Page 73 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

main theme of The Jerusalem Series, by Daphne Odjig? Why do you think an Israeli airline commissioned an Odawa/Potawatomi artist to depict the holy city of Jerusalem? How do the prints reflect a First Nations perspective of the land?” “What specific connections does Susan Point’s Cedar Connection carving make between the land, sea, and sky and traditional Salish culture? In your opinion, how does the work express a spiritual dimension?” “How does Mathew Nuqingaq use symbols of Inuit land
in his silver jewellery design?”
A1.3 analyse the relationship between human society and the natural world expressed by precontact First Nations and Inuit artists and early Métis artists, drawing on evidence from several different art forms (e.g., Tsimshian carved red cedar totem poles connected family history with symbolic animal forms; an Inuit qilaut, or caribou-skin drum, was played to accompany drum dancing at gatherings to mark the changing of the seasons)
Sample questions: “How were the seal and the caribou viewed in Inuit culture? How did Inuit use the different parts of a variety of animals in traditional art forms? How did this use reflect the values of reciprocity and mutual respect?” “How did song and ritual play an important part in communicating reciprocity and mutual respect to the spirit of the caribou?”
A1.4 identify and explain various ways in which First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists are reclaiming a personal connection to the land and/or the natural world through their work, drawing on evidence from specific art works (e.g., Amanda Strong draws a parallel between her own existence and the tenacious but fragile life of the honey bee in her 2009 short film Honey for Sale; Jordan Bennett establishes links to the land by including walnut, oak, and spruce in his 2010 interactive sculptural sound work Turning Tables; in his collaborative art project Anishnaabensag Biimskowebshkigewag (Native Kids Ride Bikes), Dylan Miner uses the bicycle to evoke the Red River cart, symbolizing Métis migrations across illegitimate national borders)
Sample questions: “How does the work of
Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak demonstrate the connection of Inuit, both past and present, to the land?” “How did Terry Haines use video documentation to reflect the link between land and cultural survival in his 2013 work Coyote X?” “How would you describe Métis artist Dylan Miner’s Anishnaabensag Biimskowebshkigewag (Native Kids Ride Bikes) project within the context
of environmental sustainability? How does the art work reclaim a connection to traditional migratory practices?”
A2. Identities
By the end of this course, students will:
A2.1 analyse the role of spiritual identity in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit world views, drawing on evidence from several different art forms and arts disciplines (e.g., Inuit drum dancing expresses the spiritual nature of the performer’s identity; beliefs about transformation between spirit forms, or identities, are embodied in copper and silver carvings of birds with human features; radiating lines incorporated in stone and bone carvings represent the connections between humans and spiritual forces, conveying the spiritual nature of humankind; a variety of art forms use circles
to represent the interconnection of the human life cycle and other natural life cycles and to remind individuals to strive for spiritual balance in all aspects of their existence; symbolic spiritual helpers, such as the thunderbird, are depicted in the art forms of many cultures)
Sample questions: “What is spiritual identity? How does your experience of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit art forms help you understand the concept of spiritual identity? Why do you think art is central to the expression of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit spiritual identities?” “Why is the circle a dominant symbol in First Nations cultural art forms? What other symbols represent the belief, prevalent in many First Nations world views, that all of creation is connected to a spiritual life force?”
A2.2 describe various ways in which materials, colours, and symbols are used in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit art forms to express aspects of individual and/or collective identity, analysing some regional and cultural similarities and differences (e.g., materials: members of the
Bear clan may use bear hide and claws in clothing designs; the use of birch bark and/or birch bark designs in various art forms may represent the artist’s affiliation with a Woodland nation; the incorporation of whale bone into traditional regalia may reflect the artist’s Arctic or Northwest origins; colours: colour variations and weaving styles are used in Métis sashes to represent specific families and communities; blue is associated with women in traditional Plains hide paintings; specific colours used in beadwork are associated with the wearer’s unique and inherent gifts; symbols: arrows, serpents, floral designs, land formations, and water signs often reflect the elements and characteristics of
an individual’s spirit name)
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, AND INUIT WORLD VIEWS
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and Inuit Cultures
Expressions of First Nations, Métis,
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