Birds

"It is said that a Beaver den is very well guarded by the Bird family." - George Blondin, April 17, 1991

Primary Objective:
The students will begin to notice and appreciate the many birds found in the North and their value to the Dene both past and present. The students will also become familiar with bird legends which will give students a deeper understanding of the value of birds to the Dene.

	The Spiritual World		The Land
	The People		The Self
	Special Information for Teachers

The Spiritual World

Students will:

Be familiar with local legends about birds. (K-6)
Know that bird sounds create feelings of happiness for the Dene. (K-3)
Know that parts of specific birds hold a special spiritual significance. The claws and feathers were used by the shaman for decorative/ceremonial purposes. (K-6)
Know which bird feathers are respected and why. (4-6)
Know the relationship between the killing of certain birds and the weather. (4-6)
Know how and why large bird carcasses should be disposed of properly.
Know that it is detrimental to an individual and their immediate family to look upon robin's eggs. (Deline)

Listen to elders' stories about the original birds, the bird people. (K-6)
Legend: How envy entered the world. Raven becomes envious of Grebe's hair. (Kwele)
Choose a safe place or way in which to display feathers to show respect for the feathers. (K-6)
During outdoor experiences, feed the whiskey

The Land

Students will:

Identify edible and non-edible birds in local area, and describe their habits or characteristics. (K-6)
Identify bird parts (wings, gizzards, beak, etc.) and their common uses. (K-4)
Know how to hunt birds for food. Know their feeding areas and where they can be found, know their breeding cycles and migration times, recognize their sounds, recognize their colours and markings in different seasons. (4-6)
Know how to fix and prepare various birds for food. (K-6)
Know migratory bird laws. (5-6)
Know kinds of signals given by birds to indicate weather changes (Lutsel K'e: loons indicate windy weather). (4-6)
Know which birds tend to be bothersome to traps or food. (3-6)
Know how various bird parts can be used.

Identify and observe birds in nature. (K-6)
Clean, gut, cut and cook a ptarmigan, duck or goose. (K-6)
Make loon bags and blankets. (4-6)
Do bird calls with students. (K-6)
Harvest seagull eggs (Deline, Rae-Edzo) or mallard eggs (Fort Simpson) and prepare a meal.
Students collect the geese fat and experiment

Students will:

Learn crafts using bird parts from various people in the community who still know how. (K-6)
Understand the morals behind the bird legends which have to do with how people should act (e.g. through the raven stories we learn that we should not be overly proud of ourselves). (K-6)

If there is someone in the community who can make loon bags, have them come in and talk to the students about where they learned the craft. (4-6)
Listen to stories about the spruce chicken dance. Encourage students to learn the dance.
Collect and separate feathers for making pillows, blankets and sitting mat.
Make a hand held sweeper using the lower portion of a goose wing, and present it to an elder as a gift.
Make a rattle and balloon using the "pouch" situated in the chicken's throat.
Make an arrow using an eagle, owl or hawk feather. (These feathers move without noise when the arrow is in flight and will not frighten the animals.)

Students will:

Seek challenge and opportunity in learning about birds. (K-6)
Seek challenge in beginning and completing independent projects for researching birds. (3-6)

Have students challenge themselves in being able to sit very quietly outdoors to observe birds. Compare their behavior to the way that hunters in the past had to be in order to understand birds and to hunt them. (K-4)
Have students find their own personal resource person who knows about birds. (K-6)
Meet with each student and have them evaluate themselves in terms of the challenges they set, or the responsibilities they were given. (K-6)

Suggested Teaching Activities and Resources

First Language: Give students a picture showing wetland, trees, bush and grass. On a walk, have students draw in the kinds of birds they see and where. From a bird book, copy pictures of birds seen. Have students colour them correctly and take them home to research Dene names. Have students each choose one bird to research habits or stories.
Second Language: Give students a picture showing wetland, trees, bush and grass. On a walk, have students draw in the kinds of birds they see and where. From a bird book, photocopy pictures of birds seen. Have students colour them correctly and take them home to research Dene names. Use pictures as flash cards and to review names. Make sentences such as "The raven is on the stump", "The Canada goose is in the lake", "The ptarmigan is on the bush" in order to make a booklet.
Brainstorm and experiment uses for various bird parts, or cooking of edible birds.
Make a recording of bird sounds and identify birds with the help of a resource person.

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