 1959)

Seepeetza describes the potlatch that was held in honor of her aunt Alice’s passing. Explore the importance of having a ceremony to honor the life of someone and specifically, the potlatch ceremony of the Salish people. Ask the students to describe the ceremonies their families participate in, if they know of them.

SFU: Potlatch https://www.sfu.ca/brc/online_exhibits/masks-2-0/the-potlatch-ban.html

Canada’s First Peoples http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc5.html

Discuss with the students their understanding of an apology, its importance and what must be present (criteria) in order for an apology to be effective.
Watch a short video on the Prime Minister’s apology for the Government of Canada’s role in the Indian Residential School system. Discuss with students the significance of this apology. Explore different viewpoints about its impact.

Canadian Federal Government Apology to First Nations, June 11, 2008 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCpn1erz1y8 Written: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100015644/1571589171655

Commentary: Why silence greeted Stephen Harper’s residential-school apology https://www.straight.com/article-150021/unyas-lynda-gray-responds-prime- ministers-apology

If you have access to a local community member who is a residential school survivor, you may work with your community, school support, administrator, etc. to invite them in to speak to the class about some of their experiences in the schooling system. If you do not have access to a speaker, you may view an online video of a survivor’s personal experiences. Be sure to preview these before you share with your class and ensure that you have supports in the class for your students in the event that any students are triggered by listening to a survivor’s personal story.