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Living Force
"It is no good to be scared of the land.
We are from the land. We come from it. Why are we scared of
ourselves . . . We are the land." - Elizabeth
Mackenzie, April 4, 1990
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Primary
Objective:
The students should
experience the Living Force in its concrete and powerful
form so that they can come to understand and accept the
force. If the students are involved in the rituals which
acknowledge the Living Force, they will come to see the
land, water and air differently. They will become more
connected to the land and have a stronger commitment to
it. They will come to respect the land and to protect it
from pollution. The experiences for the Living Force
unit should be integrated into the activities which take
place on the land in other thematic units. |
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Students will:
- Know
the significance of the Living Force for the
Dene: land and water generally are living things
and are powerful. (K-6)
- Know
how to approach the Force or how to behave in
its presence. (K-6)
- Know
the history and origin of the presence: long
ago, strong medicine was all around and the Dene
lived by medicine laws. Today, the medicine is
not as strong but it is evident in special
locations. Respect is shown to the medicine
forces by "paying" them. (4-6)
- Show
acceptable (according to local custom) behavior
in the presence of the Force. (K-6)
- Show
respect by "paying" the Force. Know the kinds of
things that can be made from the land to offer
as gifts (e.g. decorated willows). (K-6)
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Experiences:
- Elders
tell legends or stories of Living Forces.
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e.g. Young Boy Who Rescues his People by
Wearing Beaver Teeth.
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George Blondin's book, "When the World was
New".
- Elders
teach words of giving thanks to the Living
Forces.
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Research with elders the history of the places
of the Living Forces and their physical
descriptions. (This should be done at actual
sites if possible.)
- Have
students start their school day by having them
pray for a good day.
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Students will:
- Know
where the Living Force is evident: e.g.
Chipewyan know of an area in the River; Dogrib
know of a whirlpool; Sahtu know their lake
(Great Bear) as having a Living Force. (K-6)
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Experiences:
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Sensitize children to the forces of nature
(smells, sounds, sights, tastes, feelings) by
taking them outside even only a few minutes a
day.
- Offer
gifts from the land to the Living Forces, e.g.
decorated willow wreaths.
- See
other thematic units pertaining to "The Land and
the Sky".
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Students will:
- Pass on
knowledge of the Living Force to others. (5-6)
- Know
that there are locations of Living Forces in
other regions.
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Experiences:
- Ask
parents to identify and describe places of the
Living Force, proper behaviours.
- Have
students exchange stories about the Living
Forces in their region with students in other
regions.
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Students will:
- Be
willing to independently show respect to the
Living Force, either in the land or waters, or
in special places near the community.
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Identify feelings they have when they pray to or
pay the Living Forces in the land and waters
about them.
- Explore
or research, on their own with elders they know,
the spiritual Living Forces all around them.
- Develop
greater self-reliance as they learn how to
maintain a relationship with the Living Force on
their own (how and what to pay the Living Force,
how to make requests). (K-6)
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Experiences:
- Develop
self-expression by encouraging children to make
private requests to the Living Force. Use
self-expression envelopes or help students to
make their own gifts for the Living Forces.
(K-6)
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Exercise making own words of thanks. (4-6) Use
self-expression envelopes.
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- Locate
on maps the places of Living Force of your
region, then of other regions.
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