Before Reading

1. Invite students to draw a mind map with the word “knowledge” in the centre. Then, have them brainstorm
ideas and thoughts around this topic, referring as needed to question prompts such as:

• What is knowledge? What isn’t it?

• How closely is knowledge tied to environment, stories, and history?

• How do concepts such as trust and honour play into the transmission of cultural knowledge?

• How do concepts like racism and colonialism affect knowledge sharing and valuing?

• Does all knowledge come from humans?

• Can you identify cultures or belief systems that acknowledge different forms of knowledge transmission?

• Can you separate culture from knowledge?

• Do all knowledges evolve? Or are there ancient knowledges that need to be reaffirmed in contemporary
times?

2. Have students share their mind maps in a small group. Encourage them to circle any repeating concepts,
and add their collective discoveries to their own mind map.

17 Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3

 Indigenous Knowledges: The Past,
the Present, and the Future
Indigenous Knowledge is the
understandings, skills, and
philosophies developed by
societies with long histories of
interaction with their natural
surroundings. It relates to many
aspects of human society, such
as agriculture, food production,
18
medicine, land management,
ecological management,
natural resource management,
development activities, pastoral
systems, and disaster risk
management.
Since time immemorial, this
information has been passed
Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3
down orally, as most Indigenous
communities did not traditionally
have written languages.
Leaders and Elders commonly
repeat teachings, stories, and
historical events to ensure they
are remembered.
 Sharing Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge is the
foundation of many decisions
made within Indigenous
communities. However, it is
sometimes only reluctantly shared
with outsiders.
Colonization has played a
role in hindering Indigenous
Knowledge-sharing. Indigenous
communities have been
negatively impacted by
colonization, so Indigenous
Peoples sometimes choose to
protect untouched knowledge
to ensure it is preserved and
respected. As well, barriers
have been created because of
the messaging to Indigenous
Changing attitudes
Slowly, however, attitudes
towards Indigenous Knowledge
are changing. Today, Indigenous
Knowledge is being credited for a
wealth of traditional technologies
that include hunting, agriculture,
ethnobotany, ecological
knowledge, and midwifery.
Caring for the environment
There has always been a strong
connection between Indigenous
Peoples and the Earth. Members
of Indigenous communities
have passed down knowledge
for generations about the
relationship people have with
the planet and all living plants
and animals within it. As well,
Definitions
Indigenous Peoples: the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
peoples
Six Nations: the Iroquois Confederacy – First Nations/Native American Peoples including the Mohawk, Oneida,
Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora
19
Peoples over the years that the
Western way of doing things is far
superior – even though settlers in
Canada have been depending on
Indigenous Knowledge since the
arrival of Europeans.
For instance, in 1535, during the
first winter that Jacques Cartier
spent in Canada, only 10 of the
110 men who accompanied the
explorer were in good health. The
others were ill, mainly from scurvy,
which is caused by a vitamin C
deficiency. Many, however, were
saved by drinking an Indigenous
tea made from Vitamin-C rich
coniferous needles and tree bark.
In Ontario, for example, Six
Nations has an Indigenous
birthing centre incorporating
Indigenous Knowledge. The
building is designed to be
culturally inclusive with large
rooms to welcome many family
members. Traditional Indigenous
Indigenous Peoples have always
had protocols, practices, and
systems in place to ensure
the needs of everyone in their
community were looked after.
Before there were shopping
centres, grocery stores, and
hospitals, Indigenous Peoples
Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3
Did you know?
Oral teachings exist in every
culture, probably even within
your home. Information that
is passed down through
oral tradition can include
a story about your great
grandfather, the way a child
is taught by a parent how to
mow a lawn, or grandma’s
special recipe.
Indigenous technology, such as
clothing and snowshoes, also
played a key role in helping
trappers and early settlers to
survive the Canadian winters.
medicine is used alongside
Western medicine, and midwives
are trained in and practice
both approaches to facilitating
childbirth.
cared for themselves by living in
harmony with their environment.
Indigenous Knowledge that
was passed down generation to
generation included important
information on sustainably
managing resources such as fish
and buffalo to ensure they were
not depleted.
 UNDRIP and Indigenous Knowledge
The United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (UNDRIP) is a non-
legally-binding resolution
passed by the United Nations
in 2007.
UNDRIP delineates and defines
the individual and collective
rights of Indigenous Peoples,
including their ownership rights
to cultural and ceremonial
expression, identity, language,
employment, health, education,
and other issues.
The goal of the declaration is
to encourage countries to work
alongside Indigenous Peoples to
solve global issues, and there is
a major emphasis on Indigenous
Peoples being able to protect
their cultural heritage and
For example, since time
immemorial, members of the
Gitxaała Nation, on the north
coast of British Columbia, have
followed Traditional Teachings
that include trust, honour,
and respect of the Earth and
what it means to live with the
land, sea, and their resources.
Today, the Nation applies these
Teachings through the Gitxaała
Fisheries Program by monitoring
catches and assessing fisheries
management plans that affect
Gitxaała’s marine environment.
Meanwhile, in the Fort St. John
region of the province, Tiffany
Traverse, a Secwépemc land and
Definitions
mitigate: to reduce the harmful effects of something
20
other aspects of their culture
and traditions.
Article 31 states: “Indigenous
Peoples have the right to
maintain, control, protect, and
develop their cultural heritage,
traditional knowledge and
traditional cultural expressions,
as well as the manifestations
of their sciences, technologies
and cultures, including human
and genetic resources, seeds,
medicines, knowledge of the
properties of fauna and flora,
oral traditions, literatures,
designs, sports and traditional
games and visual and
performing arts. They also have
the right to maintain, control,
protect and develop their
intellectual property over such
cultural heritage, traditional
seed steward, is leading growing
trials to understand what plant
varieties can endure current and
future environmental stressors.
For her, each seed sown is a
part of life on Earth, a reminder
of those who came before her
and a valuable resource that will
shape a food system resilient to
climate change.
Ms. Traverse told the Globe and
Mail that Indigenous people have
been selecting and saving seed
varieties for generations.
“Indigenous people have been
doing that forever,” she told a
reporter. “Stories in that ancestral
Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3
knowledge, and traditional
cultural expressions.”
What does Article 31 mean
for Indigenous Knowledge in
Canada? Imagine, for example,
that the government wants to
develop a piece of land, and
must avoid building in an area
that’s significant to the local
First Nation. Rather than asking
the Nation directly to share
the location of sacred sites,
officials could share their plans
and ask the Nation to let them
know key areas that should not
be disturbed without asking
specifically why these areas are
significant. This approach shows
respect because it honours that
not all Indigenous Knowledge
needs to be shared.
memory are so closely tied to seed
for me.”
She said Indigenous-led
agriculture and land-based
knowledge is a key, but missing,
piece in the discussion around
mitigating climate change.
“It comes back to caring for the
land and to help inform how we’re
going to move forward in any
kind of conservation,” she said.
“Where I see myself is just helping
to weave those pathways between
the Western science-informed
lens, but also to really advocate
and elevate Indigenous voices…”
 Looking to the stars
Indigenous communities
are also finding ways to
share their traditional
knowledge with members of
the public and demonstrate
the ancient teachings of
sophisticated science.
At a Dark-Sky Festival in Wood
Buffalo Park in northern Alberta,
astronomers shared their
interpretation of the science and
spoke of auroras, while Indigenous
Knowledge Keepers such as Paul
Boucher, an Elder from Salt River
First Nation, shared his knowledge
of the Northern Lights and
teachings he has received from his
Elders. Many Cree communities
believe the northern lights are
Clam gardens and fish weirs
Indigenous Knowledge spans
our Earth from the night sky
down to the deep depths of
sea. One example? Indigenous
communities have been building
clam gardens for at least 3500
years – before the time when
the pyramids in Egypt were built.
Some of the oldest clam gardens,
whose ages were determined
through carbon dating, are still in
use today in B.C.
Clam gardens are miniature
seawalls built below the water
that create an ideal environment
for clams and other shellfish to
inhabit. They can be found along
the length of the coast.
“The really neat thing is they’re
still there, through storms and
everything,” Christine Roberts,
an archeologist with the Wei Wai
21
spirits or ancestors dancing across
the sky.
In schools today, students
learning about astronomy and
constellations are taught about
Greek and Roman mythology –
they learn about the Orion Belt,
and Hercules, for instance. But
now there are efforts being made
to incorporate more Indigenous
Knowledge into this education.
The stars and night sky have
played a significant role in
the history of Indigenous
communities. Wilfred Buck, a
science facilitator at the Manitoba
First Nations Education Resource
Centre (MFNERC) and member
Kum First Nation. “They’re still
perfect and usable.”
Fishing and harvesting from the
sea, rivers, and lakes has always
played a large role in Indigenous
communities. In Lake Babine
First Nation in Northern B.C.,
archaeologists set out to confirm
oral history passed down through
Indigenous Knowledge about an
ancient fishing village.
Archaeologists explained that the
oral history had been fragmented
due to colonization and the loss
of traditional languages. Still,
following the stories that have
been passed down for thousands
of years, they were able to find
remnants of a large village. Some
of the items recovered were
fishing weirs. The village was most
likely a summer village used for
Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3
of Opaskwayak Cree Nation,
has a portable planetarium that
he takes to schools to teach
science that includes Indigenous
Knowledge and Indigenous
perspectives. He shared his
knowledge of astronomy, the
role the night sky played for his
ancestors, and the northern lights,
with CBC News.
“In the wintertime, when
these lights were in the sky
most prominently, there was
a connection, a connection to
alternate realities, to the spirit
world,” Wilfred Buck said. “And
that connection was strong.”
harvesting and then preserving
salmon for winter months.
“It’s an area that has never been
explored archaeologically... that
really is kind of a black hole,”
project director and archaeologist
Farid Rahemtulla said. “This is
really kind of all brand new and
pretty exciting for the archaeology
and Indigenous communities in
general.”
The scientist shared that the weirs
were technologically advanced,
demonstrating the complexity of
the Indigenous Knowledge that
was present even one thousand
years ago.
 Appreciating Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge is the
result of thousands of years
of information-gathering and
education, and it is highly
relevant and useful in today’s
world. It is deserving of the
respect and appreciation of all
Canadians, as we seek to gain a
better understanding of our past,
present, and future, and work
towards a healthier and more
sustainable environment.
As Justin Sidon, a student in the
Indigenous Land Stewardship
program and Vancouver’s
Native Education College, said,
“[Indigenous Knowledge] is
just… applying an old way of
thinking to this modern world…
I think deep down as a human
being… you know we depend on a
healthy environment.”

22 Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3

 After Reading
A. Discussion
1. What impacts has colonization had on the sharing of knowledge within Indigenous communities and with
those who are non-Indigenous?

2. What are some of the traditional technologies that are currently influencing academia and other fields?
What does the use of these technologies suggest about the complexity and value of Indigenous Knowledge?

3. Respond to this quote from the article: “Indigenous Knowledge is the result of thousands of years of
information-gathering and education, and it is highly relevant and useful in today’s world. It is deserving
of the respect and appreciation of all Canadians, as we seek to gain a better understanding of our past,
present, and future, and work towards a healthier and more sustainable environment.”

• What this quote is saying is…

• It’s important because..

4. In your own words, explain what Article 31 of UNDRIP means for Indigenous Knowledge in Canada.

B. Exploration and Reflection

As a class, identify and discuss the key ideas about Indigenous Knowledge expressed in the article (e.g., for
hundreds of years, information has been passed down in Indigenous communities, orally; colonization has had
a negative impact on the preservation, sharing, and valuing of Indigenous knowledge; the scope and depth
of Indigenous Knowledge and traditional technologies is wide-reaching and can enhance and inform current
practices in many fields).

Distribute to each student, or pair of students, a copy of The Impact of Indigenous Knowledge (p. 24). Invite
students to use the article first to list examples of Indigenous Knowledge shared in the past and present, then
describe or infer the impact of each.

Finally, ask students to speculate on the future benefits of each example: How might the sharing of this
knowledge benefit others (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people)?

You may find it helpful to work through this example together:

Examples of Indigenous Knowledge Impact Future Benefits

• tea made from coniferous needles
& tree bark contains properties
(Vitamin C) that combats scurvy
• many of Jacques Cartier’s men
(and other colonizers) were cured
from scurvy or were prevented
from getting it
• learning more about medicinal
properties/uses of plants
(ethnobotany) may help
scientists or doctors find natural
remedies/cures for common
illnesses

23 Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3

 The Impact of Indigenous Knowledge
Examples of
Impact Future Benefits
Indigenous Knowledge

Six Nations birthing

centre

Gitxaała Fisheries
Program

Secwépemc seed-
saving in Fort St. John

Wood Buffalo
Dark-Sky Festival

MFNERC’s portable
planetarium

Clam gardens

Ancient Lake Babine

First Nation fishing
village

24 Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3

 Extensions
1. As a class, watch the National Film Board short film “Carrying Fire” by Marie Burke: https://www.nfb.ca/
film/vistas_carrying_fire/ [3:47]. Invite students to make text-to-text connections between the film
and the article by answering the question: How do prose and film evoke different understandings and
experiences around a central shared theme (in this case, the passing down of knowledge)?

2. Research Indigenous youth perspectives on climate change through the APTN website: https://aptnnews.
ca/climatechange/ Have students watch one or more of the short videos and create a response chart
with the following headings: What are the issues facing the North? What is the impact of climate change
on northern communities? What do you find most interesting and/or inspiring about the solutions that
Indigenous youth have created?

3. Watch the short interview with Indigenous climate activist India Logan-Riley “Stepping in the shoes of the
pathways laid down by our ancestors” at https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/entries/stepping-
in-the-shoes-of-the-pathways-laid-down-by-our-ancestors?rq=LOgan%20Riley [3:07]. Pose these
viewing questions and discuss afterwards: According to India, what role do ancestors play in caring for the
environment? What role do youth play in building climate solutions?

4. Assign small groups of students to research one of the examples of Indigenous Knowledge shared in the
article, then have groups create an annotated digital collage (images with captions), using an app like
PicCollage, to highlight and share key findings with the class.

5. Read one or more of the stories in “The Sharing Circle: Stories about First Nations Culture” by Theresa
Meuse (author, contributor) and Arthur Stevens (illustrator) to your class. The book includes seven
children’s stories about Mi’kmaq cultural and spiritual practices. After reading, in a sharing circle, invite
students to share one or more oral traditions – teachings, stories, or practices – passed down through their
families.

6. Read “Solomon’s Tree” by Andrea Spalding (author) and Janet Wilson (illustrator) aloud to the class,
using the strategy of ‘Listen-Sketch-Draft’ (developed by Close, Brownlie & Wingren, 1990). In this story,
“Solomon has a special friendship with the big old maple outside his house. He knows the tree in all
seasons and all weathers. When a terrible storm tears it up by its roots, Solomon is devastated. But through
the healing process of making a mask from part of the tree with his uncle, he learns that the cycle of life
continues and so does the friendship between himself and the tree.” After reading, ask students to reflect
on the lessons Solomon learned from the tree and his uncle. Download a Listen-Sketch-Draft template, at:
http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/worksheets/listen_sketch_draft.pdf

7. Using appropriate technology, project this blog written by Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc: “What Does
Indigenous Knowledge Mean? A Compilation of Attributes”: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-does-
indigenous-knowledge-mean. Attributes such as adaptive, cumulative, dynamic, holistic, non-linear,
irreplaceable are used to describe Indigenous Knowledge (IK). Assign each pair or small group of students
one of the attributes and challenge them to find connections to or examples of their given attribute in the
article, then explain the significance or impact of the attribute to non-Indigenous Canadians. Invite students
to share their reflections in a sharing circle.

25 Building Bridges 2022/2023: Level 2, Issue 3