English First People 12 Unit 1
Connections
The unit also emphasizes the importance of family, elders, and community in passing on knowledge and values. Students study oral traditions, stories, and songs to see how culture and identity are preserved and shared across generations. By the end of the unit, students gain a deeper understanding of how Indigenous peoples’ relationship with land,
focuses on how Indigenous peoples in British Columbia understand themselves and their world through their connection to the land, community, language, and culture. Students explore traditional territories and learn how the land shapes worldview, spiritual beliefs, and daily life. The unit also emphasizes the importance of family.
Main Topics
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Where different First Nations in BC live and how their territories sometimes overlap.
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How the land affects the way people see the world, their language, and their culture (like caring for nature and living with the land).
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The role of stories, songs, and oral traditions in keeping memories and history alive.
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How identity, family, community, and culture continue through generations.
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Asking questions about land, culture, and identity.
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Reading maps of traditional territories and comparing them to modern maps.
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Understanding and analyzing stories and oral history.
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Connecting past traditions to life today.
Key Skills
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Map activity: mark First Nations territories and see where they overlap.
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Storytelling: listen to or read a legend, then explain what it teaches about worldview.
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Reflection: write a journal about “What does land mean to identity?” from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives.
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Class discussion: compare your local land and community to Indigenous ideas of land and identity.
Suggested Activities:
community, and culture forms the foundation of their identity and worldview, and why these connections remain important today.
Leadership
