B1. The Oral Tradition
Specific Expectations
Oral Text Forms and Their Use
B1.1
identify various text forms associated with the oral traditions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures; explain their purpose and symbolic meaning (e.g., welcoming addresses, oral stories, affirmations, and songs acknowledge past, present, and future creation and provide the context for various gatherings; the Haudenosaunee Great Law connects the past to current and future ways of life by providing an in-depth reiteration of history); and describe several different customs governing their use (e.g., youth are encouraged to participate in ceremonies and offer welcoming addresses to ensure that cultural protocols and Indigenous languages are sustained; welcoming songs are sung as women give birth to accept the baby into the community)
- What important information do the Tlingit people convey through song? Why do you think it might be challenging in contemporary society to settle a dispute by gifting a song? What conditions must be present for such a peace-making strategy to work?
- What does the relationship between pipe and pipe carrier in many First Nations cultures imply about the beliefs and perspectives of the culture with respect to communicating something of importance? How is the pipe carrier role connected to oral tradition? What might be an equivalent relationship and/or oral cultural text form in contemporary society?
Figures and Their Function
B1.2
describe a variety of significant figures from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit oral stories (e.g., Grandfather Sun, Kuikuhâchâu or Wolverine, Great Spirit or Creator, Mother Earth, Weesageechak, Coyote, the Three Sisters), including their origins, roles, characteristics, and behaviour, and explain how they reflect a particular culture’s world view (e.g., spirit helpers known by the Métis as Ma-ma-kwa-se-sak or the “Little People” come to the aid of those in need, demonstrating the close connection between the human and spiritual worlds)
- How does the trickster in Cree oral stories compare to the trickster in Mi’kmaq stories? In what ways do the teachings of the characters from these two traditions differ? In what ways are they the same? How do their actions explain elements of nature?
- What differences or similarities can you identify in the Raven of Inuit and West Coast Salish oral traditions?
Societal Influences
B1.3
explain the influence of a variety of social, economic, and/or political forces (e.g., political oppression as a result of colonialist policies, rapid technological change, the movement of First Nations and Inuit youth away from their communities) on the disruption or continuation of oral traditions in contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
- How does transcribing an oral text into writing affect its interpretation? What are the social implications for the transmission of knowledge?
Culturally Appropriate Listening Practices
B1.4
select and use culturally appropriate listening practices during oral teachings by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit speakers (e.g., demonstrate respect for the length of time a speaker needs to convey ideas; refrain from writing notes during a telling unless specifically permitted to do so; make personal connections to a teaching by an Elder, Métis Senator, knowledge keeper, or knowledge holder for the purpose of applying the learning to their own circumstances)
- Why might it be important to hear an oral teaching repeatedly?
- What strategies can you use to remember oral information without taking notes or using recording devices?
