Possible Ways to use the Coast Salish 13 Moons

as a Cultural Framework

*The Na’tsa’maht document offers numerous strategies as well.

Administration and Staff

  • Explore the question:Why does ancient wisdom matter in the modern world?
  • Include information on CS Moons in staff meetings, agendas, school newsletters, pre-ordered student agendas, and on school websites, emails, etc.
  • Take staff off-site to learn in nature together
  • Name areas of the school to reflect local culture
  • Start a school book club featuring Traditional Ecological Knowledge or other topics of interest
  • Acknowledge the Traditional Territory (See Traditional Territory Acknowledgment Information Sheet for details and scripts)
  • Reflect on the First Peoples Principles of Learning regularly
  • Connect with Aboriginal Education Staff

Whole-school Cultural Events

  • Have a science fair with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) themes
  • Incorporate harvesting, preparing, preserving techniques of season
  • Offer traditional tea for staff, parents, and students​
  • Incorporate CS Moons on special events/dates throughout the school year (Thanksgiving, Orange Shirt Day, Halloween, Remembrance Day, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Victoria Day, National Aboriginal Day, Literacy Week, etc.)
  • Develop a pit cook area

Role Model Presentations

  • Review Role Model Binder
  • Book Role Model presentations featuring TEK of the season
  • Have students reflect on the Role Model presentation to support understanding
  • Followlocal protocolby modeling respectful behavior towards Role Models (greet, offer water, and provide honourarium)

Elder Visits

  • Ask Elders in Residence to share their knowledge about TEK of the season
  • Invite Elders to Staff meetings to share other relevant information with staff
  • Invite an Elder to provide the Territory Acknowledgement at a special school event

Local Aboriginal Language Learning

  • Choose some words to learn in the local Coast Salish language
  • Include Aboriginal language in signage, staff meetings, agendas, school newsletters, pre-ordered student agendas, and on school websites, emails, etc.
  • Source, develop or acquire, with community collaboration, local language/cultural learning resources for classroom learning (see firstvoices.com)
  • Learn a song which includes local Coast Salish language

Cross-curricular Programming

  • Incorporate harvesting, preparing, preserving techniques of season
  • Encourage teachers to review available Aboriginal resources that include cross-curricular programming
  • Use the 7-E Model for developing learning activities: Environment, Engage, Explore, Elder, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluation (See First Peoples Science 5-9 for more information)
  • Plan keeping the Big Ideas in mind
  • Consider how TEK includes aspects of ELA, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Art Education
  • Use the CS Moons to engage students in an inquiry project

Place-based Experiential Learning Experiences

  • Take learning outside and observe seasonal changes & track weather patterns
  • Identify native plants, and learn proper gathering and harvesting native plants
  • Develop a school garden
  • Visit a salmon run
  • Harvest seafood
  • Make a drum – consider the process, significance, and story
  • Learn how to weave – consider the process, significance, and story
  • Listen to legends and stories; View Coast Salish art works
  • Explore how TEK is relevant today & offers scientific environmental expertise

Resources

  • Display resources have book talks featuring seasonal information
  • Enhance Coast Salish Moon bulletin board display by including artifacts, etc.
  • Source resources on local seasonal rounds and those from other areas
  • Increase authentic aboriginal resources in school libraries
  • Remove and dispose of outdated, unauthentic resources in school libraries
  • Sort and label resources to match CS Moons (books, kits, weblinks, lesson/unit plans, experiential learning opportunities, field trip ideas, etc.)
  • Use lessons on

PVP Meeting: Cultural Plan Implementation & Coast Salish 13 Moons Framework February 16, 2017