THE FIRST PEOPLE
ANISHINAABE NATION

Grade Level:
4^th-8^th

Standards Integration:
Minnesota:
Grades 4-5: Write and Speak-Speaking
2a. Describing a step-by-step procedure to complete an action.
Social Studies-Geography and Citizenship 4b. Researching the origins of groups represented in the local community.
Grades 6-8: Social Studies-History and Citizenship
1. Analyzing historical events from the point of view of participants.

North Dakota:
Grades K-4: Social Studies-Culture
4.7.3 Understand that different groups, societies, and cultures have similar wants and needs.
Library/Technology Literacy: Research
4.1.4 Gather and evaluate information based on currency, genre, and relevance.
Grades 5-8: Social Studies-Culture
8.7.3 Understand how culture influences family relationships, religion, and social institutions.
Library/Technology Literacy: Research
8.1.4 Evaluate information for accuracy, relevancy, currency, and credibility.

Materials:
Wild Rice from the Region (Optional)
The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering (available at most local libraries)

Objectives:

Students will create presentations on a specific topic in order to demonstrate clear communication skills and understanding of the Anishinaabe culture.

Background-Wild Rice Activity
French explorers were probably the first white men to enjoy the fineness of wild rice found in the Red River Valley. In fact, many historical documents describe wars of Aboriginal Dakota and Anishinaabe peoples battling for over 250 years for the stands of “manomin” or wild rice. Today the Anishinaabe harvests the wild rice much the same as they have for over 500 years. By having one-person pole a canoe through the rice beds, and another strike the heads of rice with a stick, they can successfully knock the ripe grain into the canoe. In the past, the Anishinaabe would then dry the rice in a kettle and beat it by stomping on it with their feet. Finally, they would clean it by shaking it in a birch bark basket on a windy day.

Pre-Visit Activity
Read the book, The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering, to the students. Discuss the importance of wild rice to the Anishinaabe culture. Speak about all the step taken to ensure the rice is of high quality. If you are able, allow the students to taste wild rice from the region.

Post-Visit Activity
Review the steps taken to guarantee that the wild rice is excellent. Have the students write up steps they take in order to make something, or do something they have been taught to do. Let each student demonstrate his or her skill in a speech, paying particular attention to the steps taken to ensure the activity is completed properly.

THE FIRST PEOPLE
ANISHINAABE NATION
Activity 2

Background-Culture Activity
The culture of the Red River Valley is diverse, with a large number of Plains aboriginal people living here. One such group is the Anishinaabe Nation, also known as Ojibway or Chippewa, peoples. Named “Ojibway” by the French, which means, “to pucker”, in reference to their moccasins, the pronunciation later became “Chippewa”. Anishinaabe means, “The People”, and is used by most bands, although the term Ojibway is kept in regards to treaties signed with the government.

Pre-Visit Activity
Share with your students’ information about various aboriginal people that exist in the area. Invite a student or community member of the Anishinaabe culture into the classroom to discuss heritage and culture of the Anishinaabe.

Post-Visit Activity
Create groups of two or three to investigate different aspects Anishinaabe culture, as it exists today and also from a historical standpoint. Using the website, http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=369#LESSON3, have the students explore various topics. Allow each group to present what they have learned in a format of their choice. Invite the student or community member back to confirm or correct information the students share.

NOTE: The Elders Speak CD-Rom is a wonderful aid to these activities. It shares stories of the Dakotah and Ojibway people, as told by Gourd Woman and Eagle Heart, and is available in school libraries in North Dakota. It is produced by the North Dakota Council on the Arts.