Ippe Toolkit

IPPE Toolkit
The Disempowerment of Indigenous Peoples and Empowerment Through Their Writing
Bronson Carver
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Table of Contents
Introduction.3
Lesson 1: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification & E. Pauline Johnson...10
Lesson 2: Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox & Jim Northrup..........................20
Lesson 3: Denotation and Connotation & Annharte.....28
Lesson 4: Repetition & Traditional Orature..36
Lesson 5: Symbolism & Richard Wagamese....46
Lesson 6: Imagery & Heid E. Erdrich...55
Lesson 7: Identity & Cecilia Rose LaPointe..65
Lesson 8: Theme & Jeannette C. Armstrong.....79
Conclusion.89
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Introduction
Imagine a world where domination is not possible because all cultures are valued
- Jeannette C. Armstrong, Okanagan artist, activist, and author
In a brief paper titled The Disempowerment of First North American Native Peoples and
Empowerment Through Their Writing, Penticton Indian Reserve, British Colombia native
Jeannette C. Armstrong outlines how, via Colonialism, Indigenous peoples in North America
were rendered powerless and subjugated to totalitarian domination by foreign peoples after
they were welcomed as guests, the colonizing Europeans achieved total subjective control
through various coercive measures and the direct removal of political, social, and religious
freedoms, systematically enforcing manifest destiny, or rather, the White Mans burden to
civilize (256). For Armstrong, this tragic plight remains ongoing: In the 498 years of contact in
The Americas, the thrust of this bloody sword has been to hack out the spirit of all the beautiful
cultures encountered, leaving in its wake a death toll unrivaled in recorded history
. . . this is what happened and what continues to happen (256).
Within her paper, Armstrong does not hold anything back, and goes on to describe the
disempowerment of her people in detail. For Armstrong, there is no word other than
totalitarianism which adequately describes the methods used to achieve the condition of [her]
people, as they were not given choices, and their children, for generations, were seized from
[their] communities and homes and placed in indoctrination camps until [the] language . . .
religion . . . customs . . . values . . . [and] societal structures almost disappeared (256). A
nightmare time of siege conditions, this residential school experience not only broke
Armstrongs people, but also embedded certain social problems: homes and communities
without children having nothing to work for or live for, children returning to their
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communities and families as adults without the necessary skills for parenting, for Native life
style, or self-sufficiency on their land base, and ultimately, a loss of cohesive cultural
relevance resulting in an almost total disorientation and loss of identity and the
disintegration of family, community, and nation (256).
Aside from the painfully obvious matters of suicide, violence, alcohol and drug abuse,
and other poverty-centred issues that have resulted from this totalitarianism and genocide,
within her paper, Armstrong is also critical and weary of the ideological power that the writers
from the dominating culture have, something she posits is connected to the freedom of
imagination (256-7). For Armstrong, Colonialism did not only enact the appropriation of
cultural voice, but also created entertainment literature about [the] culture and . . . values,
leaving the Indigenous person disempowered and rendered voiceless (257). Speaking
simultaneously to colonial and contemporary writers of this kind in her paper, Armstrong asks
the following:
Imagine how you as writers from the dominant society might turn over some of
the rocks in your garden for examination. Imagine in your literature courageously
questioning and examining the values that allow the dehumanizing of peoples
through domination and the dispassionate nature of the racism inherent in
perpetuating such practices. Imagine writing in honesty, free of the romantic bias
about the courageous pioneering spirit of colonialist practice and imperialist
process. Imagine interpreting for us your own peoples thinking toward us,
instead of interpreting for us, our thinking, our lives, and our stories. We wish to
know, and you need to understand, why it is that you want to own our stories,
our art, our beautiful crafts, our ceremonies, but you do not appreciate or wish to
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recognize that these things of beauty arise out of the beauty of our people (257).
While appropriately critical of Settler Canadian writers and thus, actively decolonizing
in her paper, Armstrong also takes some time to speak to her Indigenous audience, encouraging
them that their writing is empowering, important, and ultimately, imbued with the ability to heal.
Armstrong details how, despite her outlined and excessively grim post-Colonial reality being the
reality for the majority of Native people, the sometimes irreparable damage [that] has been
wrought can be undone, and that healing can take place through cultural affirmation, and
more specifically, Indigenous writing (258). To these Indigenous writers, Armstrong imparts the
following:
The dispelling of lies and the telling of what really happened until everyone,
including our own people understands that this condition did not happen through
choice or some cultural defect on our part, is important. Equally important is the
affirmation of the true beauty of our people whose fundamental co-operative
values resonated pacifism and predisposed our cultures as vulnerable to the
reprehensible value systems which promote domination and aggression (258).
Thus, we can understand that, through the empowerment that writing bestows, Indigenous
writers can simultaneously decolonize and return their people to their original wonder, beauty,
and prosperity.
For Armstrong, this process is as quantifiable and teachable as it is important, so much so
that in her paper she details the actions that Indigenous writers should take. First, Armstrong is
adamant that numbers are not the basis of democracy, people are, each one being important; as
a result of this, Armstrong stresses that it must be pushed, in Canada, to understand and accept
that this country is multiracial and multicultural now, and the meaning of that as a promotion
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of an ideal that will, in turn, produce the courage to shake off centuries of imperialist thought
and make possible the relearning of co-operation and sharing, in place of domination (258).
Once again, speaking to her fellow Indigenous writers, Armstrong relates the following:
Our task as Native writers is twofold. To examine the past and culturally
affirm toward a new vision for all our people in the future, arising out the
powerful and positive support structures that are inherent in the principles
of co-operation. We, as Native people, through continuously resisting
cultural imperialism and seeking means toward teaching co-operative
relationships, provide an integral mechanism for solutions currently
needed in this country (258).
Ultimately for Armstrong, lies need clarification, truth needs to be stated, and resistance to
oppression [must be upheld] without furthering division and participation in the same racist
measures (258).
For Armstrong and the rest of her people, this process is a challenge that they must
rise to, which some Indigenous writers are already doing (258). Armstrong is adamant that
change to the system will be promoted by people who can perceive intelligent and non-
threatening alternatives [that] will be presented only through discourse and dialogue flowing
outward from Indigenous writers, who Armstrong also identifies as the true [cultural]
stakeholders (258). Evidently, it may be assumed that Indigenous texts hold immense power,
and their authors, responsibility: as Armstrong posits, their readers will remain complacent until
moved to think, especially where failed assimilationist measures originating out of conquest,
oppression, and exploitation are concerned (258). For Armstrong, this responsibility is nothing
short of tremendous and surely, instrumental for those Indigenous peoples who seek nothing
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more than the co-operative sovereign relationships guaranteed in the principles of treaty
making from centuries past (259). Ultimately, Indigenous writing is about good alternatives
that are created by wonderful, thinking beings at the forward edge of the Creators expression of
beauty (259).
So, simply put, Indigenous writing isnt just a representation of the culture, but medicinal
for it, and exceptionally so in the face of centuries of exploitation and abuse. Indigenous poems,
songs, books, and the like all simultaneously inform and heal, show and tell, and decolonize and
empower, while also carrying the power of stories in general:
Stories work with people, for people, and always stories work on people,
affecting what people are able to see as real as possible, and as worth doing
or best avoided. What is it about stories what are their particularities that
enables them to work as they do? More than mere curiosity is at stake in this
question, because human life depends on the stories we tell: the sense of self
that those stories impart, the relationships constructed around shared stories,
and the sense of purpose that stories both propose and foreclose (Frank 2010).
Evidently, even where issues and matters of culture are not concerned, stories and by
extension, texts are of immense importance, providing not only a window to the soul, but also
doors to others. Thus, it is understandable how Indigenous writing is exponentially powerful and
important, as it carries with it both the qualities Armstrong outlines in her paper, as well as those
present in any form of storytelling.
As an English teacher who has grown up around and is incredibly concerned with (and
loving of) Canadas Indigenous populations, this toolkit is where my philosophy, passion,
interests, and knowledge all intersect. For me, dedication to the study of English was a labour of
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love I am very partial to the philosophy of the aesthetics, and more specifically, the place of the
educator as an artist whose medium of expression is the spontaneous, unrehearsed, and creative
encounter between teacher and student (to put it poetically). I love texts, and I love talking about,
learning, and growing from them. To me, theres just something so magical about the right words
in the right order, which is nowhere more explicit than with a carefully crafted poem. Thankfully,
where I have encountered wonderful and thought provoking classics, so too have I encountered
lovely and meaningful contemporary Indigenous poetry that I have been all too happy to make
the focus of this toolkit.
In order to properly Indigenize some pre-existing lessons as is a requirement for this
assignment I have adopted some of the most comprehensive (albeit non-Indigenous)
secondary-level poetry unit plans available on the internet: Chris McKenzies Poetic Voices: A
Poetry Unit Plan for English 10, the Western Reserve Public Medias More Than Rhyme: Poetry
Fundamentals, and the NYC Department of Educations Poetry Do I Dare?. Indigenizing
these unit plans will allow me to introduce students to some of the most skillful, renowned, and
passionate Indigenous writers, including where they come from primarily in and around
Northwestern Ontario as well as their selected poetry. While the poems chosen in each non-
Indigenized unit plan may have touched on themes alongside their designated poetic devices and
techniques, this toolkit will supplement these lessons with additional Indigenous content
culture, practices, and perspectives that works alongside and with the original content.
The goal of this toolkit is, as Jeannette Armstrong has suggested, examining the
empowerment that these Indigenous poets have created or rather, lovingly evoked and
demanded through their works, simultaneously decolonizing and educating students on
Indigenous culture while also satisfying the standards of the Secondary English Curriculum. This
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toolkit will be a source of pride for Indigenous students, and a source of exploration for non-
Indigenous students and, in bringing both kinds of students together, the culture itself stands to
gain further consideration, respect, and healing.

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Lesson 1: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification & E. Pauline Johnson
Grade: 10
Subject: English
Source: Chris McKenzies Poetic Voices: A Poetry Unit Plan for English 10, Lesson Plan 4:
Similes, Metaphors, and Personification (p. 14)
Rationale: Chris McKenzies Lesson Plan 4: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification is a
quality poetry lesson with a particular focus on personification, in which a thing, animal, or
abstract term is given human qualities and the writer thus compares the non-human to the
human by bringing the non-human to life. Personification is interestingly relevant towards
Indigenous culture, as within it, everything is alive and with its own spirit rocks, drums,
paddles, etc. To demonstrate simile, metaphor, and personification, McKenzie uses Anthem for
Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen, one of the poets many works about the horrors of World War
I. While WWI was and is immensely important, it was a particularly Eurocentric matter, an
ocean away from any given Indigenous culture in a world brought about and controlled by the
Colonizing forces. Thus, we can understand that McKenzies lesson can be decolonized by way
of examining his poetic devices of choice without the use of Anthem for Doomed Youth;
instead, this toolkit will supplement McKenzies lesson with two poems by Mohawk poet E.
Pauline Johnson, The Cattle Thief and The Song My Paddle Sings.
Connections: E. Pauline Johnson is one of the most prolific and revered Indigenous writers, and
respectively, she easily demonstrates the concept of empowerment through writing that Jeannette
Armstrong and this toolkit are concerned with. Moreover, having been born in 1861, Johnsons
very being is a window for students into the Mohawk culture during a time when Canadian
culture was largely imperialist, providing cross-curricular historical considerations for students.
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Johnsons selected poetry, The Cattle Thief and The Song My Paddle Sings are concerned
with the struggles of her people and their beauty, respectively, providing students with
information on both sides of the Colonial conflict so that they may better understand the
atrocities that were committed, decolonizing and Indigenizing their own worldviews.
CANADA C3 LEARNING MODULE TEMPLATE
Name of Designer(s)/Contributor(s): Chris McKenzie;

Bronson Carver
Name of Department, Faculty and University: Faculty

of Education, Lakehead University; The University of
British Columbia
TITLE: Simile, Metaphor, and Personification & E. Pauline

Johnson
Grade(s)/Division: 10
Subject(s)/Course(s): English
Time:
Learning Module Topic & Description
This lesson is a modification of a pre-existing poetry lesson
based on metaphor, simile, and personification. The
modifications entail the previous lesson having been
Indigenized, and thus more suitable and appropriate for
teaching in Northwestern Ontario (and other Canadian)
schools. The poetic/ literary devices in question will be
examined alongside Johnsons poems The Cattle Thief and
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The Song My Paddle Sings in addition to the poets

background as a late-19th Century Mohawk woman. Added/
changed/ Indigenized aspects are bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
How do similes, metaphors, and personification function as
poetic devices, specifically in relation to Indigenous poetry?
How do they help us understand the meaning of the poems,
and thus, the vision of E. Pauline Johnson?
Key Canada C3 Theme(s) being Explored
1.Diversity and Inclusion
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment
Stage 1: Desired Results

Learning Objective(s)/Goal(s):
- Students will understand similes, metaphors, and
personification as poetic devices/ techniques
- Students will understand these poetic devices as they
relate to Indigenous poetry
- Students will understand the authors perspective as
an Indigenous woman, broadening their understanding
of the culture as a whole and decolonizing their
thought processes
Essential Concepts/Knowledge/Skills to be
Learned/Applied:
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- Simile
- Metaphor
- Personification
- Canadian imperial history/ Colonization
- Beauty of Indigenous (Mohawk) culture
Curriculum Connections/Big Ideas:

- Reading and Literature Studies
- Cross-curricular: History
Teacher Goals:
- Decolonize previous content and Indigenize it instead
- Further expose students to Indigenous cultures and
perspectives
Stage 2: Planning Learning Experience and
Instructional Process
Student Groupings (e.g., Materials/Resources (e.g.,

whole class, small, pairs, equipment, PowerPoint sides,
independent work): manipulatives, hand-outs,
games, assessment tool):
Regular class grouping Equipment of choice
(whole class) (PowerPoint, handout, etc.)
The Cattle Thief by E.
Pauline Johnson (provided)
The Song My Paddle Sings
by E. Pauline Johnson
(provided)
E. Pauline Johnson biography/
background (provided)
Instructional Strategies Considerations (e.g.,
(e.g. direct instruction, contingency plans re:
demonstration, simulation, technology failure or student
role-playing, guest speaker, absences and groupings, or
etc.): guest speaker cancellations
or safety concerns):
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Direct instruction -
Accommodations and differentiation strategy (to

address different needs and preferences of students)
-
Assessment For Learning, Checking for
Understanding, Success Criteria & Feedback
-
Stage 3: Learning Experience
Motivational Hook (process for grabbing and focusing
students attention) Time (mins):
Hold up a picture of a medicine wheel and ask the
students to describe its colours. Explain that describing (or
even recognizing) these colours would be difficult without
comparing them to other colours.
Open (process for introducing/framing lesson and agenda)
Time (mins):
Introduce students to the concepts of simile, metaphor, and
personification in poetry with your desired method of choice
(PowerPoint, handout, lecture, etc.).
Introduce students to Mohawk poet E. Pauline
Johnson (making use of the attached mini-
biography), making specific note of her dual heritage
and stance as a writer.
Body (main instructional and learning processes to build
understanding, skills, attitudes) Time (mins):
Distribute copies of The Cattle Thief and explain to
the class how it makes use of simile and metaphor.
Distribute copies of The Song My Paddle Sings and
explain to the class how it makes use of
personification.
Explain how personification is particularly relevant
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and interesting towards Indigenous culture (as

everything, not just humans and animals, are alive
within it, complete with their own spirits).
Consolidation (processes for application and practice of
knowledge, skills, attitudes) Time (mins):
Ask students to create their own examples of simile,
metaphor, and personification based on their own
culture, or if they so choose, Indigenous culture.
Closure (processes for recapping, looking ahead) Time
(mins):
Ask students to reconsider the relationship between
personification and Indigenous culture, and, if they
consider that everything is alive and everything has
a spirit, does The Song My Paddle Sings really
have any personification at all? Students can answer
this as an exit card, or in groups next class, etc.
Stage 4: Reflection and Extension
Student Reflection of Learning (i.e., critical thinking

questions to extend the learning)
- Ask students to consider the processes of
decolonization and empowerment through writing,
and ask them to think how they apply to Pauline
Johnson and her poems.
Extension Ideas & Additional Resources
-
Teacher Reflection (e.g., next time notes)
-
Lesson Resources
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Author Biography: Emily Pauline Johnson, Tekahionwake, was born on the Six Nations Reserve
in 1861 to her Mohawk Chief father, George Henry Martin Johnson, and her English mother,
Emily Susanna Howells, leaving her with both Native aristocracy and Loyalist ancestry. While
poetry was her main passion, she also acted on the stage to support her work, often assuming the
persona of the Indian princess, usually donning buckskin and beads. While her poetry does
cover a range of subjects, it usually deals with the patriotic or pastoral Indian, and it is most
often found in the form of lyrics or short narratives. Johnsons writing combines genre writing
with substantial comments on the position of Native peoples in her society, usually dealing with
or focusing on a sense of morality. Experts agree that Johnson understood the didactic nature
or her work, rendering her an actively pro-Native and feminist author. In regards to her dual
ancestry, Johnson is noted as saying There are those who think they pay me a compliment in
saying that I am just like a white woman. My aim, my joy, my pride is to sing the glories of my
own people (36). As you will see with her selected poetry, she always held true to this
sentiment, creating a space in popular literature for Native issues presented from a specifically
Native perspective.
The Cattle Thief
THEY were coming across the prairie, they were galloping hard and fast;
For the eyes of those desperate riders had sighted their man at last
Sighted him off to Eastward, where the Cree encampment lay,
Where the cotton woods fringed the river, miles and miles away.
Mistake him? Never, Mistake him? The famous Eagle Chief!
That terror to all the settlers, that desperate Cattle Thief
That monstrous, fearless Indian, who lorded it over the plain,
Who thieved and raided, and scouted, who rode like a hurricane!
But theyve tracked him across the prairie; theyve followed him hard and fast;
For those desperate English settlers have sighted their man at last. 10
Up they wheeled to the tepees, all their British blood aflame,

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Bent on bullets and bloodshed, bent on bringing down their game;

But they searched in vain for the Cattle Thief: that lion had left his lair,
And they cursed like a troop of demonsfor the women alone were there.
The sneaking Indian coward, they hissed; he hides while yet he can;
Hell come in the night for cattle, but hes scared to face a man.
Never! and up from the cotton woods, rang the voice of Eagle Chief;
And right out into the open stepped, unarmed, the Cattle Thief.
Was that the game they had coveted? Scarce fifty years had rolled
Over that fleshless, hungry frame, starved to the bone and old; 20
Over that wrinkled, tawny skin, unfed by the warmth of blood,
Over those hungry, hollow eyes that glared for the sight of food.
He turned, like a hunted lion: I know not fear, said he;

And the words outleapt from his shrunken lips in the language of the Cree.
Ill fight you, white-skins, one by one, till I kill you all, he said; 25
But the threat was scarcely uttered, ere a dozen balls of lead
Whizzed through the air about him like a shower of metal rain,
And the gaunt old Indian Cattle Thief, dropped dead on the open plain.
And that band of cursing settlers, gave one triumphant yell,
And rushed like a pack of demons on the body that writhed and fell. 30
Cut the fiend up into inches, throw his carcass on the plain;
Let the wolves eat the cursed Indian, hed have treated us the same.
A dozen hands responded, a dozen knives gleamed high,
But the first stroke was arrested by a womans strange, wild cry.
And out into the open, with a courage past belief, 35
She dashed, and spread her blanket oer the corpse of the Cattle Thief;
And the words outleapt from her shrunken lips in the language of the Cree,
If you mean to touch that body, you must cut your way through me.
And that band of cursing settlers dropped backward one by one,
For they knew that an Indian woman roused, was a woman to let alone. 40
And then she raved in a frenzy that they scarcely understood,

Raved of the wrongs she had suffered since her earliest babyhood:
Stand back, stand back, you white-skins, touch that dead man to your shame;
You have stolen my fathers spirit, but his body I only claim.
You have killed him, but you shall not dare to touch him now hes dead.
You have cursed, and called him a Cattle Thief, though you robbed him
first of bread
Robbed him and robbed my peoplelook there, at that shrunken face,
Starved with a hollow hunger, we owe to you and your race.
What have you left to us of land, what have you left of game,
What have you brought but evil, and curses since you came?
How have you paid us for our game? How paid us for our land? 55
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By a book, to save our souls from the sins you brought in your other hand.
Go back with your new religion, we never have understood
Your robbing an Indians body, and mocking his soul with food.
Go back with your new religion, and findif find you can
The honest man you have ever made from out a starving man.
You say your cattle are not ours, your meat is not our meat;
When you pay for the land you live in, well pay for the meat we eat.
Give back our land and our country, give back our herds of game;
Give back the furs and the forests that were ours before you came; 60
Give back the peace and the plenty. Then come with your new belief,
And blame if you dare, the hunger that drove him to be a thief.
The Song My Paddle Sings
WEST wind, blow from your prairie nest,

Blow from the mountains, blow from the west.
The sail is idle, the sailor too;
O wind of the west, we wait for you!
5
Blow, blow!
I have wooed you so,
But never a favor you bestow.
You rock your cradle the hills between,
But scorn to notice my white lateen.
10
I stow the sail and unship the mast:
I wooed you long, but my wooings past;
My paddle will lull you into rest:
O drowsy wind of the drowsy west,
Sleep, sleep!
15
By your mountains steep,
Or down where the prairie grasses sweep,
Now fold in slumber your laggard wings,
For soft is the song my paddle sings.
August is laughing across the sky,

20
Laughing while paddle, canoe and I
Drift, drift,
Where the hills uplift
On either side of the current swift.
19
The river rolls in its rocky bed,

25
My paddle is plying its way ahead,
Dip, dip,
When the waters flip
In foam as over their breast we slip.
And oh, the river runs swifter now;

30
The eddies circle about my bow:
Swirl, swirl!
How the ripples curl
In many a dangerous pool awhirl!
And far to forward the rapids roar,
35
Fretting their margin for evermore;
Dash, dash,
With a mighty crash,
They seethe and boil and bound and splash.
Be strong, O paddle! be brave, canoe!

40
The reckless waves you must plunge into.
Reel, reel,
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel.
We ve raced the rapids; we re far ahead:

45
The river slips through its silent bed.
Sway, sway,
As the bubbles spray
And fall in tinkling tunes away.
And up on the hills against the sky,

50
A fir tree rocking its lullaby
Swings, swings,
Its emerald wings,
Swelling the song that my paddle sings.
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Lesson 2: Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox & Jim Northrup
Grade: 10-11
Subject: English
Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox (p. 30)
Rationale: Chris McKenzies lesson plan Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox is, once again, a
quality poetry lesson plan that, despite said quality, is without any Indigenous content. More
specifically, to communicate these poetic devices to students, McKenzie uses Shakespeares
Sonnet 130 and Tennysons Lancelot and Elaine; like the previous lesson, while these are
worthy poems from which the desired lessons can be communicated, they are both at the centre
of the classics and the English canon, both of which problematically consist of works almost
exclusively by white male authors. With this information in mind, we can presume that
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McKenzies lesson can be greatly decolonized (and Indigenized) simply by substituting these
poems with others by Indigenous authors or, more specifically, Rez Car by Jim Northrup,
whose writing in general has always offered an empowered perspective on the Anishinabe way
of life.
Connections: Jim Northrup, a residential school survivor and a veteran of the Vietnam war,
developed a toughened persona that often came out in his writing; without a doubt, the words he
put down on paper (whether they were poetry, or for one of his editorials) were not only
powerful, but authentic, and certainly empowered. This lesson connects strongly with the
previous lesson in that it compares two different types of vehicles in the Indigenous world: the
authentic canoe (via Johnsons The Song My Paddle Sings) and the white mans automobile,
which Northrup discusses heartily and honestly in Rez Car. In making this comparison,
students will be able to see the differences between cultures, decolonizing their interpretations in
the process. Finally, even as a standalone poem, Rez Car provides a brief but heavily loaded
look at how the Colonizers world continues to influence the Indigenous world while
simultaneously interrupting it, as well functioning as a window for the discussion of reserves in
general.

Bronson Carver
Name of Department, Faculty and University: The

University of British Columbia; Faculty of Education,
22
Lakehead University
TITLE: Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox & Jim Northrup

Grade(s)/Division: 10-11
Time:
This lesson is a modification of a previous lesson based on
hyperbole, oxymoron, and paradox. The modifications entail
the previous lesson having been Indigenized, and thus more
suitable and appropriate for teaching in Northwestern
Ontario (and other Canadian) schools. The poetic/ literary
devices in question will be examined alongside Northrups
poem Rez Car as well as Northrups Anishinabe name, a
Two Row Times article, and the films Reel Injun and Smoke
Signals. Added/ changed/ Indigenized aspects are
bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
How do hyperbole, oxymoron, and paradox function as
poetic devices, specifically in relation to Indigenous poetry
and culture? How do they help us understand the meaning
of the poem, and thus, the perspective of Jim Northrup?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
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4.Environment

- Students will understand hyperbole, oxymoron, and
paradox as poetic devices/ techniques
relate to Indigenous poetry and culture
- Students will understand the authors perspective as a
sarcastic Indigenous man, broadening their
understanding of the culture as a whole and
decolonizing their thought processes
Learned/Applied:
- Hyperbole
- Oxymoron
- Paradox
- Rez Car (commodity and implications)
- Media Studies
Teacher Goals:
perspectives
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Standard (whole class) Equipment of choice
grouping (PowePoint, handout, etc.)
Rez Car by Jim Northrup
Jim Northrup mini-biography
Reel Injun film
Smoke Signals film
Rez Cars Get High Art
Treatment article
-
-
Greatly exaggerate how much marking that you, as the
teacher, have had to recently do for the class: I had to
mark piles of paper this high they were so high up that I
had to take a chairlift to get up there. Ask students to
continue this story (optional).
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Time (mins):
Explain to students how the opening anecdote was an
example of hyperbole.
Explain that, today as a class, we will be taking a look at
hyperbole, as well as oxymoron and paradox, as well as
poet Jim Northrup.
Provide a background on Jim Northrup, using the
provided mini-biography (or other resources found at
your own discretion).
Distribute copies of Rez Car by Jim Northrup,
pointing out its use of hyperbole.
Discuss Jim Northrups given Anishinabe name,
Chibenashi (big little-bird), and explain how it is
an example of an oxymoron (or by extension, a
paradox).
Discuss rez cars more broadly, linking them to E.
Pauline Johnsons canoes (another vehicle) from the
previous lesson. Touch on/ ask students to consider
how this colonial invention plays into the Indigenous
world (both within and outside of Northrups poem).
(Optional) Broaden students understandings of
reservations.
Direct students to the Two Row Times article Rez
Cars Get High Art Treatment and ask students to
consider the rez car as a cross-cultural artifact, and
as a site of art.
Show students excerpts from the films Reel Injun and
Smoke Signals, demonstrating their use of rez cars.
Lead a class-wide discussion about exactly what the
rez car is, and what it means for (and to) Indigenous
26
culture.
(Optional) Broaden students understanding of
reservations.
(mins):
Ask students to write a short poem detailing how
they feel about rez cars, making use of hyperbole,
paradox, and/ or oxymorons, due at the start of next
class (and received as a marked assessment of
learning).

What comparisons can you draw between Northrups
rez car and Johnsons canoe? What differences can
you surmise? How do both relate to the culture?
-
-
Lesson Resources
Author Biography: Jim Northrup was born on April 28th, 1943 on the Fond du Lac Indian
Reservation (the rez) in Minnesota. Northrup was an Anishinaabe columnist, poet, author, and
playwright. Notably, his given Anishinaabe name was Chibenashi, meaning big little-bird.
Early on, Northrup attended the Pipestone Indian School (also in Minnesota), a residential school
where he was often physically abused by both teachers and fellow students; as a result, Northrup
grew up as a tough streetfigher and with a smart mouth. Eventually, Northrup would serve in
the Vietnam War, all the while dealing with his own personal family tragedies. In response to all
27
of these troubles, Northrup developed a strong sense of sarcasm, and a respective strong and
humorous voice that was unafraid to talk about the darker side of life. After the war,
Northrup turned to writing, providing columns that examined politics (and other serious issues)
through an Anishinaabe lens, lending insight to his people, and more specifically, providing a
decolonized view on world events. In time, Northrup would also experiment with play writing,
short stories, and poetry, and eventually, he found fame (and high praise) for his works, one of
which was Rez Car. On his own writing, Northrup is quoted as saying I used to be known as a
bullshitter, but that didnt pay anything. I began calling myself a storyteller a little better, more
prestige but it still didnt pay anything. I became a freelance writer. At first it was more free
than lance, then I started getting money for my words. Northrup recently passed away from
cancer on August 1st, 2016, but he always continued living the traditional life with his family on
his reservation, doing things like harvesting rice and making winnowing baskets. In 2001, he was
named Writer of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.
Rez Cars Get High Art Treatment, a Two Row Times article.
Reel Injun, dir. Neil Diamond
Smoke Signals, dir. Chris Eyre
Rez Car
Its 24 years old,

Its been used
a lot more than most.
Its louder than a 747.
Its multicolored and none 5
of the tires are brothers.
Im the 7th or 8th owner
I know Ill be the last.
28
Whats wrong with it?

Well, the other day 10
the steering wheel fell off.
The radio doesnt work
but the heater does.
The seats have seen more
asses than a proctologist. 15
I turn the key, it starts.
I push the brake, it stops.
What else is a car
supposed to do? 19
29
Lesson 3: Denotation and Connotation & Annharte
Grade: 10-12
Subject: Poetry
Source: The Western Reserve Public Medias More Than Rhyme: Poetry Fundamentals,
Denotation and Double Denotation (p. 27) and Connotation (p. 33).
Rationale: As poetry is highly concerned with words (and their meanings), the Western Reserve
Public Medias two lessons on connotation and denotation are arguably critical and certainly
beneficial to any unit plan concerned with the art. Both of these original lessons are of a high
quality (complete with fun activities and supplemental graphics), but expectantly, they lack any
Indigenous content. To effectively teach these lessons, the authors have implemented various
famous poems to demonstrate the aspects of denotation and connotation at play; this toolkit,
however, can supplement all of these lessons with just one poem, Raced Out to Write This Up
by contemporary Anishinabe poet Annharte. Raced Out is rife with subtle wordplay that
excellently demonstrates the function and execution of both denotation and connotation in
poetry. Moreover, the poem itself is also an example of beat poetry, a special type of poetry that
is characterized by harsh and subversive political reflection and commentary a special type of
poetry that is complimentary to the postcolonial struggles of Canadas Indigenous peoples, and a
special type of poetry that Annharte utilizes to decolonize and empower herself.
Connection: As empowerment through writing is the theme of this toolkit, there is perhaps no
30
Indigenous poet no more appropriate to include than Annharte, who even in name rejects
Colonial impositions and encourages fellow Indigenous writers to feel and be empowered and
this is on top of her current, ongoing efforts in the Canadian Native literary scene. Annhartes
Raced Out to Write This Up also provides balance to previous lessons by introducing students
to some more serious, layered, and appropriately prickly content, as it is openly critical of
Colonization (thus decolonizing) and told in a beat poetry-manner that contrasts against the
simplicity and gentility of poems such as Rez Car and The Song My Paddle Sings.
Name of Designer(s)/Contributor(s): The Western

Reserve Public Media; Bronson Carver

Western Reserve Public Media; Faculty of Education,
Lakehead University
TITLE: Denotation and Connotation & Annharte

Time:
This lesson is a modification of two previous lessons based
on denotation and connotation. The modifications entail the
previous lessons having been Indigenized, and thus more
31

Ontario (and other Canadian) schools. These lessons have
been adapted to focus on just one poem, Raced Out to
Write This Up by Annharte, which is not only exemplary of
these poetic devices, but also of beat poetry, which has its
own interesting relationship with postcolonial Indigenous
cultures. Added/ changed/ Indigenized aspects are
bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
How do the denotations and connotations of words function
within Annhartes Raced Out to Write This Up? How does
the beat genre permit or see Annharte express herself as a
postcolonial Anishinaabe woman?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

- Students will understand denotation and connotation
as poetic devices
- Students will understand the function and structure of
beat poetry, and how it relates to Indigenous cultures
32
and authors
Learned/Applied:
- Denotation
- Connotation
- Beat Poetry
Teacher Goals:
perspectives

Raced Out to Write This Up
by Annharte
Annharte mini-biography
(provided)
33

-
-
Draw students attention to the words Indian and
Native, and ask them what these words mean to
them. Explain their different connotative and
denotative meanings.
Time (mins):
Explain to students the meaning of denotation, and provide
some examples.
Explain to students the meaning of connotation, and
provide some examples.
Explain/ define beat poetry for your students.
Brief students on Annharte, using the mini-
biography.
Distribute copies of Raced Out to Write This Up by
Annharte, pointing out different examples of
denotative words (race, etc.) and connotative
words and phrases (drunk as a skunk, etc.)
Carefully explicate the poem for students (as it is
complicated), drawing specific attention to
Annhartes interpretations of race and colour.
Understand and develop Raced Out as a beat
poem that is providing political commentary.
34

(Re)introduce students to the concept of racism,
pointing out relevant FNMI-related Canadian issues.
Debrief Raced Out as a response to racism, and
how Annharte sees herself as a postcolonial
Anishinaabe woman.
(mins):
Ask students to leave an exit card describing how
this poem (and todays lesson) makes them feel.

Does Annhartes beat poetry inspire you to stand up
for what you believe in? What would you have to say
if you did? Would you use a beat poem?
-
-
Lesson Resources
Author Biography: Born as Marie Annharte Baker in 1942 to an Anishinaabe mother and an Irish
father, Annharte quickly rejected the Eurocentric naming process (and perhaps some of her own
heritage) and started going by the simpler, single moniker Annharte. Growing up in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Annharte experienced the hard life of the streets first-hand, which was likely
formative in her development as a writer, and eventually, her ascription to beat poetry. Annharte
describes herself as a cultural worker who wants to produce films, plays, and books that
35
celebrate cultural survival after five hundred years of resistance to settler lit(ter) (not
literature). Subversive wordplay is characteristic of Annhartes writing style with humour,
parody, satire, and witticism all being widely employed, and her writing itself shows her concern
with the smallest stories, stories in our everyday conversations (wrongfully dismissed as
gossip), stories of how we survived and resisted (cheeky stories), and lost stories (stories of
men, women, and children who are lost or outcast to their own people, the ones who have no
voice but speak to us in dreams or haunt our every waking moment with their shocking
statistics). Annharte eventually co-founded the Regina Aboriginal Writers group, and she
continues to be an active force in the Native literary scene.
Raced Out to Write This Up
I often race to write I write about race who do I write

about race I must erase all trace of my race I am an
eraser abrasive bracing myself embracing
it is classic to want to write about class not low class but

up the nose class I know I am class brassy crass ass 5
of a clash comes when I move up a rung
we are different skins different bins for brown rice and

white rice not even a container of wild rice you know
what they do when you are white and not rich poverty
counts big when you count the cost of a caste a colourful 10
past
drunk as a skunk he danced at the Lebret Hotel what for

no not really says hes not writing because they wont
publish his books he does a number for a book he
hugged me like I was his old Tibetan guru out on the 15
dance floor teleporting again
white racists notice colour when they dont have you

might be off-white a bone white a cream white
36
alabaster white dingy white if you dont wash often

enough nevermind a non-bleached white white with 20
pinkish undertone peaches and cream white with
freckles who is colour blind I write my black ink on
white paper I white out write out my colour lighten up
full of self I saw old whitey again but he wanted to be a
part of a pure religion not like ours not that he was a 25
white racist but a pure racist in his heart which had no
colour but our colour red red mind you a few white
corpuscles but compared to the red they were am minority
not invisible
so few of me yet I still write not for the white audience but 30
the colour of their response to my underclassy class the
flash of their fit to kill me why race away to the finish
when I cross the finish line will it be white will I be red
from running hot and cold touch me not less I am to be
divided against my self who is both red and white but not a 35
shade of pink maybe a beige pink blushed flushed off
white right I colour my winning everytime I am still in the
red not the black blackened red reddened black but
what about black n blue green at the gills yellow belly
but what about the whitish frightish part I put it behind 40
behind me when I need to say my piece about togetherness
that we must breed not only by ourselves but with everyone
out in that world who will listen hey Im a half a half
breed a mixed bag breed bread and butter bred my
whole grain bannock will taste as good to me even if I 45
smear on red jam sink my white teeth down into it down
the red hatch to the black hole that is behind it all the
whole black of me the whore backing up behind me
the sore holy part of me which is the blackest darkest most
coloured most non-Indian, non-white slice of me bred to 50
wonder
37
Lesson 4: Repetition & Traditional Songs
Grade: 10
Subject: English
Repetition (p. 44)
Rationale: One of the Western Reserve Public Medias lessons on sound in poetry, Repetition,
is, expectantly, a quality lesson plan that lacks any Indigenous content. While sound and
repetition are important wherever poetry is concerned, they are exponentially important where
38
Indigenous poetry is concerned, as said poetry is, through its connection to the culture, also
connected strongly to orality. To the benefit of this toolkit, all of these cultural and linguistic
commodities are highly complementary towards each other, culminating in this lesson plan.
Whereas the WRPMs original lesson was concerned with classical, Eurocentric poems and
authors, this new lesson is Indigenized through the inclusion of several examples of traditional
Indigenous orature, namely Song for Medicine Hunting, as well as The Song of the Girl Who
Was Turning into Stone/ Ivaluardjuk and Dead Mans Song/ Netsit, the latter two being Inuit
traditional songs. The repetition in these poems serves not only as tutelage for the poetic
technique in question, but also points students towards the power of voice and the power of the
speaker within Indigenous cultures.
Connections: Wherever decolonization is concerned, so too must be authentic Indigenous
(spoken) voices. As the world of the Colonizer was largely won through writing that is, treaties,
contracts, and other binding agreements Indigenous orature stands as the antithesis, and a
sacred remnant of the losing side. Thus, to pay mind and care towards Indigenous orature is to
decolonize, which in this respect, is also empowering. In regards to the toolkit as a whole, this
lesson is a nice bounce back from Annhartes complicated and jagged poetry from the last lesson:
this lessons selected poetry is simpler, gentler, and more concerned with being kind rather than
being on the attack. Finally, if one is to concern him or herself with Canadas Indigenous
populations, he or she cannot forget Inuit culture; it is here with this lesson that this toolkit
adopts a bit of it in order to share it with the rest of the country.

39

Reserve Public Media; Bronson Carver

Lakehead University
TITLE: Repetition & Traditional Orature

Grade(s)/Division: 10
Time:
the poetic technique of repetition. The modifications entail
the previous lesson having been Indigenized, and thus more
Ontario (and other Canadian) schools. This lesson has been
adapted to focus on three examples of Indigenous traditional
orature: Song for Medicine Hunting, Song of the Girl Who
Was Turning into Stone/ Ivaluardjuk, and Dead Mans Song/
Netsit. This lesson will, in addition to teaching repetition in
poetry, communicate the importance and power of
Indigenous oral culture. Added/ changed/ Indigenized
aspects are bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
What effect does repetition have on poetry? How does it
40
bring out the orality of the selected songs? How does

orature relate to Indigenous cultures in general?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

- Students will understand repetition as a poetic
technique
- Students will understand repetition as it relates to
Indigenous poetry, orature, and culture
- Students will understand the relationship between
orality and Indigenous culture
Learned/Applied:
- Sound
- Repetition
- Orature/ Orality
- Oral Communication
Teacher Goals:
41
perspectives


Song for Medicine Hunting
Song of the Girl Who Was
Turning into Stone/
Ivaluardjuk
Dead Mans Song/ Netsit
Indigenous Orature
Background (provided)
-
-
42
Draw students interest by calling attention to the

power of repetition do something out of the blue,
something that is NOT a part of your routine as a
teacher. Once students acknowledge your action
(which they will), reflect on and debrief it.
Time (mins):
Explain to students the meaning of repetition in poetry, and
provide some examples.
Brief students on the concept of orature.
Brief students on orality in Indigenous cultures, and
how they use repetition for effect/ power.
Distribute copies of Song for Medicine Hunting,
Song of the Girl Who Was Turning into Stone and
Dead Mans Song. Have students take turns
reading these poems out loud, and then lead a class
discussion on what stood out in each poem.
Divide students into three separate groups, with
each group having one of the selected poems.
For the group with Song of Medicine Healing, ask
them to consider what the consistent use of I
means for the song.
For the group with Song of the Girl Who Was
Turning into Stone, ask them what effect the poem
has by changing only one line in each stanza.
For the group with Dead Mans Song, ask them to
consider why the repeated lines are where they are
in the poem.
Have each group share their discussions/ opinions
with the rest of the class.
43
(mins):
Inform students how the lessons selections were
actually transcribed by white settlers, making them
cross-cultural texts. Ask students to consider what
this means, and if it changes their opinions on the
songs.

-
-
-
Lesson Resources
Orature Background: The term orature is chosen as a parallel to the term literature, indicating
a body of knowledge and content that may be understood as oral literature, albeit without the
lesser connotation that the oral prefix suggests. The majority of known Indigenous orature were
likely recorded (hundreds of years ago) by amateur folklorists, and as such, they tend to also
reflect English literary values alongside their Indigenous ones, making true authenticity
impossible. However, these historic written accounts match up with contemporary stories that
have been passed down, and as such, they are considered culturally canonical, if not dual natured
(or rather, part white). In regards to the Inuit songs, their roots are much more recent, and the
transcriptions within this lesson date back only to the early 20th century; regardless, they too are
44
seen as authentic as far as being a part of a recording process that comments on both cultures
involved.
Song for Medicine Hunting
Now I hear it, my friends, of the Metai, who are sitting about me.
Who makes this river flow? The Spirit, he makes this river flow.
Look at me well, my friends; examine me, and let me understand that we are
all compassion.
Who maketh to walk about the social people? A birth maketh to walk about
the social people.
I fly about, and if anywhere I see an animal, I can shoot him.
I shoot your heart; I hit your heart, oh animal, your heart, I hit your heart.
I make myself look like fire.
I am able to call water from above, from beneath, and from around.
I cause to look like the dead, a man I did.
I cause to look like the dead, a woman I did.
I cause to look like the dead, a child I did.
I am such, I am such, my friends; any animal, any animal, my friends,
I hit him right, my friends.
Song of the Girl Who Was Turning into Stone/ Ivaluardjuk
Men in kayaks,
come hither to me
and be my husbands;
this stone here
has clung fast to me, 5
and lo, my feet
are now turning to stone.
Men in kayaks,
come hither to me
and be my husbands; 10
this stone here
has clung fast to me,
and lo, my legs
45
Men in kayaks, 15
come hither to me
and be my husbands;
this stone here
and lo, now my thighs 20
are turning to stone.
Men in kayaks,
come hither to me
and be my husbands;
this stone here 25
and lo, from the waist down
I am turning to stone.
Men in kayaks,
come hither to me 30
and be my husbands;
this stone here
and lo, my entrails
are turning to stone. 35
Men in kayaks,
come hither to me
and be my husbands;
this stone here
has clung fast to me, 40
and lo, my lungs
Dead Mans Song/ Netsit
Dreamed by One Who is Alive
I am filled with joy

When the day peacefully dawns
Up over the heavens,
ayi, yai ya.
46
I am filled with joy 5

When the sun slowly rises
ayi, yai ya.
But else I choke with fear

At greedy maggot throngs; 10
They eat their way in
At the hollow of my collarbone
And in my eyes,
ayi, yai ya.
Here I lie, recollecting 15

How stifled with fear I was
When they buried me
In a snow hut out on the lake,
ayi, yai ya.
A block of snow was pushed to, 20

Incomprehensible it was
How my soul should make its way
And fly to the game land up there,
ayi, yai ya.
That door-block worried me, 25

And ever greater grew my fear
When the fresh-water ice split in the cold,
And the frost-crack thunderously grew
ayi, yai ya. 30
Glorious was life

In winter.
But did winter bring me joy?
No! Ever was I so anxious
For sole-skins and skins for kamiks, 35
Would there be enough for us all?
Yes, I was ever anxious,
ayi, yai ya.
47
Glorious was life

In summer. 40
But did summer bring me joy?
No! Ever was I so anxious
For skins and rugs for the platform,
Yes, I was ever anxious,
ayi, yai ya. 45
Glorious was life

When standing at ones fishing-hole
On the ice.
But did standing at the fishing-hole bring me joy?
No! Ever was I so anxious 50
For my tiny little fish-hook
If it should not get a bite,
ayi, yai ya.
Glorious was life

When dancing in the dance-house. 55
But did dancing in the dance-house bring me joy?
No! Ever was I so anxious,
That I could not recall
The song I was to sing.
Yes, I was ever anxious, 60
ayi, yai ya.
Glorious was life. . . .

Now I am filled with joy
For every time a dawn
Makes white the sky of night, 65
For every time the sun goes up
Over the heavens,
ayi, yai ya.
48
Lesson 5: Symbolism & Richard Wagamese
Grade: 10-12
Subject: English
Symbolism (p. 26)
Rationale: No unit on poetry would be complete without a lesson on symbolism, which is evident
in Chris McKenzies Poetic Voices unit plan; however, McKenzies lesson on symbolism, like all
of his others, is without any Indigenous content. In poetry, a symbol combines the literal with the
figurative, and the image with the metaphor, representing something more, special, and
meaningful. Indigenous culture is rife with practices, artifacts, and more that go well beyond
their face values: drumming rituals; sweat lodges; smudges; and, so much more. With this in
mind, we can understand how the poetic symbol and Indigenous culture are mutually
complimentary and thus, why we can expect symbols within Indigenous poetry. For this lesson,
three poems demonstrating the use of symbolism, Poem, He Dreams Himself, and Paul
Lake Evening all by Ojibwe author Richard Wagamese will replace Chris McKenzies use
of classical/ canonical poet Robert Frost, keeping his original lesson intact while also breathing
into it Indigenous culture, and Wagameses own sense of empowerment.
Connections: While this lesson wasnt originally a part of this toolkit, during its completion,
Richard Wagamese who is one of the most renowned and impactful Indigenous artists, period
49
passed away on March 10th. While Wagamese is better known for his prose, in the wake of his
passing, I felt compelled to include him in this toolkit, and as such, I made the necessary changes
to include some of his poetry (which is certainly of a high quality). Where issues of
decolonization and Indigenous empowerment through writing are concerned, Wagamese is,
without a doubt, at the forefront: many of his works are considered classics, ushering him into
(and contrasting him against) the company that comprises the Eurocentric literary canon.
Moreover, in the grand scope of this toolkit, Wagamese helps lend the male poet perspective,
something that, without him (and Jim Northrup), would likely be too heavily outweighed by the
five featured female poets. Finally, at the onset of the second half of this toolkit, Wagameses
poetry (and the emotions surrounding his passing) help to gently usher in the more personal and
heavy tones that, from this point onward, the toolkit builds upon.

Bronson Carver

University of British Columbia; Faculty of Education,
Lakehead University
TITLE: Symbolism & Richard Wagamese

50
Time:
symbolism. The modifications entail the previous lesson
having been Indigenized, and thus more suitable and
appropriate for teaching in Northwestern Ontario (and other
Canadian) schools. The lesson has been adapted to focus on
three poems by Ojibwe writer Richard Wagamese: Poem,
Paul Lake Evening, and He Dreams Himself. Added/
changed/ Indigenized aspects are bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
How do symbols and symbolism function within and in
relation to poetry? How do they function in relation to
everything else? How do they function in relation to
Indigenous cultures?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

- Students will understand symbols and symbolism as
poetic devices
51

- Students will understand the broader implications of
the symbol
Learned/Applied:
- Symbol
- Symbolism
Teacher Goals:
perspectives

Poem by Richard
Wagamese
Paul Lake Evening by
Richard Wagamese
He Dreams Himself by
Richard Wagamese
Richard Wagamese mini-
biography (provided)
52

-
-
Put up some symbols for students to observe, such as I <3
U, or corporate logos. Ask the class to explain what each of
them are, and to try and figure out why they are used.
Time (mins):
Explain to students what symbolism in poetry is.
Split the class into three groups, and distribute one
of Wagameses poems to each of them.
Ask each group to look for symbols and/ or
symbolism within their given poem.
Have each group discuss their findings, and point out
relevant symbolism that they may have missed.
Relate Wagameses poetry to Indigenous culture as a
whole, further Indigenizing the students thought
processes and worldviews.
Introduce students to contemporary sports logos
53
that poach and abuse the image of the Indian

(Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, Atlanta
Braves, etc.), explaining the problems that they
present.
(mins):
Ask students to reflect on how these Indian symbols
make them feel, especially when compared to the
authentic and beautiful works of Wagamese. Answer
with exit cards, or as written homework.

Could Wagameses death be symbolic of anything?
-
-
Lesson Resources
Author Biography: Richard Wagamese was born on the Wabaseemoong First Nation in
Northwestern Ontario in 1955, but because of the impact of residential school, he was adopted
and raised by a non-Indigenous family in southern Ontario. Wagamese has stated how the
anxiety, fear, and loneliness of his youth heavily influenced him, and as a result, he wrote
stories about the kinds of lives that he imagined every other kid was having. After struggling
with drug and alcohol abuse and prison, Wagamese went on to become a highly renowned and
award winning author and journalist, turning to poetry later on in his career. Ultimately, we can
understand that Wagamese provides a truly holistic view of the modern Indigenous man,
54
presenting both the best and worst, most beautiful and ugly aspects of his life, having lived it all.
Wagamese passed away on March 10th, 2017.
Poem
smoke tendrils roll upward

outward onward beyond
this abalone bowl bringing
the ancient ones
to stand at your shoulder 5
as the eagle feather fan
brushes smudge over the heart
and mind and spirit
making you a circle
containing everything 10
and nothing
at the same time
I can live like this

this being
blessed and blessing 15
in the same motion
the sacred medicines smoulder

drums
eagle cries
life 20
everything I hear
Paul Lake Evening
loon call wobbles over win

eased through the gap between mountains
the lake set down aglitter
like a bowl of quartz winking
in the last frail light of sun 5
pushing colours around the sky
55
to sit here is to see this country

the way a blind man sees
the feeling of it all
pushed up hard against you 10
insistent as a childs hand
tugging at your sleeve
the Old Ones say

that everything is energy
and were part of it 15
whether we know it or not
in the sky are pieces of me
we are the grass

alive with dancing
we are stone 20
vigilant and strong
we are birds
ancient with singing
the flesh of us
hand in hand, you and I 25
the whole wide world
He Dreams Himself
walking the line of the Winnipeg River

as it snakes northward out of the
rough and tangle of the Canadian Shield jutted
like a chin that holds Wabaseemoong
in its cleft and empties legends born 5
in its rapids and eddies of Memegwaysiwuk
the Water Fairies out of the belly
of Lake of the Woods
he dreams himself
talking to all the things he passes 10
singing their names sometimes
56
in the Old Talk

he wont awaken to understand
still, its dream he walks through

and when he puts his hand upon 15
the pictographs set into stone
the iron oxide, bear grease
and pigment mixed to seal them
forever just above the waterline
on a cliff with no name 20
he feels the pulse of them on his palm
the sure, quick heartbeat of a thing
alive and captured squarely
in time, and wakes to find
his hand upon your hip bone 25
in the dim moonlight the stars
winking in a kind jest at the window
he dreams himself into being
as the Old Ones said
he would 30
in the teachings he holds as close
as you to the centre of himself
57
Lesson 6: Imagery & Heid E. Erdrich
Grade: 10-12
Subject: English
Imagery (p. 54)
Rationale: Much like symbolism, no poetry unit can be truly complete without exploring
imagery: those words that, being so powerfully and carefully crafted, provoke vivid thoughts and
pictures in the readers mind. Thus, not surprisingly, The Western Reserve Public Medias poetry
58
unit does feature a lesson on imagery, but equally not surprisingly the lesson has no
Indigenous content. To remedy this, the original lesson has been injected with some quality
poetry courtesy of Ojibwe poet Heid E. Erdrich: Last Snow, Indigenous Elvis at the Airport,
Dean, and Girl of Lightning, decolonizing the original content and providing students with
a contemporary and empowered Indigenous perspective.
Connections: Imagery as a poetic device is conducive to beauty, which as Jeannette Armstrong
explains at the outset of this toolkit is common and important within Indigenous culture (and is
also a key component within Armstrongs idea of proper Indigenous writing). Keeping the
proverbial flow of this toolkit going, Erdrichs selected poetry compliments the variety of
Wagameses poetry (and in general, life) by presenting students with several more different/ new
topics, settings, and situations; effectively, students are continually introduced to different
Indigenous perspectives, properly and consistently decolonizing their own worldviews and
opinions in the process.

Reserve Public media; Bronson Carver

Lakehead University
TITLE: Imagery & Heid E. Erdrich

59
Time:
imagery. The modifications entail the previous lesson having
been Indigenized, and thus more suitable and appropriate
for teaching in Northwestern Ontario (and other Canadian)
schools. The lesson has been adapted to focus on four
poems by Ojibwe poet Heid E. Erdrich: Last Snow,
Indigenous Elvis at the Airport, Dean, and Girl of
Lightning. Added/ changed/ Indigenized aspects are
bolded throughout.
Essential QUESTION
How do poets create images in your mind? What images do
the selected poems create in your mind, and how do they
relate to Indigenous culture?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

60
- Students will understand imagery as a poetic device

- Students will understand this poetic device as it
relates to Indigenous poetry and culture
- Students will work to solidify the complex images in
Erdrichs poems
Learned/Applied:
- Image/ Imagery

Teacher Goals:
perspectives

Last Snow by Heid E.
Erdrich
Indigenous Elvis at the
Airport by Heid E. Erdrich
Dean by Heid E. Erdrich
Girl of Lightning by Heid E.
Erdrich
Heid E. Erdrich mini-
61

-
-
Jokingly/ falsely start describing your final exam,
using brutal, difficult language. After, debrief with
students and ask them how the words you used
made them think about the test.
Time (mins):
Explain to students what an image is.
Explain to students what imagery in poetry is.
Split the class into four groups, and distribute one of
Erdrichs poems to each of them.
Ask each group to look for (or realize) images from
within their given poem.
Have each group discuss their findings, sharing the
main image(s) they felt/ saw with the rest of the
62
class.
Provide students with Erdrichs mini-biography,
detailing how, based on her great intelligence, she is
also concerned with issues of social justice.
Ask students to tackle social justice like Erdrich by
taking into consideration one Indigenous issue they
are aware of (and if students struggle to come up
with their own issue, choose one for them).
(mins):
Based on their issue of choice, have students write a
poem in response that features at least one strong
poetic image.

-
-
-
Lesson Resources
Author Biography: Born in Breckenridge, Minnesota in 1963 to the Turtle Mountain Band of
Ojibwe, Heid Ellen Erdrich quickly developed a love for the arts and a close relationship with
poetry growing up. For Erdrich, nothing is off the table to write about biology, history,
spirituality, motherhood, and her heritage are all common topics in her poetry. Described by her
63
peers as having a marvelous intelligence, her poems respectively demonstrate a level of
complexity that is less common in Indigenous poetry. Erdrich also has an established concern
with social justice, and often uses her writing to show her support for movements such as Idle
No More; similarly in her poetry, Erdrich often provides social commentary, never shying away
from a touchy subject or righting what she sees as wrong.
Last Snow
Dumped wet and momentary on a dull ground

thats been clear but clearly sleeping, for days.
Last snow melts as it falls, piles up slush, runs in first light
making a music in the streets we wish we could keep.
Last snow. Thats what well think for weeks to come. 5
Close sun sets up a glare that smarts like a good cry.
We could head north and north and never let this season go.
Stubborn beast, the body reads the past in the change of light,
knows the blow of grief in the time of trees tight-fisted leaves.
Stubborn calendar of bone. Last snow. Now it must always be so. 10
Indigenous Elvis at the Airport
Indigenous Elvis works security:

Chief Joseph hair, blue-black and pomped,
turquoise and shell dangling from one ear,
silver chunks of rings on every bronze knuckle.
Indigenous Elvis works security: 5

X-ray glances at your backpacks,
laptops, empty still-moist shoes.
Indigenous Elvis waves me to his line.

A perfect gentlemen at all times,
gingerly lifting my naked phone, 10
holding the line as I return my computer
and extra undies to my briefcase.
64
Next line, next flight, Indigenous Elvis eases in

too close, asks, Where you headed
this time? 15
Subtle tango, I lean away, wondering what it is
he saw first gave me away
My bearded barrettes in their travel case?
A slight turn to my eyes?
Oh, mortification when I get him! 20

Indigenous Elvis, at security, a third time.
He lifts my carry-on,
maneuvers my hand, gestures me close to ask,
How is my sweeatheart?
Then against my neck, so my hairs rise 25
with his, Hows my sweetheart doing
your sister ?
the one that got away.
Girl of Lightning
Thunder loves you,

mumbles charms to warm
youfolded cold body.
Lightnings pity picks you,

licks a kiss, but whats left 5
to wick?
Even direct hits miss

no amount of flash and hiss
fires you. Inviolate virgin,
inflammable channel to Gods 10

long gone or gone underground,
ghost-gray flecks left in the rock
altar, your shelter for five centuries

where you huddled, red-painted
hair and wreathed with feathers. 15
65
Weave threads of your shawl

not a shroud since you were live
when left for deadweave cover
please, I beg your handlers.

Pull stitches so that wound closes 20
over your smoldered remains.
They say you clutch your mothers hair,

strands in a bag sent up the mountain,
an introduction to the Gods
of Science, who read threaded 25

DNA to determine who you
were related to when human.
Not the crushed boy near you,

no brother he nor sister the girl,
bound away to sacred silence, 30
cased in plastic cased in glass.

Visitors point and justify the past:
See what they didchild sacrifice.
Fattened em up, drugged em

Spanish violence, Christian influence, 35
border fences, all deserved because of her
wad of cocoa leaves and elaborate braids.

Lightnings mark spares you display.
Singed cheek and blasted chest,
blackened flesh looks less asleep, 40

flashed back the fact youre dead,
a charred mummy, so far gone even
Lightnings longing couldnt wake you.

Thunder wont forget you, hums
a generators song in cooler vents 45
66
to your coiled form in cold storage

song of your six years plus five centuries
come to this: doom, doom, doom.
Lightning still sighs: release, release, release.
Dean
Dogs so long with us we forget

that wolves allowed as how
they might be tamed and sprang up
all over the globe, with all humans,
all at once, like a good idea. 5
So we tamed our own hearts.

Leashed them or sent them to camps edge.
Even the shrinks once agreed, in dreams
our dogs are our deepest selves.
Ur Dog, a Siberian, dogged 10

the heels of nomads,
then turned south to Egypt,
to keep Pharaoh safe.
Seemed strange, my mother sighed,

when finally we got a hound, 15
a house without a dog.
Her world never knew

a yard un-dogged and thus
unlocked. Sudden intrusions
impossible where yappers yap. 20
Or maybe she objected

to empty armchairs,
rooms too quiet
without the beat
or tail thump or paw thud. 25
67
Nde, Ojibwe say, my pet,

which also suggests ode, that spot in the chest,
the part you point to when you pray,
or say with great feelinggreat meaning,
meaning dog-love goes that deep. 30
68
Lesson 7: Identity & Cecelia Rose LaPointe
Grade: 10-12
Subject: English
Source: The NYC Department of Educations POETRY Do I Dare?, Identity lesson (p. 52)
Rationale: Identity is not just critical to poetry, but to life in general; as poetry reflects life, the
three are always very closely connected. With this in mind, the NYC Department of Education
does indeed provide a lesson on identity within their unit plan, one that is concerned primarily
with American identity; however, within this supposedly grand scope, quite problematically,
no consideration is given or afforded to Native Americans, or their identities. Thus, we can
assume that this lesson can be greatly decolonized and Indigenized. To do this, this toolkit will
borrow and examine the work of Cecelia Rose LaPointe, an Ojibwe and Mtis amateur poet (and
activist) whose identity is nothing short of spectacular. Instead of the NYC Department of
Educations Audrey Lorde and Walt Whitman, this lesson will use LaPointes poems Liquor,
Lotto, Beer, Wine (her identity as it relates to addiction, recovery, and wellbriety),
Decolonization, Not a Word and Hair (her identity as it relates to decolonization), Jingle
Dress Dancer (her identity as it relates to matriarchy), and Paint My Face One Half and
Two-Spirit Identity (her identity as it relates to her being a two-spirited First Nations woman).
Connections: As this toolkit is concerned with decolonization and empowerment, it must look at
and pay honour to Indigenous identity. While the toolkit has done this with each and every poet it
has looked at so far, it is likely that none of these identities have been as unique, rich, and open
as Cecilia Rose LaPointes, who, on her personal poetry page, has several poems dedicated to
69
each self-identified aspect of her identity: Addiction, Recovery, Sobriety & Wellbriety,
Anishinaabe/ Ojibway/ Metis Identity, Community Organizing, Decolonization,
Healing, Land and Water, Matriarchy, Racial and Social Justice, and, perhaps most
importantly and interestingly, her Two-Spirit Identity, which provides her readers with insight
into a margin-within-a-margin by exposing them to the world of spiritual gender-variants.
Through these various parts of her being, it is possible to understand that LaPointe is a very
holistic and critically conscious person, and more specifically, that she is concerned with the
same issues as Jeannette C. Armstrong, as well as this toolkit. Moreover, hopefully, LaPointes
honesty and openness will inspire students who may be struggling with their own issues and, in
some cases, encourage them to similarly transcribe their feelings into poetry.
Name of Designer(s)/Contributor(s): The NYC

Department of Education; Bronson Carver
Name of Department, Faculty and University: Office of

Curriculum, Standards, and Academic Engagement,
Department of Language Arts, NYC Department of
Education; Faculty of Education, Lakehead University
TITLE: Identity & Cecilia Rose LaPointe

Time:
70

identity. The modifications entail the previous lesson having
schools. The lesson has been adapted to focus on six poems
by Ojibwe and Mtis amateur poet Cecilia Rose LaPointe:
Liquor, Lotto, Beer, Wine, Decolonization, Not a Word,
Hair, Jingle Dress Dancer, Paint My Face One Half, and
Two-Spirit Identity. Added/ changed/ Indigenized
Essential QUESTION
What is identity? What is your identity? What is Cecilia Rose
LaPointes identity? What can you say about Indigenous
identity? How do poets express their identities?
2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

- Students will understand identity as it relates to poetry
- Students will understand identity as it relates to
71
themselves
LaPointe
Indigenous culture
Learned/Applied:
- Identity
- Decolonization
- Wellbriety
- Matriarchy
- Two-Spirit Identity
Teacher Goals:
perspectives

Liquor, Lotto, Beer, Wine by
LaPointe
Decolonization, Not a Word
by LaPointe
Hair by LaPointe
Jingle Dress Dancer by
LaPointe
Paint My Face One Half by
72
LaPointe
Two-Spirit Identity by
LaPointe
Cecilia Rose LaPointe mini-
-
-
Ask students one simple question: Who are you?.
Let the class remain silent until students are moved
to answer.
Time (mins):
Explain to students what identity is.
Explain to students how identity relates to poetry.
Brief students on Cecelia Rose LaPointes identity,
making use of her mini-biography (provided), or her
personal webpage.
Make particular note of her Two-Spirit Identity,
explaining to students its spiritual-gender related
73
connotations.
Break students into six groups, and assign each
group one of the selected poems. Have each group
read the poem, and then respond to the rest of the
class by explaining how the poem reflects or builds
upon LaPointes identity.
Direct students to LaPointes poetry webpage, and
instruct them to each choose one of her poems that
they did not learn about in class.
(mins):
For homework, each student will respond in a mini-
essay how their poem of choice reflected or built
upon LaPointes identity.

If you wrote a poem about your identity, what
would it be like, or about?
-
-
Lesson Resources
74
Author Biography: Cecilia Rose LaPointe was born in Michigan to dual Ojibwe and Mtis
ancestry. LaPointe was given the name Nigig-enz Baapi, meaning little laughing otter; in
Ojibwe culture, otters are responsible to bring medicine and knowledge to their people, to
which LaPointe happily and proudly obliges. Having been born as an American, LaPointe has
always struggled to realize her Mtis heritage, as it is not officially recognized in her country.
LaPointe runs her own website, where she publishes poetry and blogs as an amateur (but
recognized) writer. With her writing, LaPointe is concerned with healing justice, particularly
around historical and intergenerational trauma, and where activism is concerned, she prefers the
term community work. LaPointe strives to heal non-community, which she does based on
her strong foundation and belief in Indigenous survivance and resistance from a Two-Spirit
matriarchal view. While born into a female body, LaPointe identifies as a Two-Spirit
Ogichidaakwe, which means warrior woman as well as androgynous and gender non-
conforming, placing her outside of colonized lines and socially constructed gender roles.
LaPointe is passionate about recovery, sobriety, and wellbriety, which is a term Indigenous
people use to describe recovery in all forms, embracing culture and traditions. LaPointe sees
her being as deeply rooted in decolonization, and for her, everyday existence is resistance.
Liquor, Lotto, Beer, Wine
Walking the Red Road to Wellbriety these days means a lot,
It means healing,
Working tirelessly to heal,
When we dont know where to place our feet next,
Liquor, 5
Lotto,
Beer,
Wine,
75
Lotto tickets,
Gamble, 10
While shaky inside,
The soul reaches,
But hidden,
Invisible,
Black hair, 15
Grab the steering wheel,
Drive to the party store,
While shaky inside,

Generational pain,
Liquor, 20
Lotto,
Beer,
Wine,
Yellow windows,
Old tiles, 25
Blue cup,
Stinky beer with ice,
My eyes fill up with tears,

Hot summer day,
The motor of the pool, 30
Generational pain,
Invisibly urban NDN,
Chain link fence,
Locked in,
Locked away, 35
Cement,
Sidewalk,
City fumes,
Fill our spirits,
Distractions, 40
Prayers to Migizi for healing.

76
Decolonization, Not a Word
What can you do,

When colonization catapults onto your being,
Burrows into your soul,
Your heart,
Your mind, 5
Your family,
Your hands,
What do you do?
When all you know is abuse,
Addiction, 10
What do you do?
When all you know is to cry,
Theres no resources,
Theres no outlet,
Even within the community, 15
As much as people emphasize community,
Community organizing,
Community activist,
Im a community person,
When people are still crying, 20
Crying,
In their homes,
Alone,
What do you do when this burrows in,
What do you do to the intricate layers of oppression, 25
When decolonization is not a word,
Its not an idea,
Not known,
And your touting your activist language,
When people are at home, 30
They have no resources,
No community,
No activist organizing for them in their homes,
What do you do when colonization burrows into your soul?
Hair
77
Our hair,
Each strand is beautiful,
Delicately brushing it,

Tenderly combing it,
Braiding it as defiance, 5
One braid,
Two,
Red,
Brown,
Dark brown, 10
Black,
Indigenous,
Short,
Spiky,
Red, 15
Rebellious,
Colonized,
Decolonizing,
Healing,
Growing, 20
Growing,
Growing,
Im rural,
Im urban,
Im street, 25
Im representin the culture,
Im traditional,
Im at the powwow,
In healing my hair grows,

Braiding it is countering racism, 30
Growing it is honoring the ancestors,
Healing,
Beauty,
We are beautiful.
78
Jingle Dress Dancer
She dances,
Most of the time when she is not dancing,
You see her tending to community,
When community is non-existent,
Broken, 5
Fragmented conglomerations of identities,

Soul wounding,
Soul trauma,
Across territories,
Times, 10
She dances,
With beauty,
Praying,
There is a sound,
Of the jingles, 15
If you listen closely,
There is healing,
Quietly,
Loudly,
Boldly, 20
She has many gifts,

Often unheard or unseen,
She is cleansing,
Healing,
Stepping through the dark caverns of her soul, 25

Of her familys soul,
Of her communities soul,
Red energy,
Clearing the yellow haze of oppression,
She is the heart of our nations, 30
79
She deserves respect,

She deserves honor,
She deserves a safe home,
She deserves support in all forms,
She deserves love. 35
Paint My Face One Half
Paint my face one color,

Paint my face another color,
Paint my face one half,
Draw a picture around me of my spirit,

Coil strands of our interconnectedness throughout my hair, 5
Dangle stars above my eyes,
Frolic around me with dashing desires,
Refine the story,

Bury the sadness,
Down, 10
Down,
Down,
Keep on washin' the pan,
Scrubbin',
In hopes that the drain isn't backing up, 15
Color again my face,

One side male,
One side female,
Two-spirit traditional Nish Kwe Gothic Rose,
Victorian Steampunk Sistah reconciling with this dirty dirt, 20
Ah!
What has been transmuted?
Divide and quarter up my ancestry,

Think you know me,
Ah! 25
80
Listen to the way the sun dances on the water,

The hair drips,
Ringin' out,
Washin' out,
Trickling drops of our Mothers blood onto the Earth, 30
Green grass grows - soil freshened up!
Taste the bird song as it drifts through the trees,

Listen with your feet,
Listen with your soul,
The ancestors all around are holding you, 35
Naanan waawaashkeshi,
Nimaamaa,
Ganawaabam,
Giizhik,
Praise the birds, 40

Praise this land,
The trees have a story,
Articulating drafts and correspondence,

Draw this beautiful picture once more.
Two-Spirit Identity
Horrific experiences,
Shunned by the community,
Crying in the corner,
Alone,
Why the community doesnt understand you, 5

Gender deviation,
Reformation assimilation,
Hardship buried deep,
Internalized oppression by dominant culture forces,
To harm, 10
Hinder,
Hold back,
81
Production,
Assemble,
The pieces, 15
Forget,
If generational trauma aligned,

Synchronicity,
In oppression,
To align and affirm, 20
To make us cry together,
To make us heal together,
If generational trauma,
Dug up,
Looked at, 25
Divvied up,
Dealt with,
Along the shoreline,
In the forest,
Composting like crumbled leaves into the soil, 30
Richness in the compost,
Richness in healing,
Jingles,
Song,
Drum, 35
Sound,
Listen,
Generational trauma,
If you are here,
Hear, 40
Listen,
Identity aligned.
82
Lesson 8: Theme & Jeannette C. Armstrong
Grade: 10-12
Subject: English
Source: The NYC Department of Educations POETRY Do I Dare?, Theme (p. 29)
Rationale: While previous considerations within this toolkit have paid much mind to poetry,
perhaps nothing is more important to literature as a whole than theme, that which encompasses
those sometimes-hidden, sometimes-visible forces and states that drive, motivate, and cause us to
be human. Aware of this, the NYC Department of Education has included a lesson on theme
within its poetry unit, but ironically in-line with this toolkits own theme there is no
Indigenous content to be found. In order to fix this, this toolkit will revise the NYC Department
of Educations lesson to be based around two poems by Jeannette C. Armstrong: History

83
Lesson and Indian Woman, both of which consider and respond to some of the most
important themes that face Indigenous peoples, and their writing: Colonialism, decolonization,
and empowerment.
Connections: As her work was the driving force in the inception of this toolkit, there is perhaps
no better poet to also end it with than Jeannette C. Armstrong. Where decolonization and
empowerment through writing are concerned, Armstrong is not only the herald and the shepherd,
but also a gifted fire-starter: her own poetic works actively respond to Colonialism, decolonizing
those perspectives and simultaneously empowering the worlds Indigenous populations. With
History Lesson, Armstrong actively and forcefully decolonizes, subversively undoing the
supposed greatness that Colonialism ushered in by telling the truth of its follies, and eventually,
its ultimate failure; with Indian Woman, Armstrong reflects on the binary that is
disempowerment/ empowerment, exploring the relationship, deconstructing it, and then
destabilizing it in favour of the latter. As far as this toolkit is concerned, Armstrongs poems are
metatextual, as they are about and didactically recursive about that which they (and this toolkit)
teach. Where Armstrongs research is the glue of this toolkit, her poetry is the heart, beating
lovingly and in rhythm with her people for all to see.

84
Name of Designer(s)/Contributor(s): The NYC

Department of Education; Bronson Carver
Name of Department, Faculty and University: Office of

Curriculum, Standards, and Academic Engagement,
Department of Language Arts, NYC Department of
Education; Faculty of Education, Lakehead University
TITLE: Theme & Jeannette C. Armstrong

Time:
theme. The modifications entail the previous lesson having
schools. The lesson has been adapted to focus on two poems
by Okanagan poet Jeannette C. Armstrong: History Lesson
and Indian Woman. Added/ changed/ Indigenized
Essential QUESTION
What is theme? What is Colonization? What is
decolonization? What is empowerment through writing for
Indigenous peoples all about?
85

2.Reconciliation
3.Youth Engagement
4.Environment

- Students will understand theme as it relates to poetry
- Students will understand theme as it relates to life
- Students will understand theme as it relates to
Indigenous culture
Learned/Applied:
- Theme
- Decolonization
- Colonization
- Postcolonial
- Empowerment
- Disempowerment
Teacher Goals:
perspectives
86

History Lesson by Jeannette
C. Armstrong
Indian Woman by Jeannette
C. Armstrong
Jeannette C. Armstrong mini-
-
-
Ask students the following question: If we think of
life as a car, what is the engine? What does it run on?
How do you drive it?
87
Time (mins):
Explain to students what theme is.
Explain to students how theme relates to poetry.
Brief students on that which weve been learning
about in this unit/ toolkit: the disempowerment of
Indigenous peoples, and their empowerment through
writing.
Brief students on Jeannette C. Armstrong, including
her biography, and other information relating to her
stance and work on the topic.
Read History Lesson and Indian Woman with
your class, explicating them appropriately as you go
along. Link their content with the themes of
disempowerment, decolonization, and
empowerment.
Divide the class into two groups, and ask them to
discuss the following questions:
Group 1 (History Lesson): How does Armstrong
suggest Colonialism has failed? Do you agree? What
other reasons can you think of?
Group 2 (Indian Woman): Armstrong begins by
saying I am a squaw, and finishes by saying I am
an Indian Woman. What do you think she means by
this? What is the difference?
(mins):
Have both groups express their thoughts to the rest
of the class, and lead a discussion on both topics.

88

Ask students how they now feel about the themes in
question.
-
-
Lesson Resources
Author Biography: Born in 1948 on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Jeannette
C. Armstrong is a fluent speaker of the Okanagan (Nsyilxcen) language and a student of her
communitys traditional teachings. Armstrong is as much of a lover of her culture as she is a
student, and she believes her peoples way of life can help reverse and reshape a worldview
whose values foster an attitude of self-destruction. Armstrong is a widely published and
celebrated author, writing everything from journalistic columns to poetry, believing her own
works to be a way to contribute to the vast dialogue of the human spirit in its course through
time, and a means to reach others [she] may never meet in person. Notably, she also writes
because she believes oral literature is now extremely vulnerable. Having founded the
Enowkin Centre in her home area of Penticton, Armstrong oversees Indigenous creative writing
programs and endeavours that are designed especially for the empowerment of Canadas Native
peoples. With several doctorates under her wing, Armstrong creates poetry that is critical and,
also borrowing from her culture, beautiful. Among her many honours, she has received the
Buffet Award for Indigenous Leadership in 2003, and she continues to consult with national and
international groups on the various concerns facing Indigenous cultures.

89
History Lesson
Out of the belly of Christophers ship

a mob bursts
Running in all directions
Pulling furs off animals
Shooting buffalo 5
Shooting each other
left and right
Father mean well

waves his makeshift wand
forgives saucer-eyed Indians 10
Red coated knights

gallop across the prairie
to get their men
and to build a new world
Pioneers and traders 15

bring gifts
Smallpox, Seagrams
and Rice Krispies
Civilization has reached

the promised land. 20
Between the snap crackle pop

of smoke stacks
and multicoloured rivers
swelling with flower powered zee
are farmers sowing skulls and bones 25
and miners
pulling from gaping holes
green paper faces
of a smiling English lady
The colossi 30
90
in which they trust

while burying
breathing forests and fields
beneath concrete and steel
stand shaking fists 35
waiting to mutilate
whole civilizations
ten generations at a blow.
Somewhere among the remains

of skinless animals 40
is the termination
to a long journey
and unholy search
for the power
glimpsed in a garden 45
forever closed
forever lost.
Indian Woman
I am a squaw
a heathen
a savage
basically a mammal
I am a female 5
only in the ability
to breed
and bear papooses
to be carried
quaintly 10
on a board
or lost
to welfare
I have no feelings
The sinuous planes 15
of my brown body
carry no hint
of the need
to be caressed
91
desired 20
loved
Its only use
to be raped
beaten and bludgeoned
in some 25
B-grade western
I have no beauty
The lines
cut deep
into my aged face 30
are not from bitterness
or despair
at seeing my clan destroyed
one by one
they are here 35
to be painted or photographed
sold
and hung on lawyers wall
I have no emotions
The husky laughter 40

a brush of wings
behind eyes
soft and searching
lightly touching others
is not from caring 45
but from the ravaged
beat of black wings
rattling against the bars
of an insanity
that tells me 50
something is wrong here.
Some one is lying.

I am an Indian Woman
Where I walk
beauty surrounds me 55
grasses bend and blossom
92
over valleys and hills

vast and multicoloured
in starquilt glory
I am the keeper 60
of generations
I caress the lover gently

croon as I wrap the baby
with quietness I talk
to the old ones 65
and carefully lay to rest
loved ones
I am the strength
of nations
I sing to the whispering 70

autumn winds
in the snow
I dance
slowly
filling my body 75
with powder
feeling it
knowing it
I am the giver of life

to whole tribes 80
I carry the seeds

carefully through dangerous
wastelands
give them life
scattered 85
among cold and towering
concrete
watch them grow
battered and crippled
under all the lies 90
I teach them the songs

93
I help them to hear

I give them truth
I am a sacred trust
I am Indian woman. 95
Conclusion
Based on the academics of Jeannette C. Armstrong, the purpose of this toolkit was to
examine and bring forth for students the issues surrounding the disempowerment and
empowerment of Indigenous peoples in our postcolonial world, handling matters of
decolonization (and actively doing it) along the way. Where these issues intersect with who I am
as an educator, they become focused on poetry, which is conveniently conducive to Armstrongs
beliefs about Indigenous empowerment through writing. I believe that this toolkit is a
comprehensive, interconnected unit plan that doesnt only feature empowered Indigenous
writers, but encourages new ones as well. Additionally, I think that this toolkit is highly
educational for non-Indigenous students, asking them to think about Colonialism, and where the
Indigenous world fits into their own. Simply put, this goals of this toolkit were to simultaneously
decolonize and empower, and to (further) educate students on the variety, history, and beauty of
Indigenous culture along the way. I believe that this goals were not only met, but exceeded, and
now, thankfully, I have a very powerful, holistic, and culturally empowering poetry unit plan to
take with me into Ontarios high school classrooms.
Among other things, this class has served as a reminder for just how badly Indigenous
94
peoples need the empowerment that Armstrong theorizes. During the class, wherever history was
concerned, I re-examined tribulation: war and death, and residential schools and killing the
Indian in the child and, where the present was concerned, I re-examined ongoing adversities:
intergenerational trauma, heinous school dropout rates, and missing and murdered women (and
the list goes on). It seems like, wherever you look, if you are looking properly, you will find
struggle. This class reinforced for me just how dire the need is for our Indigenous brothers and
sisters to be empowered, and more specifically, to find their own empowerment. In this light, the
class inspired me to be an agent of this empowerment, facilitating and encouraging it whenever
and wherever possible.
Thankfully, this class has also enlightened me as to just how many opportunities there are
for empowerment, and just how wonderful and beautiful it can be when it happens. Whether it
was cultural immersion hours, activities performed together as a class (such as the sleepover at
Old Fort William), or my participation in The Tikkun Project, I was consistently and
convincingly exposed (and welcomed in) to Indigenous culture, including the creation of my
own cultural artifacts, the making of new Indigenous friends, and everything in-between. Over
the course of the school year, I saw, learned about, and worked with a people who want to thrive,
and who can thrive; I saw a people who likely have more to give (and have given more) than any
other; and, Ive realized where I fit into this grand picture. I think that my work has already
started, and hopefully, this toolkit is just one of the many resources that Ill create over the years
to help empower and revitalize Indigenous culture.
As far as my own issues and concerns go, I have noticed how everything that we have
done (and everything that I have learned) has been within the framework, parameters, and rules
of the classroom something that was particularly evident during our weekend at Kingfisher. I
95
feel as if, no matter how hard we try, there will always be barriers in our way as long as we are
restricted by the school system. As I move forward, I have the intent of seeing just how much I
can experiment within these bounds, and respectively, how much I can distance myself (and my
education) from them. To me, school will always be a Colonial institution, and thus, something
that is at least a little antithetical to the Indigenous cultures that it hosts; I fear that, within the
school setting, true or absolute cultural authenticity is denied. In the future, I hope to provide the
most authentic and open learning experience (and learning environment) for my Indigenous
students, which to me means somehow distancing myself from the typical rules and regulations
that modern school boards uphold. At this point in my career, I dont know how Im going to go
about doing this, but its something that Im going always going to be considering and
experimenting with.
Despite this unfortunate pretense, things arent all bad: I believe I have the potential to be
a great IPPE educator, especially where restrictions are not concerned. I strongly believe that the
culture resonates with me, and helps me fulfill my own being cultural cornerstones such as
interconnectedness, balance, and oneness arent just things that I believe in, but critical parts of
who I am. Simply put, I feel at home with Indigenous culture, and I feel like its at home with
me. In the wake of not really having any culture of my own, I have always been graciously
welcomed into Indigenous cultures, and respectively, they have been very formative towards me.
At this point in my life, based on my previous experience with the culture, I think the values I
hold are similar to those of Indigenous students, allowing me to get along with them very well
both in and out of the classroom. In the future, I look forward to the relationships and friendships
I will be able to make as a teacher, and the respective empowerment that I will be able to help
instill.
96
Overall, I feel as if, in regards to IPPE, Ive come a long a way, and that my journey will
pay off. I think that growing up Kenora was a good thing for me, as I was able to take in the
beauty of the culture, as well as the ugliness that tragically follows it; and now, as a University-
educated prospective teacher, Im ready to build and act upon what Ive learned and make the
changes that are needed. Our IPPE class was, like my time spent in Kenora, highly formative for
me, and I have learned so much more that has influenced who I am. I am excited to take
everything that Ive learned and use it to decolonize, as well as empower my Indigenous students
and, I am excited to keep learning. Ultimately, for me, everything I have learned in this class
(and everything contained in this toolkit) will never really end: they are a part of who I am, and
they will become parts of those who I teach.

Ippe Toolkit - Bronson Carver

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The Disempowerment of Indigenous Peoples and Empowerment Through Their Writing

Lesson 1: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification & E. Pauline Johnson...10

Lesson 2: Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox & Jim Northrup..........................20

Lesson 3: Denotation and Connotation & Annharte.....28

Lesson 4: Repetition & Traditional Orature..36

Lesson 5: Symbolism & Richard Wagamese....46

Lesson 6: Imagery & Heid E. Erdrich...55

Lesson 7: Identity & Cecilia Rose LaPointe..65

Lesson 8: Theme & Jeannette C. Armstrong.....79

- Jeannette C. Armstrong, Okanagan artist, activist, and author

. . . this is what happened and what continues to happen (256).

religion . . . customs . . . values . . . [and] societal structures almost disappeared (256). A

disintegration of family, community, and nation (256).

through domination and the dispassionate nature of the racism inherent in

about the courageous pioneering spirit of colonialist practice and imperialist

affirmation of the true beauty of our people whose fundamental co-operative

values resonated pacifism and predisposed our cultures as vulnerable to the

reprehensible value systems which promote domination and aggression (258).

For Armstrong, this process is as quantifiable and teachable as it is important, so much so

of co-operation. We, as Native people, through continuously resisting

cultural imperialism and seeking means toward teaching co-operative

relationships, provide an integral mechanism for solutions currently

needed in this country (258).

empower, while also carrying the power of stories in general:

present in any form of storytelling.

the focus of this toolkit.

In order to properly Indigenize some pre-existing lessons as is a requirement for this

assignment I have adopted some of the most comprehensive (albeit non-Indigenous)

Fundamentals, and the NYC Department of Educations Poetry Do I Dare?. Indigenizing

demanded through their works, simultaneously decolonizing and educating students on

gain further consideration, respect, and healing.

Lesson 1: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification & E. Pauline Johnson

Similes, Metaphors, and Personification (p. 14)

Rationale: Chris McKenzies Lesson Plan 4: Similes, Metaphors, and Personification is a

human by bringing the non-human to life. Personification is interestingly relevant towards

CANADA C3 LEARNING MODULE TEMPLATE

Name of Designer(s)/Contributor(s): Chris McKenzie;

Name of Department, Faculty and University: Faculty

TITLE: Simile, Metaphor, and Personification & E. Pauline

The Song My Paddle Sings in addition to the poets

Stage 1: Desired Results

Curriculum Connections/Big Ideas:

Student Groupings (e.g., Materials/Resources (e.g.,

Accommodations and differentiation strategy (to

and interesting towards Indigenous culture (as

Stage 4: Reflection and Extension

Student Reflection of Learning (i.e., critical thinking

The Cattle Thief

Up they wheeled to the tepees, all their British blood aflame,

Bent on bullets and bloodshed, bent on bringing down their game;

He turned, like a hunted lion: I know not fear, said he;

And then she raved in a frenzy that they scarcely understood,

The Song My Paddle Sings

WEST wind, blow from your prairie nest,

August is laughing across the sky,

The river rolls in its rocky bed,

And oh, the river runs swifter now;

Be strong, O paddle! be brave, canoe!

We ve raced the rapids; we re far ahead:

And up on the hills against the sky,

Lesson 2: Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox & Jim Northrup

Hyperbole, Oxymoron, and Paradox (p. 30)