xwməθkwəyə̓ m: qwi:lq̕ wəl̕ ʔə kwθə snəwe̓ yəɬ ct
Musqueam: giving information about our teachings

Lesson: kʷθə sƛ̓ənəq ʔə ƛ̓ ʔəy̓alməxʷ—Potlatch at Jericho Village

Background

Lessons from the Musqueam Teaching Kit use the Teacher’s Resource PDF (available in French and English) and Teaching Kit website. The kit is written from the perspective of the community and provides an opportunity for students to learn about the land on which most of Vancouver, including the Museum of Anthropology, is situated. Learning about Musqueam directly from Musqueam community members is extremely important. Today, we continue to learn as our ancestors did, from experiences and stories.

Lesson Background

Stories are tools that our community uses to share important events, happenings, values and teachings. The Musqueam Language and Culture Department developed a series of storybooks in order to encourage language use and revitalization within the Musqueam community. These storybooks were developed in collaboration with many Musqueam community members who contributed their time and expertise to the success of the series. These storybooks capture contemporary stories written for the purpose of language learning.

We call these stories xʷʔəw̓yaθənəq because they are used to help teach hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. The teaching kit contains both physical and digital copies of each storybook in addition to corresponding activity guides. Embrace our teachings with an open heart and mind.

This book’s story is by Jason Woolman and Jill Campbell. The illustrations are by Ena Point and it is narrated by Vanessa Campbell. kʷθə sƛ̓ənəq ʔə ƛ̓ ʔəy̓alməxʷ—Potlatch at Jericho Village is a story, based in historical fact, following Musqueam people as they travel to several locations within our traditional territory in order to prepare for a potlatch.

Big Ideas

Stories tell histories. Stories support the learning and speaking of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓.

Understandings

Students will understand that the Musqueam people have always utilized all of our territory. Students will also learn that our histories are shared through our stories.

Materials

• tə ʔi n̓a ɬeq̓əməx—Animation History of the Fraser River Delta
• kʷθə sƛ̓ənəq ʔə ƛ̓ ʔəy̓alməxʷ—Potlatch at Jericho Village digital storybook
• Musqueam Place Names Map of tə šxʷʔam̓əts tə šxʷməθkʷəy̓əm—Musqueam’s Ancestral Territory
• Community Quotes, Teacher’s Resource PDF, p. 42
• Activity Description & Extension, Teacher’s Resource PDF, p. 55–57

Activity

As a class, read the digital storybook version of kʷθə sƛ̓ənəq ʔə ƛ̓ ʔəy̓alməxʷ—Potlatch at Jericho Village. Read through the story once and focus on the story and plotline. Now, assign each student to a page in the book. As you read through the story for a second time, ask the student with the page that matches the current page to stand up. The student can then find the corresponding place name on the map, tə šxʷʔam̓əts tə šxʷməθkʷəy̓əm—Musqueam’s Ancestral Territory.

This online resource allows you to cross-reference the storybook place names with both historical and contemporary photographs and it provides audio clips of the place names.

Suggestions for Starting a Discussion

• How do you learn about your own family history?
• Consider the phrase “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”
• Consider our saying, “When the tide is out, the table is set.”
• Today, could you gather the resources in the story from the locations identified? If so, how? If not, why not?

Connections

• Community Voices videos:
  • Te Ta-in—Shane Pointe talks about canoes
  • sχt̕ek̓ʷ—Carving
• yənə́xʷəɬa:ɬ stəʔe ʔə kʷθə syəw̓en̓əɬ ct—Travelling Along by Canoe, Like Our Ancestors storybook
• hən̓q̓əmin̓əm storybooks, Teacher’s Resource PDF, p. 46
• Online hən̓q̓əmin̓əm storybooks
• Musqueam website