Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past

True Grammar Stories

Maxwell Johnson
A. Reading

Maxwell Johnson lives in Johnson and his granddaughter

Bella Bella, British Columbia. were confused and scared. The
He is part of the Heiltsuk Nation. On police investigated and found no
December 20, 2019, Maxwell Johnson evidence of fraud. The bank and the
took his granddaughter to the bank. police apologized.
He wanted to open a bank account for
her. She plays basketball and often
has away games. He wanted to transfer
money to her when she was on the
road with her team.

Maxwell Johnson had a large

sum of money in his bank account.
The $30,000 was a settlement
from the Canadian government for
Aboriginal rights. The bank clerk was
suspicious. The clerk took their identity
cards and brought them upstairs.
The bank called the police. The police
handcuffed Maxwell Johnson and
his granddaughter.

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Maxwell Johnson cont.

B. Questions

1. What is his name?

2. What Indigenous community is he part of?

3. Where does he live?

4. What sport does his granddaughter play?

5. Why did he want to open a bank account for her?

6. Why did he have $30,000 in his account?

7. What did the police do right after the bank clerk called them?

8. What did the bank clerk and the police do after the investigation?

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Josephine Mandamin
A. Reading

Josephine Mandamin was an

Anishinaabe First Nations elder.
People called her Grandma Josephine
(Nohkomis). She had a spiritual
calling to protect bodies of water.
In 2003, she formed an organization
called Mother Earth Water Walk.
Water walkers carry an open vessel of
water for long distances. Their walks
raise awareness about endangered
bodies of water in Canada.

In her lifetime, Grandma Josephine

walked about 17,000 kilometres
(10,563 miles) around the Great Lakes
and other waterways. She received
many awards and honours for her
conservation efforts. She died in 2019
at the age of 77. This was just two years
after her last water walk. The water
walkers continue their important work
in her memory.

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Josephine Mandamin cont.

B. Questions

1. What was her name?

2. What Indigenous community was she part of?

3. What did people call her?

4. What did she do in 2003?

5. What do water walkers do?

6. How far did she walk for this special cause in her lifetime?

7. What did she receive for her efforts?

8. What do the water walkers do now?

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Chantel Moore
A. Reading

In early June of 2020, the world’s Chantel’s family planned a peace

attention was on the George Floyd walk to promote healing. Many
protests after a white American police supporters displayed a red hand,
officer killed a Black American man on the symbol of Missing and Murdered
Memorial Day. In Canada, Indigenous Indigenous Women (MMIW). First
people face racism every day. Nations chiefs gathered to seek justice.
Chantel’s family and people all over
On June 4, in New Brunswick,
Canada want to know how a wellness
an Indigenous woman from the
check went so wrong.
Tla‑o‑qui‑aht First Nation also died at
the hands of police. Chantel Moore
was 26 years old. She lived in New
Brunswick. A friend of Chantel’s called
the police on June 4. He believed
Chantel was a victim of cyberbullying.
The police agreed to do a wellness
check on her. At her home, Chantel
allegedly threatened a police officer
with a knife. The officer shot and killed
Chantel in her apartment.

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Chantel Moore cont.

B. Questions

1. What happened on Memorial Day?

2. What do Indigenous people in Canada face every day?

3. What Indigenous community was Chantel part of?

4. Where did she live?

5. Why was Chantel’s friend worried?

6. What did Chantel’s friend ask the police to do?

7. How did Chantel die?

8. What does Chantel’s family want to know?

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 Indigenous People – Simple Present & Past
True Grammar Stories

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Low Int

In this lesson, students read three stories that use the simple TIME: 1–2 hours
present and past in context. They also answer comprehension
TAGS:  verbs, verb tenses, simple past, simple present,
questions. More tasks are available in the digital version,
Indigenous people, racism, activism, water
including vocabulary practice using the bold words and grammar
review exercises.

Maxwell Johnson Chantel Moore

1. His name is Maxwell Johnson.
2. He is part of the Heiltsuk community.
3. He lives in Bella Bella, British Columbia.
4. His granddaughter plays basketball.
5. He wanted to open a bank account for her to transfer money to
her when she was at her away games.
6. He received settlement money from the Canadian government
for Aboriginal rights.
7. The police handcuffed Maxwell Johnson and
his granddaughter.
8. The bank clerk and police apologized after they realized there was
no fraud.
1. On Memorial Day, a white American police officer killed a Black
American (George Floyd).
2. Indigenous people face racism every day.
3. She was part of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.
4. She lived in New Brunswick.
5. Chantel’s friend worried she was a victim of cyberbullying.
6. Her friend asked the police to do a wellness check.
7. A police officer shot Chantel Moore during the wellness check.
8. Her family wants to know how a wellness check went so wrong.

Josephine Mandamin

1. Her name was Josephine Mandamin.

2. She was part of the Anishinaabe First Nations.
3. People called her Grandmother Josephine (Nohkomis).
4. In 2003, she started an organization called
Mother Earth Water Walk.
5. Water walkers carry vessels of water and walk for long
distances to raise awareness about endangered
bodies of water.
6. She walked about 17,000 kilometres (10,563 miles).
7. She received many awards and honours.
8. The water walkers continue Grandmother Josephine’s
conservation work in her memory.

Copyright 2020, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( LO W I N T / V E R S I O N 1. 3) 7