Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia

Reading and More

There are many resources available on the Internet for you to explore more about Multiculuralism, Human Rights, and Diversity. Some of these resources are listed below.

Heritage Community Foundation/AlbertaSource.ca websites

Immigrant groups

 Black Heritage Edukit

Black Heritage Edukit
The Black Heritage Edukit presents some of the traditions and culture of Black Canadians who settled in the province of Alberta. The settlement communities of Amber Valley, Wildwood, and Bretton are looked at specifically, as are the Black settlers from Oklahoma who made the journey to Alberta. Topics for the instructional plans include human rights, colonialism, geography, and culture and traditions, and the website has everything from quizzes to photogaphs.

 Celebrating Alberta's Italian Community

Celebrating Alberta's Italian Community
Immigrants from Italy began to come to Western Canada in the 1880s to work on the railways and in the mines. Explore the settlement history, culture, traditions, achievements and contributions of Italian-Canadians. The site includes profiles of individuals and organizations, photo albums as well as discussions of painful issues such as discrimination and internment.

 Latino Canadians Edukit

Latino Canadians Edukit
The resources in this Edukit will help you to understand the environment, how people live in that environment and how the history and culture of the people shows what is important to them. This site contains a timeline, a glossary of terms, additional readings, photographs and maps to help students understand Latino experiences in the old country, as well as their experiences in coming to Canada.

 Middle East Edukit: Palestine and Israel

Middle East Edukit: Palestine and Israel
“Identity,” “nation,” and “nationalism” are ever-evolving concepts that hold disparate meanings for different people. At the heart of these varied understandings lay diverse historical, geographic, political, economic, and social factors. By exploring past histories and current challenges through a variety of interactive games, text, images, audio and video resources, students at the senior secondary level are invited to learn about concepts that have shaped times of peace and conflict in the Middle East.

Francophone websites

Francophone Edmonton Online – Edmonton’s Francophone Heritage
The French presence in what became Alberta goes back to the earliest period of the fur trade. Edmonton was the heart of that presence.  This website documents and explores Edmonton’s unique, historic role as Western Canada’s second-largest Francophone city (next to Saint-Boniface, Manitoba).   Discover Francophone Edmonton through the pages of this dynamic website.

Alberta's Francophone Heritage

Alberta's Francophone Heritage
Francophone Alberta is important historically, politically, economically, culturally and socially. Discover more through Alberta's Francophone Heritage and its telling of individual and community stories from the era of the fur trade to contemporary Francophone communities confidently embracing the future.

Francophone Edukit

Francophone Edukit
The Francophone culture continues to thrive in communities across Alberta, and this Edukit explores the history of Francophones across the prairie province. Students are invited to learn more about the French-speaking community through a number of interactive and educational features, which include a crossword puzzle, quiz, and word search. The Student Zone also features pictures, descriptive text, and a glossary to aid in learning.

 St. Vincent and St. Paul

St. Vincent and St. Paul
(http://www.abheritage.ca/stvincent-stpaul)
The Era of the Fur Trade first brought Francophone fur traders to northern Alberta and created Métis communities. Missionary orders, such as the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, came next to serve Aboriginal Peoples to be followed by settlers. Join us as we examine the history and dynamics of two of Alberta's important French communities.

 CKUA Classroom

CKUA Classroom
In many ways, the history of CKUA as a station is a history of Edmonton itself. The Heritage Community Foundation and CKUA Radio Network are proud to have developed the CKUA Edukit to complement the CKUA Sound Archives website and provide information on the station’s background, personalities and historic broadcasts as well as multimedia content and lesson plans.

 CKUA Sound Archives

CKUA Sound Archives
The CKUA Radio Network is Canada's oldest broadcaster and its sound archives is important to the public life, arts and culture of Alberta. At the time of CKUA's sign-on in 1927, there were only three stations in Edmonton and 200 radios. Listen to over 800 hours of CKUA programming including Arts Alberta, Speaker of the Week and Current Affairs.

Aboriginal websites

 Alberta: Home, Home On The Plains

Alberta: Home, Home On The Plains
To make way for western settlement and the building of the railways, in the latter half of the 19th century, Treaties were undertaken by the Government of Canada with Aboriginal People. Discover the settlement era in Alberta with a focus on early settlement, rural life, farming and ranching.

 Alberta: How The West Was Young

Alberta: How The West Was Young
Join us as we discover the early history of Alberta going back 11,000 years. The site explores Aboriginal history from the Pre-Contact Era through to the Fur Trade and the Métis—the people who bridged the Old and New Worlds. This website hopes to foster new understanding Alberta's past and Alberta's potential future.

 Alex Decoteau Edukit

Alex Decoteau Edukit
A long-distance runner, World War I veteran, Canada’s first Aboriginal police officer and an Olympic athlete, Alex Decoteau is a local hero of legendary proportions. The Alex Decoteau Edukit was created by the Heritage Community Foundation to support the Alex Decoteau Run, developed by the City Centre Education Project in Edmonton. The Project provides inner-city children, many of whom are Aboriginal, with access to a range of activities that are common in middle class schools.

 Culture and its Meaning Edukit

Culture and its Meaning Edukit
Aboriginal Peoples in Alberta and across Canada possess a rich history and heritage. Understanding Aboriginal identity as it relates to culture is important for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples alike. Through the Aboriginal Culture and Its Meaning Edukit, students explore how Aboriginal People used and continue to use traditions, symbols, practices, events and objects to express their identity. Active participation by students in diverse activities promotes learning and ultimately contributes to their overall understanding of Aboriginal People and communities in Alberta.

Elders' Voices

Elders’ Voices
They are the ones who remember. They are the keepers of knowledge, and the living memories of ancient cultures. They are the Elders of Alberta’s Aboriginal communities. Read and hear the stories of the Elders in Elders’ Voices, a multimedia testament to the resilience of those who have struggled to keep the old world from being completely swept away by the new. Discover the context and meaning behind the work of Elders as well as the vital role Elders play in their communities.

 First Nations Contributions Edukit

First Nations Contributions Edukit
The achievements and significant contributions of Aboriginal Peoples have changed the societal landscape throughout Alberta and Canada in many ways. The spirit of the Aboriginal Contributions Edukit is to introduce students to the many contributions of First Nations people in areas such as the Arts, Music, Theatre, Science and Technology, Sports and Recreation as well as Politics. Awareness of the extent of Aboriginal contributions empowers young people and encourages their social development.

 For the Life of the World: The Missionary Oblates

For the Life of the World: The Missionary Oblates
This site explores the 19th century French missionary order that still serves in First Nations' communities in Western and Northern Canada. Through three small virtual exhibits find out about the vocation of these early missionaries. The site plans to expand in the future with essays on early Missionary work and currently lists recommended readings for those intrested in discovering more about Alberta's Missionary history.

 Health and Wellness Edukit

Health and Wellness Edukit
The Elementary section of the Health and Wellness Edukit provides focus upon traditional Aboriginal medical knowledge, which came from detailed knowledge of the world around them. The Secondary section gives an overview of the residential schools imposed as a tool for cultural manipulation. Two additional topics are the processes and activities to support social, cultural, and emotional health in traditional First Nations and the emergent Métis nation. Included are resource selections, biographies, glossary, timelines, visual resources, and activities. The Teacher Zone provides background material and possible instructional activities linked to the current Alberta Social Studies Program.

Heritage of the Mighty Peace

Heritage of the Mighty Peace
Did you know that the Peace River region has a rich cultural heritage that dates back 11,500 years? This website will guide you through the diverse history of this area by presenting the stories of the earliest inhabitants who helped shape it – including the First Peoples, fur traders, the Métis, and missionaries – to the creation of settlements and industry, such as the establishment of the Peace River community and the building of the Alaska Highway.

 Language and Culture Edukit

Language and Culture Edukit
Today, many Aboriginal children do not communicate in their first languages. In some communities, it is only the Elders who speak the language. Recognizing the critical importance of Aboriginal Languages, the Aboriginal Language and Culture Edukit emphasizes the importance of language to culture and traditional education. It is designed with age approprate sections (Elementry, Junior and Senior) as well as a seperate Teacher's zone.

 Leadership Edukit

Leadership Edukit
The Elementary section of the Leadership Edukit provides focus upon the groups and confederacies in traditional First Nations groups throughout Canada. Here are resources to help understand the way conflicts were resolved and how leaders are role models for their culture. The Secondary section gives an overview of the development of accommodation with the government of Canada and how the traditional groups dealt with conflict. It introduces contemporary First Nations and Métis leaders and organizations. Included are resource selections, biographies, glossary, timelines, visual resources, and activities. The Teacher Zone provides background material and possible instructional activities linked to the current Alberta Social Studies Program.

 Making of Treaty 8 in Canada's Northwest

Making of Treaty 8 in Canada's Northwest
This virtual exhibit explores the making of Treaty 8 through text, historic photographs, audio, video and contextual information, as well as exploring the culture and lifeways of First Nations people, as well as the impact the treaty had on their lives. It also contains a french or english language option.

 Math Edukit

Math Edukit
Pe’yak, n’iso, nisto: this is Cree for one, two, three, and in this engaging Aboriginal-themed Edukit, students will learn about the significance of math in Native cultures. Topics covered include examining how mathematical concepts play a role in the construction of tipis, the creation of geometrical quill-work or beadwork designs, as well as the science of dendrology. This Math Edukit features colorful graphics, a photo gallery, a glossary, games, and math- related activities for students.

 Methodist Missionaries In Alberta

Methodist Missionaries In Alberta
Find out about Methodism in Canada as an aspect of the settlement of the Canadian West. The missionaries came to spread the faith but also became tools for government policy in relation to Aboriginal People. This legacy, good and bad, is explored. The site contains various maps discribing the trade routes, population density and early mission locations.

View of St. Augustine Mission  M‚tis in Alberta

Métis in Alberta
Explore the rich history of the first Francophone community in Alberta through The Métis in Alberta, a fully bilingual website showcasing the origins, the people, and the culture of the Métis who have helped shaped this province into what it is today.

 Nature's Laws

Nature's Laws
Experience the culture and traditions of the First Nation People with Nature's Laws - a website describing aboriginal views on the governance of life. This site explores these views on the proper norms and behaviors in regards to their spiritual life, traditions, culture and governance. The site also contains a number of helpful resources for those wanting to learn more, such as videos and a timeline.

 Origin and Settlement Edukit

Origin and Settlement Edukit
Explore Aboriginal origin and settlement patterns across Canada with a focus on Alberta. Stories of Aboriginal origin and settlement are central themes and provide students with a wealth of text, images, audio (including oral histories) and video resources. An examination of specific Aboriginal communities — including the Cree, Dene, Beaver, Métis and Blackfoot — traces the evolution of Aboriginal Peoples from nomadic tribes to dynamic communities settled across the province.

 People of the Boreal Forest

People of the Boreal Forest
The People of the Boreal Forest website retraces the footsteps of Terry Garvin who, between 1954 and 2000, recorded in text and photographs the lives of traditional Aboriginal hunters and trappers living in Canada’s northwest boreal forest. Garvin’s material, which has since been published in two books: Bush Land People and Carving Faces, Carving Lives: People of the Boreal Forest, serves as the foundation of this website, and tells the story of ancient peoples in a changing north.

Physical Education Edukit

Physical Education Edukit
What is the similarity between Rene Bourque, Theoren Fleury, and Ted Nolan? Not only are they accomplished National Hockey League players, but they also have Aboriginal heritage. From contemporary sports such as hockey, lacrosse, and track and field to traditional activities like powwows, the hoop game, or longball, physical education is an integral element of Aboriginal culture. In this exciting Edukit, students will discover various kinds of Aboriginal games and sports, familiarize themselves with successful Canadian Aboriginal athletes throughout history, and play educational games including crossword puzzles and word-searches.

Spirituality and Creation Edukit

Spirituality and Creation Edukit
The Cree, Dene, Beaver and Blackfoot peoples of Treaty areas 6, 7, and 8 share many values and traditions. However, each has a unique view of creation and spirituality. Aboriginal values and beliefs are resilient, and spirituality is central to the continuing growth and survival of Aboriginal communities. The sacred underpins all aspects of life. The Aboriginal Spirituality and Creation Edukit recognizes Aboriginal creation stories, teaches students to respect Aboriginal spirituality in all that it encompasses.

Sport and Recreation Edukit

Sport and Recreation Edukit
The Elementary section of the Sport and Recreation Edukit provides focus upon the heritage of Aboriginal cultural and social activities. It introduces contemporary Aboriginal athletes and games. The Secondary section provides resources about traditional gatherings of First Nation groups and their festivities. Included are resource selections, biographies,glossary, timelines, visual resources, and activities. The Teacher Zone provides background material and possible instructional activities linked to the current Alberta Social Studies Program.

Science Edukit

Science Edukit
This Edukit introduces students to the traditional Aboriginal practices that are rooted in science. Students will learn how Aboriginal Peoples dyed their clothing using natural substances, such as bark or berries, and what kind of scientific thought and natural materials were used to engineer a canoe. The text is complemented by historical photographs of natural vegetation and tools used by First Nations and Métis, and it also illustrates the various Native canoe designs. Students are invited to play the educational cross words puzzles and test their knowledge with the quizzes; other activities include crafting their own canoes and dying pieces of fabric.

 Treaty 6

Treaty 6
This website explores the making of Treaty 6 through text, historic photographs, audio, video and contextual information, as well as exploring the culture and lifeways of First Nations people. It also explores the historial context and circumstance that brought about the creation of the treaties, those involved in the actual creation and negotiations of terms, as well as the impact the treaty continues to have on their contemporary lives, traditions and their future.

 Treaty 7

Treaty 7
This website explores the making of Treaty 7 through text, historic photographs, audio, video and contextual information, as well as exploring the culture and lifeways of First Nations people. It also explores the historial context and circumstance that brought about the creation of the treaties, those involved in the actual creation and negotiations of terms, as well as the impact the treaty continues to have on their contemporary lives, traditions and their future.

Multiculturalism websites

 Albertans: Who do they think they are?

Albertans: Who do they think they are?
Explore the cultural diversity of Alberta with a focus on the people and issues that have helped make Alberta the dynamic province it is today. More than 60 ethnocultural groups are represented including their history, culture, traditions and contributions. The site explores Alberta through three time periods: Pre WWI, the Interwar period and Post WW2.

 Women of Aspenland

Women of Aspenland
This virtual exhibit explores 100 years of Western settlement history from a woman's perspective and includes artifacts and images from Central Alberta Regional Museums Network (CARMN) members. Individual women and communities are profiled from Contact with Aboriginal People in the Methodist Mission Era through the first part of the 20th century. Both human and natural history perspectives are included.

External websites

United Nations

Government of Canada

Canadian Human Rights Commission

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Diversity, Equity & Human Rights
This site by the Alberta Teachers' Association is an online resource intended to help teachers build inclusive school communities. Major topics of focus include Aboriginal education, anti-racism and religious beliefs, gender equity, sexual orientation and gender identity, social justic issues, and the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet).

StopRacism.ca
Sponsored by the Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society, StopRacism.ca is committed to providing comprehensive, reusable, and downloadable antiracism resources.


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