Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Look at the front cover depicting a young person with a fox mask. Ask students: Why do you think the title of the book is Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox? Do you think animals have feelings? If so, how do you think a fox feels?

With the class, look at each illustration in the book and ask students to describe the animal that they see in each mask. Ask them what characteristics they think each of the animals has. Write these on a chart under the headings “Animal” and “Characteristics.”

The author makes a dedication “to the thousands of Métis and Indigenous children who grew up never knowing their totem animal.” Ask students: Why do you think the author made this dedication to those children? (Note: Think about age-appropriate explanations for the negative influences of residential schools, cultural loss, the Sixties Scoop, moving away from their communities, etc.)

As you read through the book, document the description of each of the animals. With students, create a chart to capture each animal’s characteristics. (Chart headings can be “Animal,” “Feeling” and “Character Trait.”)

Generate a list of different feelings with students. Have them choose one to discuss with a partner, telling about a time when they have experienced this feeling.

Invite a local Indigenous knowledge keeper, Elder or Métis senator to be a guest in your classroom to discuss with students the importance of totems. You may connect with a local Indigenous Friendship Center to locate someone to speak with your class.

Using the list at the end of the story, explore each of the animals and the trait that the author associates with the animal. Have students choose one animal and write a connection they may have to the meaning of the totem.

Ask students to journal their feelings and create pictures of how they feel each day as you explore the story.

Invite an Elder, senator or knowledge keeper to speak with your class to share information about the concepts of clans, totems and doodems. If you have an Indigenous lead within your school system, they may be able to help with this. Understanding that clans are systems within Indigenous cultures will help students understand the concepts that the author was exploring.

Have students create masks of animals of their choice. They can accompany their masks with a written statement about their choice of animal and how they connected to the characteristic traits of that animal.

Please note to the class that these are not ceremonial masks as some Indigenous cultures create and wear, but masks specifically related to the story. It should be kept in the realm of feelings and character values, and please do not tell the students that these are their spirit animals or totems.

Have students do some early investigation on one of the animals in the book. They can write in a research frame:

• Name of animal:
• Drawing of animal:
• My animal lives in:
• My animal eats:
• Two interesting facts about my animal:

Locate within your area the nearest First Nations community and Métis community. Using the internet, do some research on the community. Invite a guest speaker to share some information about the community with your class. When you invite them, you may ask them to talk about their totem/doodem and how this helps to guide their life. In many Indigenous cultures, it is appropriate to offer a tie of tobacco when inviting the Indigenous person to speak to the group.

Anishnawbe Health Toronto — Traditional Teaching and Other Brochures (for information on clans and the four sacred medicines):
https://aht.ca/our-approach/traditional-teachings