1. Evidence Of The Past

3. Archaeological Evidence  Archaeology is a science which examines antiques, artifacts, and physical remains from the past, and uses the finding to formulate interpretations about history

4. Archaeological Evidence  Types of Archaeological Evidence  Petroglyphs  carvings that are etched into rock  Pictographs  Paintings done on rock walls  Skeletal remains  Excavation sites  “buffalo jumps”

5. Archaeological Evidence “Buffalo Jumps”

7. Oral Traditions  Canada’s early peoples did not keep written accounts  Methods of Recording  Totem Pole Art  Wampum  Pictographs  Rock Art  Story telling

8. Story Telling  Stories passed on from generation to generation to retell history  Critical to maintaining a sense of community and connecting community to past  Stories were of creation stories and values that were basis of community

9. Problems With Oral History  Oral history is dependent on memories, the storytelling styles, and purpose the storyteller had for telling the story  Tellers often embellished stories  Changed point of view to one more relevant for the time  Religious and spiritual beliefs embedded in stories make it difficult to separate history from myth

10. Activity – Creation Stories  What do these accounts tell you about origins of some of the First Nations?  What do the stories tell you about the relationship the people of the First Nations had with their environment and the animals?  How do these stories compare to the creation accounts of other cultures?  What do these stories tell you about the beliefs of Native peoples?