Introduction

The purpose of this Web page is to lead your through the important links in the Aboriginal People module of 'Early Canada: A Brave New World'.

The links in this module come from all over the World Wide Web and represent a variety of viewpoints. You should complete the Internet activities in order and independantly.

Pay close attention to spelling and grammar and be sure to answer in complete sentences when directed to.

Internet Activities

The Arrival of the Europeans

1. When Cartier sailed farther up the gulf and into the Bay of Gaspé, he and his men were greeted warmly by a group from the Iroquoian nation. This video shows a dramatized version of this first meeting. Tell three interesting things that you noticed.
2. Look at this film with a critical eye. Name two things that 'might' be exagerated or innaccurate.
3. If you could learn something more about this first meeting between Jacque Cartier and chief, Donnacona, what would that be? Why ?

The Mi'kmaq (Micmac) People

1. The Micmacs divided their territory into seven districts. Name two districts and tell what part of present day Canada do those two districts cover?
2. To maintain a large family, the Chief took several wives. Why was a large family important to them?
3. After reading about the Mi'kmaq people, state two ways their society was similar and different to ours.

The Mi'kmaqs

1. At the time of the first contact with European explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mi'kmaq lived in the region now known as the ______________ and the ____________.
2. Tell three things about the basic structure of the wigwam.
3. The Mikmaq people depended on their environment to live. Give three examples of this.

The History of the Mi'kmaq People

1. Explain how the First Nations people came to North America.
2. Why was the Mi'kmaq's educational system important to their survival?
3. Describe how the Mi'kmaq's record its own history. Why do you think recording their history was important to them?

Things Are Not Always How They Seem

1. Imagine that you are a young Mi'kmaq boy or girl during the 1500's. What are your feelings about having a large group of men settling in your country? Write four sentences describing your feelings.
2. What was a positive outcome of the Europeans coming to Canada?
3. What was one of the tragic consequences of the Eurpopeans coming to Canada?

The Canoe

1. Choose two of the pictures on 'The Canoe' web page. Click on the pictures and look carefully at what is happening. Write a sentence describing each picture.
2. As the FUR TRADE grew, the French set up a factory to make their own canoes at Trois-Rivières. What was the fur trade and how did it begin?
3. The Europeans and explorers learned how to suvive in Canada by watching the Aboriginal people. Give two examples of this in relation to canoes.

Wigwams

1. 1)Scroll to 'Return to NativeTech's Main Wigwam Menu' link at the bottom of the page. Click 2) Click on 'Early Historic Descriptions of Wigwams'. Scroll to the 1625 description of a wigwam . Using many parts of this description, draw a colored picture.

Moccasins

1. Using the photos create a table comparing similarities and differences between the following mocassins: the Anishnaabe Saulteaux type mocassins, the Tse Tsehese Stahase type mocassins, the Ah-ah-nee-nin type mocassins and the Tsuu T'ina type mocassins
2. The moccasin, the Aboriginal footwear of the Northern Plains was both practical, and stylish. The moccasin decorations often held spiritual meaning for these people. Explain what that spiritual meaning was.
3. Which mocassins were made so that the wearer could feel the earth beneath his feet?

Storytelling: The Art of Knowledge

1. Click on the Algonquin link. The writer describes his concern about how much has been taken from his people. What are these three things does he refer to? What three things does he feel will help the survival of the Algonquin people?
2. After looking at the pipe (click on it for an enlarged picture) tell what the pipe symbolized during times of storytelling.
3. Tell two differences between the Nisga's and the Mi’kmaq's stories.

Other Aborigional Groups in Early Canada

1. Contact with Europeans occurred as early as the 16th century. Directly or indirectly, the Cree and Ojibway traded fur in exchange for rifles, steel knives and manufactured goods. How did this affect the Cree and Ojibway culture?
2. Little by little the aboriginal people became dependent upon European goods. Name two ways this affected the aboriginal people.
3. In the 1800's, the new English settlers were more interested in land than furs. How did this affect the Cree and Ojibway people?

Conclusion

While exploring this sampler on Aboriginal People, we hope you've had fun and learned about the important role the aboriginal people had in the beginning of Canada. Since there is so much imformation in this first module, go back and explore some of the other links. Be prepared to tell what you have learned and think about how this piece of Canada's history affects our life today.