First Nations Studies support Materials

by Tom Morley

The resources curated here are intended to support teachers and students who are taking part in the First Nations 10>12 classes. This curation needs to be used in the understanding that the materials have been collected and curated by a settler society and discussions of cultural appropriation, ownership, and own voices are essential to an authentic and sensitive treatment of topics raised.

Thank you, Hannah Morales (an Indigenous educator working in the Cowichan SD), for your work developing some of the teaching resources included within these pathways.

Native Plants on the South Coast

Learning about native plants can connect us to the places we live. Studying First Peoples’ uses of plants can teach us which native berries are edible and which are not.

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Residential Schools and Reconciliation

How do we reconcile past wrongs? Look at documents and objects from the Royal BC Museum’s ethnology collection and archives to learn about the effects of Indian residential schools and think about how we can reach reconciliation.

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Our Living Languages

Did you know BC is a language hotspot? Over 34 distinct indigenous languages are spoken here. Explore sounds, images, words and video about First Nations languages.

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Family: Bonds and Belonging (Grades 9-12)

British Columbia’s history is filled with stories of families—families of all shapes and sizes; families that have been here for thousands of years and families that have come from almost everywhere in the world. Together, we shape our diverse province. (Grades 9-12)

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Reading Photographs

Every picture tells a story, but whose story? How can a single picture tell us a story about what happened long ago? To answer these questions historians have developed some thoughtful ways to read photographs.

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Voices from the Past

Oral history recordings are like time machines. They transport us to the past and help us learn about the people and places of British Columbia. They are uniquely personal accounts of the past from the people who actually lived it. What can you discover about British Columbia’s past by listening?

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