This lesson idea was designed in partnership with the UBC teacher education program.
About the Book
Author(s): Roy Henry Vickers & Robert Budd
Illustrator(s): Roy Henry Vickers
Place: British Columbia’s Northwest Coast, Sacred Headwaters
Abstract: “Deep in British Columbia’s northwest lies the Sacred Headwaters, birthplace of three mighty salmon rivers, lifeblood of the region. A captivating Gitxsan legend tells the tale of Astace, a young hunter consumed by the ambition of catching swans with his bare hands. Swept away by the birds’ powerful wings, Astace finds himself lost in the clouds, clinging only to a cedar box filled with water. As his strength wanes and the precious water spills, a desperate Astace falls back to earth. Miraculously, where once there was only barren land, now flow sparkling lakes, meandering creeks, and a majestic river. Reunited with their hero, the Gitxsan people celebrate his return and name the life-giving waterway “Ksien,” meaning “Juice from the clouds.””
Indigenous Connections: The author and illustrator Roy Henry Vicker is of the Eagle clan, born to a Tsimshian, Haida and Heilsuk father and settler mother.
Storywork Ideas by Jessica Naziel
Indigenous Pedagogy
- First Peoples’ Principles of Learning
- Learning supports the well-being of the self, the
- Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational
- Indigenous Storywork
- Responsibility
- Interconnectedness
- Land-based Learning
- Place-based: Community Knowledge
Curriculum Big Ideas
- Math 6
- Mixed numbers and decimal numbers represent quantities that can be decomposed into parts and wholes
- Properties of objects and shapes can be described, measured, and compared using volume, area, perimeter and angles.
Curriculum Competencies
- Math 6
- Understanding and Solving: Engage in problem-solving experiences that are connected to place, story, cultural practices, and perspectives relevant to local First Peoples communities, the local community, and other cultures.
- Communicating and Representing: Representing mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms.
- Connecting and Reflecting: Incorporate First Peoples worldviews and perspectives to make connections to mathematical concepts.