Family history is an important of Aboriginal culture and is important for explaining how customs and traditions arose and why they are still practiced today. In this lesson, students will use the Internet to retrieve information on traditional customs or practices of the Cree, Blackfoot, Dene or Beaver. Using the information, students will pretend that they are an Aboriginal person and will create a family history. The family history should include the language spoken (with an example phrase i.e. Tansi means Hello, how are you? in Cree), special ceremonies, roles of family members, education, activities and games and favorite foods. Focus should be on the way Aboriginal families interacted during the early days of European contact and the fur trade. Students may add any additional information that they think is interesting and important. The family history can be arranged in the form of a collage or written story depending on teacher or student preferences. Students should share their family histories with the class.
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