Resources - Teachers' Guide : Lesson Four
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Resources | TEACHERS' GUIDE : LESSON FOUR

 

Lesson 4: Dreamers and the Land

Background:

Our Dane-zaa Dreamers were wise people, or prophets, who received songs from Heaven in their dreams, and often drew maps and pictures on their drums of these visions. In their dreams, our Dreamers saw the ways in which our people should behave towards one another and towards the game animals that we depend on. To find out more visit Dreamers.

The Dreamers' Dance is an Earth renewal dance, traditionally held near the winter or summer solstice. During Dreamers' Dances, our Doig River Drummers sing Dreamers' songs handed down for generations and people dance clockwise around a circle, similar to the way in which the sun moves around the Earth. Today, we continue to remember the songs of our Dreamers and sing them as we defend our Aboriginal and Treaty rights.

 

Lesson 4A: Elementary

Core Concepts

  • Aboriginal people have diverse cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs.
  • Aboriginal dance is performed in many communities and has specific roles and purposes in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal Culture.
  • Music also has specific roles and purposes in Aboriginal culture.
  • Dreamers are Dane-zaa spiritual leaders who received songs from Heaven in their dreams, helped our people to live in the past, and helped to prepare us for the changes of the future.
  • Dane-zaa hold Dreamers' Dances throughout the year and songs handed down from our Dreamers are performed by our Doig River Drummers and our songkeeper Tommy Attachie.

Procedure

Visit Dreamers and click on The Dreamers Circle to find out more about our Dane-zaa Dreamers. Choose a Dreamer and follow the links to listen to songs they received in dreams and learn about their life. Then go to Dreamers' Dance and Doig River Drummers, to find out more about our Dane-zaa traditional music and dance. Once you have had a chance to learn more about this important part of our Dane-zaa culture, fill out the worksheet below.

Worksheet

  1. Which of our Dane-zaa Dreamers did you choose to find out more about? What is their name? When and where did they live? What is one special thing you learned about them?



  2. Why are Dreamers' Dances held?



  3. Describe a Dreamers' Dance.



  4. How do our Doig River Drummers carry on the Dreamers' Dance today?



  5. Have you ever been to a Dreamers' Dance, powwow, or other Aboriginal dance? If so, what do you remember about it? You could draw a picture or write a story about what you remember.



  6. If you haven't attended an Aboriginal dance, perhaps, you have attended a dance from another culture or a group within your community. If so, what do you remember about this dance? What was its meaning for the culture or group that held it?



Enrichment Activity

Attend a Dreamers' Dance, powwow, or other traditional dance performance (this could be a Chinese-Canadian, Indo-Canadian or other cultural performance). Pay careful attention. What did you see, hear, do? If invited to do so, join in with the dancers. Once you return to your class, write a story or draw a picture of what you saw. If you take cameras with you, make sure that it is okay to take pictures of the performance. Remember, not everyone is comfortable with people taking pictures at traditional dances or ceremonies.


 

Lesson 4B: High School

Core Concepts:

  • Music, songs, and other oral teachings have specific roles and purposes in traditional Aboriginal societies.
  • The lives and experiences of Aboriginal musicians and traditional spiritual leaders are positive examples for others.
  • Dance has specific roles and purposes in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture.
  • Dreamers are Dane-zaa spiritual leaders who receive songs from Heaven in their dreams, have helped our people to live in the past, and have helped to prepare us for the changes of the future.
  • Dane-zaa hold Dreamers' Dances throughout the year, and songs handed down from earlier Dreamers are performed by our Doig River Drummers and our songkeeper Tommy Attachie. The Dreamers' Dance brings our Dane-zaa community together and provides strength to our community as we continue to defend our Aboriginal and Treaty rights.

Procedure

Go to Dreamers and follow the links on the page to find out more about our nineteen Dane-zaa Dreamers. Next, go to Stories of Dreamers and the Land and listen to Dane-zaa elder Tommy Attachie talk about Dreamers' Dances that were held in the past and the role of Dreamers in Dane-zaa society. Then listen to Dane-zaa elder Madeline Davis talking about Dreamers' Dances held at the dance grounds at Montney called Suunéch'ii Kéch'iige (Where Happiness Dwells) when she was young. Finally, listen to former Chief Gary Oker talking about the importance of the drum and Dreamers' Dances to contemporary Dane-zaa culture. Once you have had a chance to listen to our Dane-zaa elders and community leaders, you can discuss what you've learned and fill out the worksheet below.

Discussion Questions

  • What roles have Dreamers played in our traditional Dane-zaa culture?
  • Why are Dreamers' Dances so important to Dane-zaa? Why were they important in the past and why do they continue to be important today?
  • Are there any special ceremonial events or dances held in your community that help to bring the community together, the way Dreamers' Dances bring our Dane-zaa community together?

Worksheet

  1. Describe the role of Dreamers in our traditional Dane-zaa culture?


  2. How have Dreamers lead our Dane-zaa people in the past and helped to prepare us for the challenges of the future?


  3. Describe our Dane-zaa Dreamers' Dance. What happens during a typical Dreamers' Dance and why are they held?


  4. Do you think that preserving and encouraging cultural traditions is important, not only for Aboriginal communities, but for other communities? Why or why not?


  5. Do you think documenting such traditions is important? Why or why not?


Enrichment Activities

  1. Find out whether any traditional cultural events, such as our Dane-zaa Dreamers' Dances, are held in—or near—your community. These could include dances, powwows, celebrations of traditional holidays, or other events. If so, your class can arrange to visit such an event and observe what happens. If you have permission, your class could film or photograph the event. Remember, however, that not everyone is comfortable with people from outside of their community filming or photographing traditional events. If you are able to document the event through digital media, that's great. If not, you can remember what you observed and share your observations when you return to class.
  2. Invite an Aboriginal (or other) musician or cultural leader involved with a traditional cultural event to your class to talk about the importance of that event to their community and culture. Listen respectfully, and afterwards discuss what you learned.

 

Continue to Lesson 5 : Stories and Songs