Xwi7xwa Library Guide
Indigenous Language Curriculum Resources
[An Indigenous child] shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.
Article 30, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Language Lesson Plans & Activities
- Language Lesson Plans - National Centre for Collaboration on Indigenous Education (NCCIE)Under the Lesson Plan search, you can specify the grade level and language for the lesson you want to teach - as well as subject, province, or other search term.
- The Common Curriculum Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Culture Programs: K - 12Offers a framework that reflects the universal values and beliefs inherent in Aboriginal cultures for schools wanting to develop resources using aboriginal languages.
Feel free to reach out to librarians (xwi7xwa.library@ubc.ca) for help finding curriculum resources for specific languages/nations.
- Lesson Plans for Teaching Resources in a Hul'q'umi'num' Junior KindergartenHul'q'umi'num language lessons for immersion Kindergarten.
- Hul'q’umi'num FirstVoicesMade by Quw'utsun / Cowichan Tribes.
- Halq'eméylem Introduction - NCCIEThis lesson plan provides students with an opportunity to introduce themselves in the Halq’eméylem language (Stó:lō)
- Everyday Halq’eméylem for Classroom TeachersBy Siyámíya Wabiskegagakos Na-na-hum-nees, Dianna N. Kay. l. This document provides information to introduce
Upriver Halq’eméylem to a classroom setting, phrases for transition, commands, time
management, conversational comments found in a classroom setting, math terms,
courtesies, school people, room names, and prayer
- Halkomelem FirstVoicesIncludes words, stories, songs and phrases.
- W̱SÁNEĆ ȽKALJ - The 13 Moons of the WsanecInformation about the W̱SÁNEĆ moons, their associated weather, economic activities, and cultural activities. Includes prompts of questions to ask students and graphics of each moon, translated to SENĆOŦEN.
ḥuḥtakšiiḥsiš ciiqciqasa
I’m learning to speak our language
- Salmon Are Important - Uu-a-thlukPilot version of a lesson plan for Grade 4 students. Introduces students to Nuu-chah-nulth language and worldview.
- Learning Kwak̓wala series / by Jay Powell(1981-) Series of 12 readers with a teacher's manual
- wałyaʕasukʔi naatnaniqsakqin:Motivated by a desire to return a critically endangered Indigenous language to the land of its origin, the researcher, an adult second language learner and Hesquiaht woman delivered a four-day Hesquiaht place-based language learning outdoor course in partnership with extended family and Hooksum Outdoor School. Chapter 3 describes the language course daily activity and Appendix 4 contains the associated language immersion lessons.
- Yinka Déné Language InstituteThis institute is dedicated to the preservation of the Yinka Déné language and culture. They publish materials in their language, provide training resources, develop curricula and much more.
- Dene Kede Teacher's Resource Manual (NWT Ministry of Education)Outlines teaching of Dene curriculum focusing on language and culture from a Dene worldview.
- Katiqsugat: Inuit Early Learning ResourcesProvides free access to a diverse collection of Inuit-specific educational materials available in both English and Inuktitut (Katiqsugat means “collection” in Inuktitut).
Indigenous Language Storytime Resources
This box features children's books written partially or wholly in an Indigenous language. Below are general resources for Indigenous-language storytime.
- Treaty 7 Language Books (Calgary Public Library)Authors read from their children's books in their languages. Includes Blackfoot (Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika), Tsuuti’na and Stoney Nakoda authors and languages.
- SayItFirst Children's BooksBooks are available in Maliseet, Mi’kmaw, Ojibwe and Cree, as well as in English and phonetics. There are videos of educators reading the books, and a free app linked where you can hear how the words are pronounced.
Series
These are resources at Xwi7xwa that have children's stories translated into a variety of Indigenous languages.
One Green Tree Series
Call Number: Technical Services - in process
Baby Learns Series
Call Number: YUA B53 B33 2003
- Spähels ʻiʻ łiłqelc̓ = Wind and Little Moon byPublication Date: 2014
- Tä spe7ät̳ 7i7 kw̳t̳ä kw̳asän = The bear and the star byPublication Date: 2014
- Let's take a walk! = Wo men chu qu zou zou la! byCall Number: XFC G73 L47 2013Publication Date: 2013A children's book based on the childhood of Elder Larry Grant, accompanied by an audio CD.
Léts'e tsqwá:y thqá:t : one green tree = kw'áxem ye shxwtómex li te Halq'eméeylemqel : counting with colours in Halq'eméylem by ISBN: 9781412058711Publication Date: 2005
Stand Like a Cedar by Call Number: YUA C365 S73 2021ISBN: 9781553799214Publication Date: 2021Text in English, Nłe7kepmxcín and Halq'emeylem.
- Andrew's loose tooth = Andrew's kwa'ulnus yunus's byCall Number: XFM M85 A53 2014Publication Date: 2014
Nete neḱa s_kelál_ne_w : i qese_n centol tte íy,oles tte senćoten = One green tree : counting with colours in Senćoten. by Call Number: XFJ B55 N48 2003ISBN: 1412006260Publication Date: 2003
'Na̲m ła̲nx̲a K̲̓wax̲ : one green tree = Kwak̓walatła̲n's husatł : counting (with colours) in Kwak̓wala by Call Number: XEC H86 N36 2005ISBN: 9781412058650Publication Date: 2005
Zoe and the fawn by Call Number: YUA J56 Z64 2019ISBN: 9781926886534Publication Date: 2019Zoe and her dad see a little spotted sk'ʷək'ʷƛ̓il't (fawn) curled up under an aspen tree. "Where is the sk'ʷək'ʷƛ̓il't (fawn)'s mother?" Zoe asks her dad.
skɬp'lk'mitkw = Water changeling by ISBN: 9781926886664Publication Date: 2021The journey and transformation of water from the top of the mountains, through the rivers and streams from a Syilx perspective. Text in English, with some words in nsyilxcən.
Siwlkw nkwancinäm k'el suliʻ: The water sings to suliʻ by ISBN: 9781926886671A little girl meets a water spirit who asks her to protect and care for the water. Text in English, with some words in nsyilxcən
- Stand Like a Cedar by Call Number: YUA C365 S73 2021ISBN: 9781553799214Publication Date: 2021Text in English, Nłe7kepmxcín and Halq'emeylem.
A day with Yayah by Call Number: YUA C365 D39 2017ISBN: 9781926890098Publication Date: 2017Text in English with some words in Nłeʔkepmxcín.
- Nuk̓i?ni kak̓aquxmaqa ?akicta?in : one green tree = Kupci?tmut ?ak̓axamik Ktunaxa : counting with colours in Ktunaxa byCall Number: XL G73 N85 2005Publication Date: 2005
- Ktunaxa legends : early intermediate resource / stories told by Ktunaxa elders byCall Number: Special collectionPublication Date: 1995
Lii yiiboo nayaapiwak lii swer : l'alfabet di Michif by Call Number: YUA F54 L55 2010ISBN: 9781897476284Publication Date: 2010
Awâsis and the world-famous bannock by Call Number: YUA H85 A92 2018ISBN: 9781553797791Publication Date: 2018Mostly in English, some text in Cree (y-dialect).
Black bear red fox : colours in Cree by Call Number: YUA F54 B53 2017ISBN: 9781554765218Publication Date: 2017Y-dialect.
On the trapline by Call Number: YUA R63 N84 2021ISBN: 9780735266681Publication Date: 2021English and N-dialect.
Ka Kîweh Nikamôstamâtinân by Call Number: XCC V36 W4 2018ISBN: 9781459820142Publication Date: 2018Board book. Y dialect.
Pimithaagansa / Dragonfly Kites by Call Number: YUA H54 S66 v.2 2016ISBN: 9781897252635Publication Date: 2016
Siksikaitsitapi : stories of the Blackfoot people by Call Number: YUA M35 S55 2022ISBN: 9781988824833Publication Date: 2022These children's book chapters are written, illustrated, and translated by various Blackfoot Elders, authors, and artists to share, firsthand, a snapshot of the Blackfoot strong, beautiful way of life.
Hello ... fruit basket = Oki ... kiniinoko ni ssksimataksskin by Call Number: XCB E24 H45 2018ISBN: 9781984989079Publication Date: 2018In English and Siksika. A boy and his Dad say hello to all the amazing fruit trees and plants in their beautiful backyard. Includes lesson and insights from the author.
- Treaty 7 Language Books (Calgary Public Library)Authors read from their children's books in their languages. Includes Blackfoot (Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika), Tsuuti’na and Stoney Nakoda authors and languages.
My heart fills with happiness = Nijiikendam by Call Number: XCH G73 M9 2021ISBN: 9781459825390Publication Date: 2021
Phoenix ani' gichichi-i' / Phoenix Gets Greater by Call Number: YUA W557 P46ISBN: 9781772603248Publication Date: 2023Anishinaabemowin and English text.
It's a mitig! by Call Number: YUA G46 T8 2020ISBN: 9781771622738Publication Date: 2020Anishinaabemowin and English text.
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh: This is How I Know by Call Number: YUA L83 M55 2021ISBN: 9781773063263Publication Date: 2014
Mi'kmaw waisisk by Call Number: YUA S95 M55 2018ISBN: 9781771086417Publication Date: 2018Board book.
Mi'kmaw daily drum : Mi'kmaw culture for every day of the week by Call Number: XCF S95 M55 2020ISBN: 9781771088893Publication Date: 2020
Ukaliq : puppies! by Call Number: YUA Q537 U43 2013ISBN: 9781927095164Publication Date: 2013Text in English with Inuktitut syllabics on inverted pages.
Finding Curriculum Resources
Try these basic strategies to begin your research in the UBC Library Catalogue:
1) Keyword Searches
Combine the name of a specific language or language family AND the word "teaching".
For example:
2) Subject Headings
Browse Subject (begins with):
- First Nations--Languages--Curricula.
- First Nations--Languages--Curriculum materials.
- First Nations--Languages--Curriculum development.
- First Nations--Languages--Study and teaching.
- Indians of North America--Languages--Study and teaching.
- First Nations--Languages--Teacher training.
2) Call Numbers
- X - Languages (General)
- XA - Languages (Teaching methods)
- ET - Curriculum materials