Detailed Sample Task: Stage II
CLB 5 - Speaking Sharing Information
Indigenization
Real-World Task
Give a simple land acknowledgement at the start of a presentation, meeting or event.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Awareness of the concept of Indigenous peoples and some knowledge of Indigenous peoples of Canada.
- Some knowledge of the histories of Indigenous Peoples in Canada before and after contact.
- Proper names for Indigenous peoples and communities (Mohawk, Mi’kmaq, Haida, Waswanipi and so on).
Context:
- Canada is an example of a settler nation. Europeans and other settlers took land from Indigenous people and displaced them. A land acknowledgement at the beginning of an event recognizes that Indigenous peoples were on this land first and creates awareness of Indigenous presence and land rights in everyday life.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- acknowledge
- recognize
- honour
- gather
- ancestral
- unceded
- commit
- heal
- reconcile/ reconciliation
- treaty
- purchase
- territory
Sample Grammar:
- Abstract nouns to express factual information related to a land acknowledgement such as reconciliation, recognition, acknowledgement and so on.
- Stock phrases for an Indigenous land acknowledgment, for example, “We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the ancestral home of…”
- Connective words and phrases to present information in a clear and connected way such as “because, therefore” and so on.
- Relative clauses to provide information.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Include multiple pieces of information (names, places, treaties, dates) in a clear and understandable way.
- Presentation strategies to deliver a land acknowledgement in an effective way such as eye contact, reading slowly, looking up from notes and so on.
- Memorization strategies to remember some stock phrases for an introduction and conclusion.
- Pronunciation strategies for Indigenous words and names.
- Knowledge of public speaking conventions such as giving a land acknowledgement, introductions, conclusions and so on.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Recognize formal registers.
- Knowledge of typical formats of land acknowledgements.
- Recognize cultural and some historic references related to Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Read a short information article about the purpose of a land acknowledgement, and identify key details.
- Have a class discussion about the meaning of Indigenous peoples, and the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
- Listen to examples of different land acknowledgements and identify stock phrases and common expressions across all of them.
- Watch a video of an authentic land acknowledgment given before a presentation and identify key details.
- Search for and listen to authentic samples of the pronunciation of the Indigenous names to be used in a land acknowledgement for your area. Practice the pronunciation.
- Read transcripts of different land acknowledgements and identify key vocabulary. Use a dictionary to look up the meaning of unknown vocabulary.
- Do Internet research, individually or in groups, about the Indigenous peoples of the area in which you live
- Watch a short video about an aspect of Canada’s colonial history and identify key details.
- Use a map of the area to identify traditional Indigenous lands.
- Watch examples of good and poor introductions to presentations and identify strategies for effective public speaking.
- Identify keywords in a presentation and reduce the presentation to notes/ bullet points using those keywords.
- Practice delivering a presentation using only brief notes.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Read a scenario of a meeting or event in a particular area, and description of the Indigenous peoples who lived/ live in that area. Use this information to create a land acknowledgement. Present the land acknowledgement to a group.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Give a simple land acknowledgement at the start of a presentation, meeting or event.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Use authentic Indigenous content and materials.
- If possible, have an Indigenous speaker speak to the class or visit a Friendship Centre.
- Foster respectful discussion about Indigenous values and traditions. Use examples of Indigenous technology, art and knowledge, which are often overlooked.
- Discuss events and consequences of Canada’s colonial past.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Identify authentic Indigenous sources of Indigenous information online.
- Use videoconferencing technology for online meetings in order to give effective virtual land acknowledgements.
Instructors can:
- Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
- If using an LMS, post a land acknowledgement on the course page.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent.
- Include examples of intersectionality, such as Two-Spirit peoples.
- Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada.
- Recognize that some learners in the class may be members of Indigenous groups from other geographical areas, for example, South America.
- Recognize that some learners may have different views and experiences related to EDII concepts. You can be sensitive to their opinions, but all learners benefit from EDII, and all learners have the right to an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
- Teach that race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics and disability are all protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Discussion of settler/ colonial violence and displacement of peoples may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma or who have experienced colonization or displacement themselves.
- Many learners have biases or lack of knowledge of Indigenous peoples and their history. Gently call out disrespectful comments.
- When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma, such as the treatment of Indigenous people in residential schools. However, it is important for all learners, including learners who have experienced trauma, to learn as complete a story of Canada as possible.
Strategies:
- Be aware of triggers and be prepared to support learners as needed. It may be helpful to learners to know that the Canadian government has issued official apologies to this group of people. Knowing that a government can recognize when it has been wrong and can work towards reconciliation can help learners who have experienced trauma to begin to regain a sense of trust.
- Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
- Recognize and respect learners’ right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves.
- Make space for learners to recover from learning about/ sharing about Indigenous history.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Visit an Indigenous event, such as a gathering for National Indigenous Peoples Day.
- Take a Indigenous-led tour in your community (topics could include outdoor activities, histories, cultures, lands, medicines and so on).
- Invite a guest speaker from a local Friendship Centre or Indigenous group to present on the benefits and challenges of land acknowledgements or visit a Friendship Centre.
- Learn about other elements of Indigenous history and culture.
Realia:
- Authentic videos and recordings of land acknowledgements
- National Association of Friendship Centres
Units and Modules:
- Avenue Course Builder: Select the theme Indigenous Studies
(adapt for the CLB level you teach)
- CLB 5 Learning about Indigenous Cultures
- CLB 6 Introduction to Indigenous Peoples
- Tutela.ca
Lessons and Activities:
Multimedia:
Detailed Sample Task
This exemplar is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to guide and inform your lesson and module planning. Consult the Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults for detailed performance descriptors at this benchmark and skill.
The information in this document is not exhaustive and can be expanded on. As well, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson or module plan.
