Learning in Place

Overview

Students build foundational knowledge of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples; Treaty 7 Territory; colonization; and Indigenous relationships to land. Using Banff and the Bow Valley as a case study, they connect historical learning to the responsibilities of emerging outdoor professionals and draft a place-based land acknowledgement.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Identify First Nations, Métis, and Inuit as distinct Indigenous Peoples with diverse Nations, cultures, languages, and histories.
• Explain the significance of Treaty 7 Territory and identify the Nations connected to the region.
• Describe how colonization, including the Indian Act, residential schools, displacement, and national parks, affected Indigenous Peoples.
• Analyse why land and place are relational, cultural, and historical—not empty spaces.
• Develop a respectful, accurate introductory land acknowledgement connected to where they learn.

Success criteria

• I can distinguish among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit without treating them as one group.
• I can locate Treaty 7 Territory and name the Nations connected to it.
• I can explain at least two ways colonial policies affected Indigenous Peoples and land relationships.
• I can write an acknowledgement that names place, recognizes Indigenous presence and relationship to land, and identifies my responsibility as a visitor or learner.

Curriculum links

• Aboriginal Studies 10–20–30: diverse Aboriginal languages, cultures, identities, histories, and contemporary contributions.
• Aboriginal Studies 10–20–30: Aboriginal perspectives and worldviews, communication, responsibility to community, respect for the environment, and balance.
• Residential Schools and Treaties in Alberta’s Kindergarten–Grade 12 Social Studies Program of Studies: Treaty 7, assimilation, residential schools, land rights, and contemporary consequences of colonial policies.
• Indigenous Relations I outcomes: place-based understanding, respectful professional practice, Treaty 7 knowledge, and introductory land acknowledgements.

Lesson structure (180 minutes)

1. 0–15 min · Place-based hook. Teacher displays a photograph of the Bow Valley and asks, “Where am I, and whose place am I learning in?” using the opening image and guiding question; students silently record what they notice, what they assume, and what they need to learn. Emphasize that uncertainty is acceptable and that the class will avoid speaking for Indigenous Peoples.

2. 15–45 min · Foundational knowledge. Teacher uses the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit overview to clarify that these are three distinct Peoples, not interchangeable labels, and introduces the diversity of Nations, languages, communities, and contemporary identities. Students complete the first section of the Indigenous Peoples and place learning guide, recording one accurate statement and one respectful question for each group. Briefly explain that local learning must be connected to specific Nations and Indigenous-led sources rather than generalisations.

3. 45–75 min · Treaty 7 and local place. Teacher uses the Treaty 7 map and local context slides to identify Treaty 7 Territory and the Nations associated with the treaty: the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Îyârhe Nakoda Nations, and Tsuut’ina Nation. Explain that treaties are living relationships and agreements, not simply historical documents or permissions to use land. Students work in six groups of five to annotate a map or place diagram in the worksheet: What makes this place significant? Who has relationships here? What responsibilities might a visitor have? Groups share one idea, and the teacher corrects inaccurate or overly broad claims.

4. 75–85 min · Break and reset. Teacher offers a short break and reminds students that the next section includes difficult histories; students may step out briefly, speak privately with the teacher, or use the class support plan without penalty.

5. 85–125 min · Colonization and landscape case study. Teacher presents the colonization timeline and Banff case study in accessible sequence: displacement and land policies; the Indian Act and imposed federal control; residential schools and their effects on families, languages, and communities; and the creation and management of national parks, including the removal and exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from places now understood as protected areas. Avoid graphic detail and stress that Indigenous Peoples and Nations continue to resist, renew cultures, and maintain relationships with land. Students read the short evidence set in the worksheet, then complete a cause–impact–continuity chart. In groups, they answer: “How can a place be described as protected while Indigenous relationships to it are restricted?” Groups must support their response with two pieces of evidence and identify one question requiring Indigenous-led learning.

6. 125–160 min · Professional practice workshop. Teacher models respectful and disrespectful approaches to learning with Indigenous communities, cultural sites, and guest educators. Use the protocol and land acknowledgement workshop slides to stress preparation, listening, consent, avoiding extractive questions, following site guidance, not assuming one Nation represents all Indigenous Peoples, and treating acknowledgements as meaningful commitments rather than scripts. Students use the worksheet checklist to draft a 3–4 sentence acknowledgement for the class location. It should name the specific place and Treaty 7 Territory, recognize the ongoing presence and relationship of Indigenous Peoples, acknowledge that students are visitors or learners, and state one responsibility connected to outdoor practice. Students exchange drafts with a partner, checking accuracy, specificity, humility, and action.

7. 160–180 min · Circle share and exit assessment. Teacher facilitates a voluntary share-out and returns to the closing reflection and responsibility prompt: “What will I do differently as an outdoor professional because of what I learned?” Students complete the final worksheet reflection and submit it as an exit ticket: one new understanding, one misconception corrected, one question for continued learning, and one respectful action they will take in Treaty 7 Territory. Close by reminding students that this introduction is a beginning and that learning directly from Indigenous Peoples is essential.

Resources

• the complete place, identity, Treaty 7, colonization, protocol, and reflection slide deck
• the Indigenous Peoples and place learning guide
• Treaty 7 Territory map, displayed or projected
• Bow Valley and Banff landscape photographs
• Short, teacher-selected Indigenous-led evidence excerpts
• Whiteboard, markers, sticky notes, and pens
• Timer and break/support information
• School or course guidelines for respectful engagement and guest protocols

Assessment

• Listen for accurate distinctions among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, and use questioning during group reporting to address generalisations or errors.
• Review group cause–impact–continuity charts for understanding of colonial policies, landscape histories, ongoing relationships, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Assess the acknowledgement and exit ticket for place specificity, respectful language, recognition of ongoing Indigenous presence, and a realistic professional responsibility. Provide feedback before students use the acknowledgement publicly.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, labelled map, model acknowledgement, sentence starters, and a partially completed cause–impact–continuity chart for students who are new to the topic or learning English.
• Allow students to demonstrate understanding through spoken responses, bullet points, or recorded reflection; read evidence excerpts aloud and provide digital copies in advance.
• Do not require personal disclosure or public sharing of emotional responses. Offer a quiet space, brief withdrawal, or private teacher conference during difficult content.
• Extend capable students by asking them to distinguish historical acknowledgement from meaningful action and propose how an outdoor organisation could build an ongoing relationship with a specific local Nation.