by boot | Feb 20, 2025
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...
by boot | Feb 20, 2025
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.
by boot | Feb 20, 2025
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.
by boot | Feb 20, 2025
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...
by boot | Feb 19, 2025
Ask students: What do you think a “sprig” is? What did Yayah and Shi-shi-etko visit? Look up pictures of the various trees to give students some understanding about what each species of tree looks like. Cross-curricular Connections: Science (Plants, Habitats and...
