 Athabascan
Winter Studies
The Dene'
Indigenous People of Interior
Kindergarten Unit
FNSBSD Alaska Native Education
(DRAFT)
Unit: Athabascan (Dene')
Winter Family Activities Language, Contemporary Life,
and Art Strands
Lesson: Traditional Celebration
Activities
Day 9:
Students will learn a traditional Athabascan (Dene') song
and dance similar to what would be performed during a winter
gathering.
Materials:
guest speaker/singer or video, "Hitting Sticks Healing
Hearts," an Athabascan video about memorial potlatches, review and
find a section that discusses or demonstrates songs
audio tape of Athabascan celebration songs and dance motion
descriptions
Athabascan drum and stick, available for check-out from ANE
Alaska Room
Objectives:
Students will learn at least one Athabascan song commonly
performed at area potlatches.
Student will practice language, coloring, writing and
cooperation skills.
Preparation:
Request and schedule a resource artist/singer from ANE
Order audio tape, and optional video from library media, will
contain 4 separate songs, one for each grade level K-3
Make copies of dance motion and background student handout page
Reserve Athabascan drum and stick from Alaska Room
instructional aide (only 2 available for check-out)
Optional read introduction and Koyukon Riddles for background
information on elements and use of riddles (further information is
available in Folklore Booklet, by Richard Dauenhauer available in
ANE Curriculum resource materials from your librarian)
Introduction: (set/purpose)
Cue/play audio to the song the students will be learning.
Have the students imagine they are at winter camp again and they
are preparing to break camp. Each family will be going to their
own spring camps to hunt muskrats or trade their winter take of
furs. Their friends and relatives are preparing for a dance
celebration to give thanks for everyone surviving the long winter.
After playing the song explain they will be learning a
traditional Athabascan song and dance that may have been performed
as a welcome to those who came to their winter celebration or
gathering, or to celebrate the end of winter camp as a means to
greet the beginning of spring. This can be taught by a guest
speaker, tape or a video of an Athabascan Elder/resource artist
singing.
A demonstration of how to dance will be given to the students
prior to their learning the song via singer, audio or video tape.
Activity: (input)
Discussion of what traditional activities children do at
the end of winter
-Subsistence activities, accompany parents on trapline
and check beaver and muskrat traps, and ice fishing lines
-Repair equipment to prepare for moving to spring camps
Discussion of what activities would be at the end of the Dene'
winter camp or winter camp celebration
Instruction will be given to sing an Athabascan children's song
and dance
Re-read story(s) from previous days
Optional--share one or two easier winter prose riddles
with students from "Koyukon Riddles Booklet" such as:
-I drag my shovel on the trail.--a beaver
-We come upstream in a red canoe.--red salmon
Optional-- for riddle activity select a single topic and help
students create a class riddle so that can other classes in grade
level can be quizzed on their original riddle
Optional Extended Activity:
Break students into groups with a parent volunteer or
classroom aide to create additional riddles, you will need to
select a topic; for instance, choose an animal for them to
brainstorm ideas for a riddle i.e. raven, sled, dog, etc.
Activity: (guided practice)
After listening to the Dene' audio or video tapes of
singing and dancing, or receiving instruction from a resource
artist, students will practice singing and dancing in one of the
learning centers with either the A-V equipment and parent
volunteer or the resource artist to help
Outline student behavior expectations for participating in
singing and dancing center
Learning center rotations will be similar to previous days with
the inclusion of traditional singing and dancing center
Assign/rotate students to small groups for learning centers
Activity: (closure)
Students will quickly learn the motion of the dance and
they will be able to share the general interpretation to the
motions and provide a general translation or explanation about the
meaning of the song.
Activity: (independent practice)
Practice their Dene' words/phrases/expressions
Practice song and dance
Continue family role plays with food activities in a cooking
learning center or in the tent if it is located in your classroom
Play selected Athabascan games
Add and delete learning centers as student complete tasks
and/or gain proficiency with activities
Introduction
ANE Curriculum
Overview
Unit Overview
Athabascan
Art Sampler
OCR SCANNED MATERIAL
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