Throughout Canada's history, Indigenous peoples have helped shape this land into the country we know today. Before Canada became a country, Britain's military alliances with First Nations were a key part of the defensive network of British North America.
During the War of 1812, First Nations warriors and Métis fighters played important roles in the defence of these British territories against invading American forces. Thousands of First Nations warriors and Métis fighters fought beside British troops and Canadian settler militias during the war.
These Indigenous allies were often accompanied by officials from the Indian Department who spoke Indigenous languages and who could help First Nations war chiefs and British military commanders speak to each other.
First Nations and Métis communities sided with the British during the war because they shared a common goal: to resist American expansion. More than 10,000 First Nations warriors from the great lakes region and the St. Lawrence Valley participated in nearly every major battle.
For British military leaders such as Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, commander of Britain's forces, First Nations warriors strengthened local garrisons and were seen as exceptional fighters.
In Canada, the war was fought on three main fronts: in the western great lakes region, the Niagara region and the St. Lawrence region. In each region First Nations warriors helped repel the invading American forces.
First Nations warriors from the Ojibwa and Dakota fought at the Battle of Michilimackinac. The Ojibwa, Odawa, Pottawatomi and Shawnee fought at the capture of Detroit. Six Nations warriors fought during the battles of Queenston Heights and Beaver Dams. The Algonquin, Mohawk, Huron and Abenaki fought at the Battle of Châteauguay.
According to several British commanders, these important battles were won in large part because of the participation of their Indigenous allies.

At Indspire we are committed to supporting communities and educators in helping students become the leaders of tomorrow. Indspire’s Guide for Educators of Indigenous Students is designed for educators of Indigenous students. The 2nd edition of Indspire’s Guide for Educators of Indigenous Students was created using valuable educator feedback gathered through conversations and surveys. Within these pages, you’ll learn about professional development programs and events, resources to support educators in the classroom, career planning events for educators and students, and much more.

Visit the website to download the guide.

Discover the heritage and traditions of the Innu through their stories and material culture.

Available in French and English.

According to Innu oral tradition, the world is an island created by wolverine and mink after a great flood. The archaeological record shows that the Innu and their ancestors have occupied a large portion of Labrador and eastern Quebec for two thousand or more years. The Innu refer to this territory as "Nitassinan."

The site includes:
Introduction
Travel
Exhibit Gallery
Collections
People and Places

Inspiring Success: First Nations and Métis PreK-12 Education Policy Framework was renewed in collaboration among First Nations and Métis organizations, Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers, post-secondary and provincial Prekindergarten to Grade 12 education stakeholders, and the Ministry of Education. The vision of Inspiring Success is a provincial Prekindergarten to Grade 12 education system that foundationally places Indigenous knowledge systems, cultures and languages within the structures, policies and curricula to ensure an equitable and inclusive system that benefits all learners. As such, this renewed policy framework guides actions at all levels of the education sector and is aligned with the goals of the Education Sector Strategic Plan. Inspiring Success supports reconciliation, treaty education, Indigenous cultures and languages in the classroom, as well as the infusion of Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing into all renewed curricula to benefit all learners.

The ministry is committed to facilitate the sharing of information, tools and processes useful to school divisions, teachers and administrators in planning and implementing actions in First Nations and Métis education, in alignment with the policy goals. Improving First Nations, Métis and Inuit student achievement and the learning outcomes for all students is a shared responsibility throughout the PreK-12 education sector.

As a first step, it is recommended to become familiar with the policy framework.

Implementation
We heard from First Nations and Métis organizations, Elders, provincial education stakeholders and post-secondary institutions about how crucial implementation will be for this policy framework. We acknowledge the considerable number of initiatives and programs put in place by government and by school divisions; however, there is more work to do. A variety of tools and resources are available to assist with creating awareness, building support, planning and implementation, including a webinar presentation, PowerPoint slideshow, promotional handout and dialogue questions. Many links are provided within each goal area as suggested resources for teachers and administrators. More will be added as new information and tools become available.

This site gives the background and information about a number of Inuit Games.

'A Journey into Time Immemorial' is based on the story of Xá:ytem Longhouse in Mission BC in the Fraser Valley just east of Vancouver BC. Simon Fraser University worked closely with the staff at Xá:ytem to produce this award winning website. It is an artistic and cultural interpretation and is not meant to convey precisely accurate archaeological information. Contemporary archaeologists view First Nations as partners and value oral traditions as a source of information about the past that augments the scientific approach.

Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation Inc. is the foundation that administers, supports, and fundraises for the development and advancement of the Concentus classroom-ready, kindergarten to grade 12 teaching resources for citizenship. A committed group of teacher-leaders developed these grade-specific resources to directly align with Saskatchewan curricula.
The declared purpose of the Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation is to:

Educate and empower individuals to understand their rights
Encourage responsible, respectful and participatory citizenship
Promote a commitment to justice in a pluralistic society.

Resources and lessons tied to curricular outcomes for SK are provided for K-12!

In this resource students will learn about the Kwakwaka’wakw (pronounced: kwock-KWOCKY-wowk) people of British Columbia, Canada. The focus is on Kwakwaka’wakw traditions that express concepts of wealth, values of giving, and the importance of cultural continuity. Students will learn about the Kwakwaka’wakw potlatch practice: its history, the values inherent in it, and the important role it plays in establishing and maintaining family connections to the past, to ancestors, and to the spirits of all living things. Students will use Kwakwaka’wakw concepts and discuss differences in value systems.

Find activities, games and stories for youth and educators about Indigenous peoples' culture, history and languages.

On this website you will find a comprehensive collection of documents, oral histories, newspapers, paintings, and photos that relate to the events of the 1864 war and the aftermath. You are invited to become an historian, to study the evidence and come to your own conclusions about the causes, outcomes and how the war has been understood through time. You will find other mysteries here too, not the least of which is, who was Klatsassin? The name means: "nobody knows him".

"Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples Inc. (LSSAP) has taken the lead in coordinating the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month Project to promote First Nation and Métis oral traditions and the use of public libraries. The winter timing of Aboriginal Storytelling observes the First Nation traditional time for storytelling.

A virtual storytelling event, in partnership with Indigenous filmmakers Curtis Peeteetuce and Marcel Petit, took place on February 1, 2021. The launch event was the final production of a series called Kohkom (grandmother). "

This site provides information on the 250-year relationship between Moravian missionaries and the Inuit of Labrador. This interaction led to the establishment of settlements for a formerly nomadic people, their conversion to Christianity and exposure to aspects of North American culture. The information has been gathered from a variety of sources that shed light upon this unique adventure.

This site, hosted by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, offers many opportunities for students to gain proficiency in the Cree language through:
- interactive activities to help learn Cree
- songs and audio in Cree
- instructional videos for learning Cree (on FaceBook)

The Learning Circle has been produced to help meet Canadian educator's growing need for elementary-level learning exercises on First Nations. There are four classroom guides (ages 4-7, ages 8-11, ages 12-14, ages 14-16) on First Nations in Canada. The Learning Circle is organized in thematic units. each with its own teaching activities. Units are designed to give teachers and students simple but effective exercises, projects and activities that will encourage students to learn more about First Nations. Educators can follow some of the exercises as stand-alone units on First Nations topics, or integrate them with existing curricula on Aboriginal peoples. Most exercises in The Learning Circle can be completed in one period. Certain others will take several periods, days or weeks.

From Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

This is a collection of fabulous resources to integrate FNME into your classroom.
Some resources include:
*English First Peoples (gr. 10-12)
*Science First Peoples (gr. 5-9)
*Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides (gr. 5-10)
*Math First Peoples (gr. 8-9)
*Career Journeys Role Model Program
*Online Catalog
*More

Contains a list of suggested videos to help learn more about truth and reconciliation as well as the legacy of residential schools. Many of the videos are intended for adult learning while others are appropriate for classroom use.

Also contains resources that teachers and other professionals may find useful when learning about truth and reconciliation as well as the legacy of residential schools.

This site houses great resources for teaching Government.

You can sort resources by grade (K-12), subject, or topic.

Topics include: relationships, mock trials, elections, government, treaties, families, law, youth criminal justice act, courts, drugs and alcohol, creating laws, democracy and more.

The Legacy of Hope Foundation is a very comprehensive site that offers lots of great resources that help to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. The Legacy of Hope Foundation's (LHF) goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential School System (RSS) and subsequent Sixties Scoop (SS) on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote healing and Reconciliation.Check out each of the sections to see the great resources they have to offer. 

Grade Level: 4–8 Time Required: Approximately 4 one-hour class periods and 2-3 homework sessions
OVERVIEW: Students learn about the oral culture and history-keeping of the Nakota people, who made the Lone Dog Winter Count. Then they create a monthly pictograph calendar of their own to document a year of their personal history.