I would like to present you an essay about First Nations children. The First Nations are people whom live in Canada. They were here for six thousand years or so. Now, we will see what school is like for the First Nations.

(1): Going to school.

Like many people, the First Nations have many ways to go to school. In cities and large towns, First Nations kids sometimes ride school buses but elsewhere, most kids ride canoes or ski-doos. The majority of kids walks to school.

(2): Heritage, Language, History.

At First Nations schools, the children study their heritage which includes things that their ancestors did, for example, how to make a wigwam. A Cree heritage is, for example, the annual moose hunt. First Nations children, also, learn their language. For example, Canada comes from the Huron-Iroquois word Kanata. Did you know that the name Saskatoon comes from the Red Saskatoon Berry that the Cree Called mis-sask-guah-too-min? Different Nations and Clans had their own or slightly different languages. For example, if a plains Cree met an East James Bay Cree, they would not understand each other very well, if they did not learn each other’s language. Did you know that although the Iroquois were the worst enemies of the Huron, they had a similar language? For example, The Huron and the Iroquois both named a few Clan villages, the word, Kanata. Language is very important for the First Nations. The last thing I want to show on column is First Nations history. First Nations history starts like this: Some Siberian natives set foot on Alaska and the Yukon. Soon, they followed the beavers, antelopes, horses, peccaries, sloths and the remaining Wooly Mammoths south. Then, they started to make new Clans and soon wigwams, teepees and longhouses started to appear, everywhere, across most of North America.

Soon, a religion appeared and stands of cedar or spruce wood totem poles and sculptures started to appear, in the West. Special ceremonies, like potlaches were not uncommon. The first, confirmed, settlers were the Vikings, from 1000 years ago. In the 1500’s, European settlers starting to colonize North America and take over the First Nations territory. In the 1800’s, the migration, southwest, made by American cowboys and cowgirls, fighting First Nations was big. One of the most legendary First Nations whom battled the American cowboys was Chief Big Bear, A Cree war chief, son of the Cree chief, named “Black Powder.” He led the Cree, in battle, in the first segment of the great cowboy wars. He got replaced by another chief. He was born around 1825 and died at a Cree reservation, in Montana, USA, in August 1883. He was very powerful. Now, lets go back to Canada, shall we? At the same time,in 1885, the Canadian government made potlatches illegal. British Columbian First Nations protested, for 5 months. The government was silly to misunderstand the mysterious potlatches. In the 1990’s, about 23 years ago, residential schools became illegal and this was when wear orange day was invented. Today, Saskatchewan has a First Nations discrimination problem. History is important for First Nations children.

(3): Helping First Nations Children’s education.

We can help First Nations children’s education and safety, by helping them get along with the other children and help them stand up for themselves. Sometimes, bullies bully First Nations and exclude them from certain things, like special clubs. This is called discrimination. First Nations kids are different but special and it is nothing to make fun of.

First Nations culture is amazing and fascinating. We should treat the First Nations children with respect. This is the end of my essay.