Brother Bear:
A Question of Spirituality Movie Reflection
Native Spirituality – Brother Bear
Outcome / Indicators of Mastery / /4S1. Native Spirituality: Elders Speak Their Wisdom
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the beliefs, customs, and values of traditional Mi’kmaq spirituality and an appreciation for the way in which Native people live their spirituality daily. / · Approach the exploration of Mi’kmaq spirituality in an open and respectful manner.
· Identify elements of spirituality, including beliefs, rituals, symbols, sacred places, and ethical codes.
· Identify beliefs, values, and customs of traditional Mi’kmaq spirituality.
· Demonstrate an appreciation for the way in which Native people live their spirituality.
· Demonstrate an understanding of the role elders and oral traditions play in keeping spiritual knowledge alive.
S4. The Encircling Traditions: Mi’kmaq Spirituality Today Students will explore the renewal of traditional spirituality within the Mi’kmaq community and the response of the institutional church to this renewal. / · Identify key issues and concerns relating to renewal of Native spirituality
· Gain experimental knowledge of traditional rituals and symbols and reflect on their personal meanings.
· Use an experience of poetry to synthesize their understanding of Mi’kmaq spirituality as it has been practised over the centuries.
Option #1: According to Terri Jean, “when it comes to the concept of Native Americans and their spirituality, mainstream America has a truly misconstrued ideal of Native culture and religious beliefs.” Is Disney’s Brother Bear another instance of commercializing Native Spirituality or is it a genuine attempt to reflect the spirituality and ideology of Native Culture? Explain with examples from the film.
Option #2: Compare and contrast the film Brother Bear with another film, book, piece of art, music, etc. that attempts to show, explain, or focus on Native spirituality or culture. Which piece do you feel most accurately portrays Native culture? Explain using examples.
Option #3: For each outcome describe a scene in the movie that best describes native perspective. For each scene write OR recreate the scene so that you show what happened. Why did this scene seem to fit the outcome? Remember to use supporting detail in your answer. You will then create an additional scene. This scene should be of your own creation and should tell of what happened after European contact. Again for this created scene describe OR show what happened and why you created this scene to show how the native peoples responded to European contact.