Leadership, Community, and Consensus

Curriculum Area: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies (Grade 12)

Course Code: NDG4M – Contemporary Indigenous Issues and Perspectives in a Global Context
Strand: Governance, Sovereignty, and Self-Determination

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Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Explore and analyze the Cree values of leadership, community, and consensus within historical and contemporary contexts
• Engage in student-led discussions to critically reflect on these values
• Develop collaborative thinking and analytical skills through dialogue and research-based discussion

Success Criteria

Students will be successful if they can:

• Present five reliable sources supporting their understanding of leadership, community, and consensus
• Facilitate an engaging and thought-provoking discussion
• Make meaningful connections to Indigenous governance, history, and contemporary perspectives

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Lesson Breakdown (20 Minutes)

1. Opening Engagement (3 Minutes) – Interactive Warm-Up

• Activity: "Community Web"
  • Arrange students in a circle.
  • One student starts with a ball of yarn, states a leadership or community value, then tosses it to another student while holding onto a part of the yarn.
  • This continues until a web of yarn forms, visually representing interconnectedness in Indigenous communities.

Purpose:

• This symbolizes the importance of relationships, shared leadership, and collective decision-making.

2. Student-Led Discussion (12 Minutes) – Exploring Key Values

Each pair of students presents their findings using five reliable sources and connects them to Indigenous traditions and modern applications.

Discussion Prompts:

1. Leadership

   • How do Cree leadership structures differ from Western leadership models?
   • What lessons can non-Indigenous societies learn from these governance systems?

2. Community

   • How do Indigenous communities maintain collectivism over individualism?
   • What role do Elders play in fostering resilience and knowledge transmission?

3. Consensus

   • Why is consensus an important decision-making process in Indigenous cultures?
   • How can consensus-building be applied to current social and political issues?

Creative Integration:

• Encourage students to use storytelling, historical examples, or personal reflections to enhance engagement.
• Consider incorporating excerpts from Cree oral histories or Elders’ interviews.

3. Reflective Application (5 Minutes) – Personal & Global Relevance

Think-Pair-Share Activity:

• Think: How do these values (leadership, community, consensus) apply outside Indigenous contexts?
• Pair: Discuss with a partner how these values can improve teamwork or societal leadership today.
• Share: Each pair shares one insight with the class.

Closing Reflection:

• “If we applied consensus-based decision-making globally, how might societies change?”

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Assessment Criteria

Students will be assessed on:

Category	Criteria for Assessment	Marks Available
Creativity of Discussion	Uses engaging, thoughtful, and innovative discussion techniques	10
Research Integration	Effectively incorporates and analyzes 5 reliable sources	10
Connection to Course Content	Draws meaningful links to Indigenous governance and real-world issues	10

Total: 30 Marks

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Teacher's Reflection Questions

• Were students able to engage in meaningful dialogue beyond surface-level understanding?
• Did they connect their research sources to real-world implications?
• How well did pairs facilitate discussion and encourage class participation?

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Possible Extension Activity:

• Students create visual mind maps linking Cree governance to modern political systems.
• Compare Cree consensus governance to United Nations deliberations to explore global applications.

This lesson plan ensures a highly interactive, student-centred approach, aligning with CA’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies curriculum. 🌿