Early Indigenous Life

Facility: Kortright Centre for Conservation

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Program Levels:

Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8

Course Types:

Afternoon, Day Visit, Full Day, Morning

This program is based on the daily life of the Huron people, some of whom once lived on what is now the Kortright Centre property. Our pathways follow the same route as the Carrying Place Trail, so students actually are walking in the footprints of the early explorers and native inhabitants who traveled this historic site.

Using a short slide show and authentic artifacts, we discuss the daily life in an Indigenous village, including their social structure and their life as hunters, gatherers and farmers. Then, along the woodland trails, we will identify plants and other natural resources that were used for food, medicine, tools and other household items. Students will learn about the availability/scarcity of certain resources during a “shopping trip” for items that the Huron used on a daily basis.

Walking along the Humber Valley, we will consider the best sites for locating a village, and gain a better understanding of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and their physical environment. Students will try their hand at daily chores such as grinding corn and using a drill bow to light a fire.

Full Day Program: Allows more time to be spent on some of the above-mentioned activities, and provides an opportunity for additional activities, such as interactive games.

Preparation:
Programs always have an outdoor component. Groups should dress for the conditions on the day of their visit. Before your visit, please discuss the importance of dressing appropriately for outdoor activities. On days of inclement weather the program will be modified to include some indoor activities along with the outdoor components.

Availability:
Year-round, half day or full day

Curriculum Connections:

History: New France and British North America 1713 – 1800 (Grade 7)
Social Studies: Heritage and Identity – Changing Family and Community Traditions (Grade 2); Communities in Canada 1780 – 1850 (Grade 3); First Nations and Europeans in New France and Early Canada (Grade 5); Communities in Canada Past and Present (Grade 6)