land | stories and reflections | artistry

Stoney Discoveries

The Stoney people lived in the foothills region where our school is presently located, long before any explorers or traders had discovered this incredibly beautiful area. They are often referred to as the Mountain Stonies or Nakoda. Early stories of life in Millarville often depict the interaction, teamwork, and friendship between the Stonies and the homesteading families. Our community developed alongside the traditional migration route from their winter camp in the mountains to the summer camp in the foothills. Currently the Stonies live both to the west and to the south of Millarville.

The Grade 3 students at Millarville Community School have been learning about our neighbors, the Stonies. We have spent time out on the land trying to internalize what land and territory mean. Students have heard and read authentic stories and legends, specific to the Stoney people. These stories came from a special publication wherein the authors tried to set down the truth about the old Stoney culture before the contact with the first traders. Their approach was to allow the elders to speak. We have had visitors come into our classroom to share their knowledge of the Stonies and we have traveled to museums searching for answers to our questions. Lastly, we examined traditional Stoney artistry found on clothing, dwellings and artifacts.

As the study progressed students had an opportunity to share their understanding of Stoney culture with students in two other schools. In return, they saw and heard about the people native to other communities. In this manner, they met the Blackfoot (Siksika) and the T'Suu Tina Tina (Sarcee). Throughout this project, our hope was that students could develop a respectful awareness of Stoney culture specifically, and a broader understanding of native people in general. Our big question, as teachers, was "Can we design this project in such a way that students might develop a level of empathy that would allow them to see that culture from within?" We hope that the discoveries, as seen through the eyes of the Grade 3 students at Millarville Community School, reflect an accurate picture of traditional Stoney culture.

To understand the Stoney culture, you must:

• develop a relationship with the Land
• recognize the importance of Ancient Stoney stories
  • The Buffalo Circle
  • Gift of Thunder Horse
  • Iktomni and Bear
  • Iktomni and the Closed-Eye Dance
  • Iktomni and the Mouse Dance
  • The Little People Macoyah Debe
  • Umbiska Waka, Eagle Catcher
    
• understand the significance of color and design

Reflections

• Student reflections on the relationship of the land
• Student reflections on the importance of Ancient Stories
• Teacher Reflections of the project.