FIRST OCCUPANTS: CULTURE

1. Spirituality

The search for the sacred, for that which is separate from the ordinary.

Usually a religion.

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2. Eloquence:

The ability to speak in a persuasive or powerful manner.

People who are good at public speaking are eloquent.

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3. Reciprocate:

To give or take mutually.

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4. Shaman:

Is an intermediary (middle man) between the living and the spirits.

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Culture and the environment

1. For the First Occupants: Culture = Environment

Meaning: 2. Their culture was in direct relation

with their environment. They respected their environment

because they realized that that’s why they were able to survive.

3. Reflection of their territory

Their clothing, tools, dwellings, and transportation determined and reflected their territory.

Examples?

Word that ends with “ism”: Animism

A) Description: The belief that the spirits of the living and of inanimate objects were IMMORTAL (could not die).

Question: Considering what you know about the

First Nations, is the description of their beliefs surprising? Why or why not?

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Animism

B) Characteristics:Respect for natureImportance of animalsImportance of dreams

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Animism C) Key Players: Shamans: The Shaman usually had dreams of fulfilling

their role as Shaman. And that is how you became a Shaman.

Their job was to: Explain the meaning of dreams Have special access to the world of spirits Have prophetic visions (see the future) and healing powers Illness was seen as the presence of evil spirits, so Shamans were

kind of like doctors too. Rituals: dances and songs to the rhythm of a drum to chase away

evil spirits.

Animism C) Key Players:

Elders:

They are the moral and spiritual leaders of the various Aboriginal communities. It is the elders who keep order, who make sure that everybody is heard, and treated with respect.

They are like teachers.

Animism D) Forms of cultural expression:

Communication with spirits & Interpretation of dreams: First Nations groups believe that the best way to communicate with spirits is through smoke and dreams.

Tobacco: communicating through fire, or smoked through a decorative pipe.

Dreams: could tell prophecies. Example: Animals giving themselves up in a hunt

would appear in dreams.

Animism D) Forms of cultural expression:

Hunting & Healing Rituals:

A) They took special care of the animals they hunted or fished. Why?

They believed the reason they could kill the animal is because the animal had given itself to the hunter.

They believed that the spirit of the animal would return in another animal.

AnimismExample:

Weapons made from bones needed to be used properly.

Weapons made from land animals, needed to be used on land animals.

Communication & Trade

1. The Iroquois & Algonquin groups would engage in different activities with each other.

A) The goal of these rituals was to preserve friendly relationships:

Trades Festivities Speaking “competitions”

Communication & Trade

2. Gift Giving and Reciprocal Relations: a) The ability to give and be generous was a quality demanded of ALL PEOPLE.Examples: Even when food is scarce, the Inuit are expected to SHARE what they have.

When building longhouses, all members of an Iroquois village were expected to help. Not just the ones that were going to live in the house.

Social relationships

3) Aboriginal Chieftanship:

A) Selection of the chiefs reflected their lifestyle

Example: Nomadic chiefs were usually the best hunters. (Because that was the way they maintained their lifestyle and economy)

B) Eloquence (ability to speak) was an important quality for all First Nations groups.