RLI Métis Foundational Knowledge Themes Moodle Course
November 2024 Moodle Cohort!
We hope you are excited to begin (or continue) your learning journey about the Métis Nation.
Once the course begins, please LOG-IN to your MOODLE COURSE using the username and
temporary password that was sent to your email address.
Each week, an RLI Education Team Member will post two questions (TRIVIA and REFLECTION) in this post.
RESPOND by clicking 'Reply' to ONE QUESTION OR BOTH QUESTIONS each week.
● All responses will be collected as entries in a draw for a printed set of the Métis Foundational Knowledge Themes
(the draw will take place at the end of the month).
● You may respond to the questions at any time throughout the month; it does not have to be the same week that it was posted.
● In your post, please ensure you reference which question you're responding to (For example: Week 1 Trivia)
In a post below, please introduce yourself!
What is your name?
Where are you joining from?
Why did you sign up for the Moodle Course?
WEEK 1 TRIVIA:
True or false: Beading, jigging, fiddling, and playing the spoons are all some activities that Métis people practice.
Answer: True- these are all traditional practices often embraced by Métis peoples.
WEEK 1 REFLECTION:
"Michif language is the essence of the [Métis] culture. If you learn the language, you will learn who we are as a people." - Vice-President Dan Cardinal
The languages spoken by Métis are inherently connected to Métis culture and identity. As you learn about the languages traditionally spoken by Métis, what do you learn about Métis identity and culture?
WEEK 2 TRIVIA:
What was the starting date of the Red River Resistance?
Answer: July 5, 1869
WEEK 2 REFLECTION:
“Without [their] culture, without that strong line from [their] forefathers, no [person] knows who [they] really [are]. If one does not know who [they are], [they] cannot possess pride or dignity for [themselves] or [their] people.”
-Dr. Anne Anderson, Métis scholar and leader
Dr. Anne Anderson highlights the key relationship between a person's identity and their cultural heritage. Why would it be important to celebrate distinct Métis culture in an educational community?
WEEK 3 TRIVIA:
What areas are considered part of the Métis Homeland?
Answer: The Métis Homeland spans across Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and some parts of the NWT and more) and Northern sections of the US (some parts of North Dakota and Minnesota).
WEEK 3 REFLECTION:
“Through the hunt, Métis could understand themselves as a web of kin relations, expressing a collective political will through an assembly of inter-related families that choose a mutually agreed upon leadership.”
–Adam Gaudry, “Kaa-tipeyimishoyaahk—‘We Are Those Who Own Ourselves’:
A Political History of Métis Self-Determination in the North-West, 1830-1870” (PhD
dissertation, University of Victoria, 2014), 29.
Dr. Adam Gaudry highlights how wahkohtowin (being related or relationality) is a core framework guiding Métis governance. Is this a narrative you have encountered before when learning about the Métis? Why would it be important to reinforce wahkohtowin and otipemisiwak as Métis Ways of Being for learners?
WEEK 4 TRIVIA:
Name three traditional pieces of Métis apparel.
Answer: Buffalo coats, capotes, Métis sash, buckskin shirts, moccasins
WEEK 4 REFLECTION:
“Learning history through textbooks is not enough. It is important for students to learn by hearing stories of the past. Stories help to create empathy and engage students, giving them an opportunity to see things from another perspective." - Norma Spicer
In what ways do K-12 students in Alberta benefit from learning about Métis stories around Alberta? Share an example of how you have witnessed a learner’s perspective develop/change by learning about Indigenous histories in their area if you have one.
------------------------------
RCTL Education Team
Rupertsland Institute
------------------------------