Activity 4 – Discussion and Extended Activities

Discussion

• The author says “the Gwich'in and their counterparts throughout North America had been made tough as leather by what they had to endure, living only by their skills and their wits.”(p.26) What do you think? Is this true for Dene and Inuit people?
• “When the missionaries preached Hell and brimstone, the Gwich'in did a quick about-face and accepted the white's mans version of religion although they already believed in a higher power. They learned the white man's rituals. No one wanted to burn in an eternal lake of fire….. As I grew up, two belief systems existed in Fort Yukon. In the open we attended either the Episcopal church or the Assembly of God church. Other beliefs were whispered among the older people.” In your community are their two belief systems? How have they been integrated?

Extended Activities

• Look at the family tree. Who has been introduced so far?
• What are some character traits of Martha? Ask learners to refer to the list of character traits on Handout 3, and write a BIO Poem for Martha. An example of a BIO Poem is on Handout 4.
• Talk to learners about the language barriers between youth and Elders in the book. Ask them if these barriers exist in their community. Talk about how the loss of language affects culture and tradition. Read Handout 5 together and then ask learners to write a short piece on how the loss of language has affected culture and traditions in their community.