1. Session One: Opening Feast
Now we will get into more details about each of the sessions, beginning with the Welcoming Feast or Ashangewin.
Total Time: 2 hours & 25 minutes

2. Session One: Objectives
Feel welcomed to the program and be willing to participate in the sessions.
Understand what is going to happen during each session.
Start thinking about traditional and healthy families
Session One: Objectives
By the end of this session, we hope participants will:
Feel welcomed to the program and be willing to participate in the sessions.
Understand what is going to happen during each session.
Start thinking about traditional and healthy Anishinabe families

3. Session One: Layout Overview of Session One
Welcome and Overview of Program – 25 Minutes
Icebreaker – 15 Minutes
Meal – 30 Minutes
Culture Activity – 10 Minutes
Video OR Speaker Discussion – 10 Minutes
Parent and Youth Breakout Sessions – 25 Minutes
Overview of Session One
Overview of Session One
Welcome and Overview of Program – 25 Minutes
Icebreaker – 15 Minutes
Meal – 30 Minutes
Anishinabe Culture Activity – 10 Minutes
Video OR Speaker Discussion – 10 Minutes
Parent and Youth Breakout Sessions – 25 Minutes

4. Materials Consent and Assent Forms
Video Speaker on First Nation Culture
Booklets or Handouts
Supply Box
Sacred Tree Activity
Camera (suggested)
Materials
Here are some supplies that you might need for the session.

5. Preparation Checklist
Ask an Elder or spiritual leader to be present at the Session to say a prayer, smudge, and give a short talk about the importance of the family in culture.
Tobacco and smudge pack
Copies of the consent and assent forms
Camera to take pictures of activities throughout this session.
Prepare “Sacred Tree Activity” (found in pages 3-5 of the Activities Manual)
Review and set up the video OR discuss goals of this session with the speaker.
________________________________________________________
Preparation Checklist

6. Session One: Summary & Overview
Overview of Session One
Consent and Assent Forms:
Contact Agency for Instructions
Our Families, Our Culture:
Video or Speaker
Overview of Program:
Session Meetings, Expectations, Activities
Youth:
Sacred Tree
Parent:
Roles and Values: Discussion with Worksheet
Family:
My Family Values: Story of Sacred Tree
Session One: Summary & Overview
You may give an overview of the activities in session one.

7. As the Families Arrive
You should welcome the families as they arrive. You may want to pass out name tags, bring attendance sheets, and have a starting activity. You could have them draw a tree and write their family members on the leaves.
You may want to invite an Elder to attend the program. If you have an Elder attend, make sure you greet the Elder in an appropriate manner. The Elder can start the program with a prayer.

8. Welcome and Overview of the Program
Parent Booklets
Youth Booklets
When all the families are there, you should introduce yourself and thank the families for attending. You may want to have the Elder briefly discuss the importance of family.
If you are using booklets, this could be when you pass them out and allow the families to look through them and ask questions.
25 Minutes

9. Welcome and Overview of the Program
The sessions will be held ______________________ (give specific days and times). The sessions will last between _______________________ (give length of time). A meal will be served at every session. Please help clean up after the meal. Everyone is expected to be respectful of the others in the session. The sessions will consist of discussion groups (sometimes parents and youth separate and sometimes together), group activities, worksheets, journal activities, and videos. Each parent and youth will be given a booklet. Some of the activities will have corresponding worksheets in the booklets. Sometimes take home activities will be assigned. These take home activity pages are marked with the words “Take Home” in the booklet. Facilitators will keep the booklets and bring them to each weekly session.
Welcome and Overview of the Program
You may want to tell the participants when the sessions are held, how long they will last, and whether or not a meal will be provided. You can tell them what activities the sessions consist of and explain that they may have activities to take home.
You should explain the Consent and Assent forms. Make sure all families have read and understood their forms, and collect them.  
25 Minutes

10. The Meaning of Each Call-out Number:
Icebreaker
The Meaning of Each Call-out Number:
2 – “Rabbit Dance”
- two people hold hands as in a rabbit dance or two-step
3 – “Smoke Signals”
- three people, one in the middle and 2 on the outside, fanning with arms as in sending smoke signals
4 – “Eating at the Feast”
- four people stand in a square and pretend they are eating
5 – “Team Dance”
- five people stand in a row and dance like at a pow- wow
If you choose to use an icebreaker, explain the rules. If you would like to use our icebreaker, see the manual for instructions.
15 Minutes

11. Meal
If you choose to serve a meal, you may ask the Elder for a blessing of the food.
You may want to interact with families during the meal, sitting and talking to different families throughout the course of the meal.
30 Minutes

12. Anishinabe Culture Activity & Discussion
Our Families, Our Culture
(insert video below)
You may choose to use the video we used, which is called Our Family, Our Culture. If this is not an option, you may choose to have someone speak on Anishinabe family and history.
You may want to have a discussion afterwards.
The video we will be watching is called, “Our Families, Our Culture” and focuses on History. This video includes scenes with Elders talking about traditional family, a short story of how the Creator first created the universe all things that maintain life; including humans, and the seven teachings gifted to people, so they could live a good life.
Begin “Our Families, Our Culture” Video
10 Minutes

13. Parent & Youth Breakout Sessions
This would be a good time to explain that throughout the program, parents will occasionally be splitting up from their children. This could be a time for the adults to discuss the issues they face as parents and youth to talk about issues that they have at school and with friends.
Total Time: 25 minutes

14. Youth Breakout Session
The Sacred Tree Story
The Sacred Tree is a gathering place for everyone. Here we find healing, power, wisdom, and security. The ancient ones taught that the life of the Tree is the life of the people. If one wanders too far from the shadow of the tree, or forgets to seek the nourishment, turn against, or try to destroy it; great sorrow will fall upon the people. Therefore, the tree is under great protection. Only the humble and dedicated souls will guide anyone who is honestly and sincerely seeking along the path leading to the protecting shadow of the Tree.
Youth Breakout Session
For the youth, you may use the Sacred Tree Story activity in the manual, or you may use a different activity of your choosing.
15 Minutes

15. Youth Breakout Session
If you wish to use the Sacred Tree Story, see the manual for instructions.
15 Minutes

16. Youth Breakout Session
How to make a puzzle…
15 Minutes

17. Youth Journal Activity
ABOUT MYSELF
Youth Journal Activity
You may use the About Myself activity in the manual, page 7, for the youth, or you may use your own activity.
10 Minutes

18. Parent Breakout Session
You may want to suggest to the parents to be sensitive to various forms of acceptable parenting and be non-judgmental. You may use the Parenting Questionnaire on page 15 of the manual or use whatever activity of your choosing.
25 Minutes

19. Parent Breakout Session
Parenting Discussion and Questionnaire
1. Where did you learn to parent?
2. What are some people, places, or experiences that have taught you valuable lessons in parenting?
3. In what ways were your values and beliefs about parenting formed?
4. How can you use your actions to model the virtues of culture for your children?
5. What are some of the difficulties you’ve experienced in your own transitions from child to parent?
6. How can you encourage the development of your child’s various abilities (physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral)?”
7. What are your strengths as a parent (list at least 3)?
8. Where do you need improvements as a parent (list at least 3)?
Parent Breakout Session
If you are having parents complete the Parenting Questionnaire, following the activity, you may give the option of parents sharing their responses. Following this, you may have the parents join the youth again for a collaborative activity.
25 Minutes

20. Sacred Tree Story MY FAMILY’S VALUES 15 Minutes
Family name: _________________________________________________
Directions: Please pick two values from the Sacred Tree story that are important to you and your family. Discuss why those two values are important and what it means to you and your family.
Sacred Tree Story
VALUE:
What it means to my family and me:
Why it is important:
VALUE:
What it means to my family and me:
Why it is important:
You may have the families do the My Family’s Values activity, page 6 for youth and page 14 for parents. Following this, you may have them have a discussion about what values are important to them. This may be a good time to take family pictures.
If you could pick a third value, what would it be?
15 Minutes

21. Announcements and Reminders
Homework
Sacred Tree
Parenting Strengths and Improvement
Announcements and Reminders H
You could ask the youth to do the sacred tree activity on page 8 of their booklet for a take home assignment, and you could suggest the parents complete the Parenting Strengths and Improvement worksheet on page 16 of their booklet. .
5 Minutes

22. We appreciate your participation
We appreciate your participation. This program wouldn’t be possible without you!
Our next session
Community History
Closing prayer by Elder
Collect paperwork if needed
Closing
This would be an appropriate time to thank the families for coming and show your appreciation for their participation.
You could have an Elder close in prayer.
5 Minutes